snipped: TheMaaslands@comcast.net> writes: 1) "If you look carefully, the tennins market has often been a few years ahead of the bike (industry)...in developing and adapting new materials and technology." and 2) "An ideal product to have produced by inexpensive reasonably well-educated dependable workers. In my mind, that worker description does not point to any likelihood of these components ever being produced in Europe, Japan or North America. That may be where the design process will be handled but production? highly unlikely!"
1) more than ever before, the bicycle industry is now part of the
sporting goods industry. it mimics the packaging, the synergy, the
glitter,
the merchandising , etcetera of the ski biz, the running shoe biz,
the
name-your-fav-high-profile-sport biz. imho, the way some of the
major firms promote their bicycles, you'd think they'd (the
bicycles)
pedal by themselves. that take some big balls! perhaps this is
attributable
to the tennis market's 'influence'.
and
2) the more things change, the more they stay the same. how different
is this than the 'old days' when, tho' we hoped the great frames
were
made by the guy whose name was on the downtube, the work was
almost always delegated. rather than have an underling or assistant
be part of the production, the suits now have it done offshore.
as martha says, "It's a good thing."
e-RICHIE
Richard Sachs Cycles
No.9, North Main Street
Chester, CT 06412 USA
http://www.richardsachs.com
Tel. 860.526.2059
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On Sun, 09 Feb 2003 13:03:41 -0500 Mara & Steven Maasland
<TheMaaslands@comcast.net> writes:
> Angel wrote:
> > I was talking to someone recently that had been over to Taiwan (I
>
> > think that's where) for some bike business and the person cited a
>
> > long list of bike manufacturer names that were on bikes coming off
>
> > the same assembly; I don't remember the names but I do remember
> > being really surprised as the list included some respected,
> > including European, names.
>
> In my last job, where I was International Sales Director for one of
> the
> world's biggest and most respected tennis racquet makers, I
> personally
> observed many modern bike frame components being made in Asia. Many
>
> used the exact same 'vendors' that we used for our tennis racquets.
>
> This is all very logical as new non-ferrous materials become the
> 'style
> du jour'. If you look carefully, the tennins market has often been a
>
> few years ahead of the bike and other industries in developing and
> adapting new materials and technology (Likely because of lesser
> liability concerns and greater earnings per tech dollar
> returns.)Carbon
> fibre is just one very good example. Contrary to public perception,
>
> carbon fibre is not terribly hightech, it is also highly labor
> intensive. An ideal product to have produced by inexpensive
> reasonably
> well-educated dependable workers. In my mind, that worker
> description
> does not point to any likelihood of these components ever being
> produced in Europe, Japan or North America. That may be where the
> design process will be handled but production? highly unlikely!
>
> Steven Maasland
> Moorestown NJ