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TREK China

mabaty

Chimp
Apr 20, 2009
12
0
Would it be considered a bad thing that most of your $5000 treks & specialized are made in china/taiwan? im just ranting really..
 

4xBoy

Turbo Monkey
Jun 20, 2006
7,014
2,847
Minneapolis
So is the money you spend at Walmart and the money you are giving banks that you didn't choose to give them, so what's your point?
 

Dirtjumper999

Turbo Monkey
Feb 13, 2005
1,556
0
Charlotte, NC
I would trust bikes and parts made in China and Taiwan before I would trust anything made in the U.S. We sell Specialized at my shop, and they are by far some of the sickest bikes around. A lot of the Ellsworth and Cannondale bikes I have checked in for repair have been broken or cracked somewhere on the frame, infact the first thing I look for is cracks in U.S. made frames. I have never seen a broken Specialized.


Bikes made from a person who can make mistakes often< bikes made from a machine that is precise and exact.
 

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,681
4,904
North Van
Everything else most people buy is from China, bikes are a drop in the bucket.

But all my Chinese food is made in Canada.
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
Well, I would more likely to trust the Chinese to build my bike if they actually rode bikes...
 
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stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
21,513
7,056
Colorado
Most american cars are assembled of parts built in the US. The last Dodge Ram had >50% of its parts from china iirc...
 

mabaty

Chimp
Apr 20, 2009
12
0
So is the money you spend at Walmart and the money you are giving banks that you didn't choose to give them, so what's your point?

So from your wording you are saying it is a bad thing? I am just asking, because I am new to biking I own a trek, but just did not know if I should look for handmade bikes from usa instead
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
You have to understand that most bikes under $2000 are made in Taiwan/China (and soon all of them are going to be).

As for bikes more than 2k, there are so many factors involved, country of origin is not relevant. Does a titanium Moots hardtail ride better than an Airborne? Sure. Can you and I tell the difference? Probably not.

What about a Santa Cruz Nomad made in the US by Sapa vs made in Taiwan by Kinesis?

Like I said, country of origin is not relevant any more.
 

4xBoy

Turbo Monkey
Jun 20, 2006
7,014
2,847
Minneapolis
So from your wording you are saying it is a bad thing? I am just asking, because I am new to biking I own a trek, but just did not know if I should look for handmade bikes from usa instead
Point is there is little that is or can be 100% American anymore.

You can buy a U.S. built frame but what about a suspension fork?

I don't know if it is good or bad, U.S. is it's worst enemy, everyone wants everything, and wants it for cheap.
 

mabaty

Chimp
Apr 20, 2009
12
0
i dont want to turn this into a political conversation, it just seems that it might not be a bad thing if the frame was made in the space right beside the designers/engineers work space.

But then again I guess thats what good QA & R&D is for right?
 

roamingoregon

Monkey
Apr 10, 2004
250
0
Wilsonville
Bikes made from a person who can make mistakes often< bikes made from a machine that is precise and exact.
You are implying that bikes made in China and Taiwan are made by machines. Last I checked Chinese people were not machines. The bikes you speak of are hand welded, painted, built and packed by hand.

See if you can find a picture of the elusive bike making machines.

/sorry- I always get ticked when I see the machines building bikes comment.
//No I'm not Chinese.
 

Dirtjumper999

Turbo Monkey
Feb 13, 2005
1,556
0
Charlotte, NC
You are implying that bikes made in China and Taiwan are made by machines. Last I checked Chinese people were not machines. The bikes you speak of are hand welded, painted, built and packed by hand.

See if you can find a picture of the elusive bike making machines.

/sorry- I always get ticked when I see the machines building bikes comment.
//No I'm not Chinese.


Good point. In my defense, I am a dummy. But I think you are a machine that is mad that it can't build bikes... :-]
 

J-Dubs

Monkey
Jul 10, 2006
700
1
Salem, MA
mabaty - I applaud your desire to buy 'merican and the bottom line is that you should try, if you can afford it, to support local and/or American frame builders.

It is good for the domestic industry and the sport as a whole to support the local effort when possible. There will be plenty of others, me included, that will be perfectly happy with their Taiwanese built Giant/Spec/Trek, because that's what we can afford and there is nothing wrong with that. The quality is high in Taiwan and China is catching up.

So, if you've got the dough, look for who's local and reputable or to companies like Ventana, Santa Cruz, Igleheart, Wojick, etc, etc. Most of us will be jealous of your new ride.
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
So, if you've got the dough, look for who's local and reputable or to companies like Ventana, Santa Cruz, Igleheart, Wojick, etc, etc. Most of us will be jealous of your new ride.
As Sanjuro mentioned, most of Santa Cruz bikes are now made in Taiwan even the high-end VPP2 bikes.
 

splat

Nam I am
I would trust bikes and parts made in China and Taiwan before I would trust anything made in the U.S. We sell Specialized at my shop, and they are by far some of the sickest bikes around. A lot of the Ellsworth and Cannondale bikes I have checked in for repair have been broken or cracked somewhere on the frame, infact the first thing I look for is cracks in U.S. made frames. I have never seen a broken Specialized.


Bikes made from a person who can make mistakes often< bikes made from a machine that is precise and exact.

you need to work at my LBS , I personally have broken 3 :) But I love Specialized there warranty is great.
 

worship_mud

Turbo Monkey
Dec 9, 2006
1,464
2
i've broken two ( 1x BigHit '02 + 1x Enduro '06). i agree on the great handling of the warranty issues (although the BigHit actually had none) by spesh: fast and (thank god) no questions asked! :-)
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
you need to work at my LBS , I personally have broken 3 :) But I love Specialized there warranty is great.
He said he does. There is a huge difference between poor quality control with manufacturers shipping broken bikes and end-users breaking bikes. All brands have warranty issues...
 

golgiaparatus

Out of my element
Aug 30, 2002
7,340
41
Deep in the Jungles of Oklahoma
If you are going to spend $5k on your ride you might as well buy american anyway, Titus, Yeti, Ellsworth, etc. Thing that sucks is that if you want an american bike you need to spend $2k on the frame alone.

I can't talk though, my bike was made in switzerland... but then again I didn't have a $5k budget. I did spec as many American parts as possible though, wheels, drivetrain, most of the hardware... all american made.
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
Yeti and Titus make bikes in Taiwan too. BMC make most of their bikes in Taiwan and Poland, not Switzerland. From BMC's FAQ the only bike they mentioned made in Switzerland is "The Time Machine TT01" Lots of people are fooled by assembled/designed in X - its not the same thing.
 

moff_quigley

Why don't you have a seat over there?
Jan 27, 2005
4,402
2
Poseurville
No way I'd spend $5K plus for a bike that was loaded with "house brand" components. That's my only beef with complete OEM bikes. Well that and Specialized sucks.:monkey:
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
If you are going to spend $5k on your ride you might as well buy american anyway, Titus, Yeti, Ellsworth, etc. Thing that sucks is that if you want an american bike you need to spend $2k on the frame alone.

I can't talk though, my bike was made in switzerland... but then again I didn't have a $5k budget. I did spec as many American parts as possible though, wheels, drivetrain, most of the hardware... all american made.
Two of the bikes you listed are made in Taiwan.
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
Doesn't bother me where my frames are made, I'm just concerned with quality of the construction. The reality is that as our society transitions more towards intellectual property and away from manufacturing, it will be harder to buy American made products....many will be American created and designed, but made somewhere else.
 

golgiaparatus

Out of my element
Aug 30, 2002
7,340
41
Deep in the Jungles of Oklahoma
:poster_oops: :imstupid:

Yeti and Titus use to be American made, WTF happened!? And how are they still charging so damn much for their frames... fuk them then. As for my frame, says plain as day Swiss Made, guess they fooled me.

Dante: 07 Raceface Deus and Sram9. Def not wrong on the Deus. But negitive rep me anyway, that'll teach me.
 
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syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
BMC website clearly states Taiwan and Poland. Assembled and manfactured are not the same thing. Also Dirtrag also mentioned the Fourstroke is Taiwan made too, it does not make sense that a design that shares parts would not be made in the same place:

http://www.bmc-racing.com/en/us/home/faq/#c430

http://www.dirtrag.com/print/article.php?ID=806&category=features

Where are the BMC bikes manufactured?

The prototypes of all BMC bikes are developed, produced and assembled in Switzerland. BMC is one of the few Swiss bicycle manufacturers with its own manufacturing facility on site. Some of the frames come from Taiwan and Poland. The Time Machine TT01 is manufactured completely in Switzerland.
The MSRP for the Taiwan made Fourstroke 03 frame and Fox Float R shock is $1250. While BMC is a Swiss company, their USA distribution is through the mega bike and parts distributor Quality Bicycle Products (QBP).
 

golgiaparatus

Out of my element
Aug 30, 2002
7,340
41
Deep in the Jungles of Oklahoma

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
All I'm saying is that the down tube says "Swiss Made".
The sticker was printed in Zurich.

Keep in mind that most carbon frame production revolves around carbon aerospace construction. Taiwan happens to be a cost leader in that field.
 

dexter

Turbo Monkey
Sep 23, 2001
3,053
99
Boise, Idaho
Most american cars are assembled of parts built in the US. The last Dodge Ram had >50% of its parts from china iirc...
ya and the truck itself was not built in america though. also explains why so many of the dodge trucks are huge piles of **** when compared to their Japanese counter parts