[gemini2k]

Anyone know what brands FOR SURE are made by giant at their Taiwanese facility? I know like 99.9999% of bikes are made by them, but I want to know for sure. One of my buddies is heading there and might try and score some stuff and wants to have a plan at least. Thanks!

(High end brands are the only concern obviously)

 

[P.T.W]

ummmm Giant maybe????

 

[mattmatt86]

I don't think they are necessarily "made" by Giant. More like made under the same roof or in the same facilities.

 

[cecil]

a factory makes bikes to each of their customers spec

 

[A.P]

Specialized

 

[davetrump]

there are only a handful of factories that makes bikes in Taiwan (3 or 4 really)... multiple brands are welded to spec in these factories. Giant the factory happens to be one of the large ones.

 

[dagmz6s]

Trek frames are made by Giant. "under the same roof" is the Giant factory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_bikes

 

[gemini2k]

there are only a handful of factories that makes bikes in Taiwan (3 or 4 really)... multiple brands are welded to spec in these factories. Giant the factory happens to be one of the large ones.

Yes sorry I should've specified. I thought this was common knowledge. A vast majority of bikes are essentially outsourced to giant for mfg. Thus, many brands are made in their taiwanese factory (factories?). I was just wondering what those brands might be. I'd imagine that those bikes are "made" by them, not just under the same roof.

 

[cecil]

there are only a handful of factories that makes bikes in Taiwan (3 or 4 really)... multiple brands are welded to spec in these factories. Giant the factory happens to be one of the large ones.

i wonder if the 10yr old kids working for $1.25 a week in those factories know the hundreds of frames they make a week sell for over $1000 each

 

[mattmatt86]

i wonder if the 10yr old kids working for $1.25 a week in those factories know the hundreds of frames they make a week sell for over $1000 each

I think they are more worried about saving up enough money to buy a pair of shoes.

 

[FullMonty]

i wonder if the 10yr old kids working for $1.25 a week in those factories know the hundreds of frames they make a week sell for over $1000 each

I think they are more worried about saving up enough money to buy a pair of shoes.

heh... ignorance is funny. unless of course sarcasm is funny...

 

[snowskilz]

specialized havent been made in the giant facilities for many years now. Specialized bought meridia for their manufacturing facilities and have since moved all their manufacturing there.

 

[mattmatt86]

heh... ignorance is funny. unless of course sarcasm is funny...

to be honest, I'm not sure what I was going for with the comment.

The only thing I could think about was this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SX6xCJ2qAP4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SX6xCJ2qAP4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

 

[slimshady]

specialized havent been made in the giant facilities for many years now. Specialized bought meridia for their manufacturing facilities and have since moved all their manufacturing there.

Actually, it's the other way around. Merida bought a (rather big) percentage of Specialized stocks. The number was never disclosed to public, but rumor says it's something around 53%.

 

[dh_newbie]

Anyone know what brands FOR SURE are made by giant at their Taiwanese facility? I know like 99.9999% of bikes are made by them, but I want to know for sure. One of my buddies is heading there and might try and score some stuff and wants to have a plan at least. Thanks!

(High end brands are the only concern obviously)

Over 90% suspension frameset nowaday is made in Taiwan and except GIANT bike, Pacific bike, Meride make Trek & Specalized.... and so on.

I am not sure did the US monkey know since 2009 most of the Santa Cruz cycles is also MADE IN TAIWAN.

 

[al-irl]

Actually, it's the other way around. Merida bought a (rather big) percentage of Specialized stocks. The number was never disclosed to public, but rumor says it's something around 53%.

It was 49% as far as i know

 

[djjohnr]

i wonder if the 10yr old kids working for $1.25 a week in those factories know the hundreds of frames they make a week sell for over $1000 each

Eh - Taiwan has one of the largest financial reserves of any nation, and has a very high quality of life index (higher then Germany, France and the UK).

 

[bizutch]

Good lord!!! Where are the grammar police? When Matt is the saving grace of English in a thread, it's a sad, sad day. This must be what it feels like to work at the UN.

 

[MDJ]

Too funny. For every FOR SURE statement in this thread, there is a contradicting one two posts later.

 

[slimshady]

It was 49% as far as i know

Yup. That was at the first operation they did. That's when Spec got the capital injection that helped the company get on its feet again. Then, Merida performed another massive stock buy. But their CEO stated they didn't have any plans to merge the two companies together. They wanted Specialized to remain a totally autonomous company, more high-end aimed.

 

[yd35]

Yup. That was at the first operation they did. That's when Spec got the capital injection that helped the company get on its feet again. Then, Merida performed another massive stock buy. But their CEO stated they didn't have any plans to merge the two companies together. They wanted Specialized to remain a totally autonomous company, more high-end aimed.

It's all about perception. General Mills/Pillsbury owns the Haagen Dazs ice cream brand, and very wisely, they try their darndest to obscure that because the Pillsbury brand image doesn't necessarily scream rich, creamy ice cream decadence.

 

[dump]

Eh - Taiwan has one of the largest financial reserves of any nation, and has a very high quality of life index (higher then Germany, France and the UK).

Ditto.

 

[al-irl]

Yup. That was at the first operation they did. That's when Spec got the capital injection that helped the company get on its feet again. Then, Merida performed another massive stock buy. But their CEO stated they didn't have any plans to merge the two companies together. They wanted Specialized to remain a totally autonomous company, more high-end aimed.

Ok cool I work in a merida dealer and we were told by merida them it was 49% didn't know about the second transaction. As far as i know Merida are second only to giant so I'm sure they do some other production other than specialized. As far as i know Lapierre frames are made in the Giant factory

 

[djjohnr]

When I was working at Marin their suspension bikes were made by A-Pro.

 

[frango]

What I've seen, was Trek and Specialized at Giant factory on Taiwan. But, as Specialized is owned by Merida (as far as I know more than 50%), they might have moved production do Merida factory.
I also heard some SC were made by Giant. I guess these with fluid formed tubes.

 

[NoUseForAName]

Anyone know what brands FOR SURE are made by giant at their Taiwanese facility? I know like 99.9999% of bikes are made by them, but I want to know for sure. One of my buddies is heading there and might try and score some stuff and wants to have a plan at least. Thanks!

(High end brands are the only concern obviously)

What's he going to do? Walk up to the factory gates and ask the security guard if he can buy an unpainted "insert high end frame here"?

 

[dhr-racer]

its not just "what frames are made by giant" its what parts of the frame are made by giant. while it may be but together at another factory, that factory might be having drop-outs, machining, tubing, etc, made by giant because they dont have the tooling, the outsourcie doing outsourcing if you will

 

[gemini2k]

What's he going to do? Walk up to the factory gates and ask the security guard if he can buy an unpainted "insert high end frame here"?

Slightly more to it than that.

 

[frango]

If Your friend works for i.e. Specialized most probably won't be able to buy anything from Giant or Trek stuff. Although, bikes are made under the same roof, different people are responsible, etc.

 

[jonKranked]

If Your friend works for i.e. Specialized most probably won't be able to buy anything from Giant or Trek stuff. Although, bikes are made under the same roof, different people are responsible, etc.

What, you mean you don't get to walk right up to the line and take whatever you want?

The only Chinese factories I've been in were like a crazy free for all! Ever seen the show "Most Extreme Challenge"? Its like that but there's manufacturing equipment thrown into the mix.







*Disclaimer: the contents of this post were fabricated in their entirety.

 

[leprechaun]

Giant doesn't really like to disclose what they are currently building for who, but they do like to talk up what they have built in the past.

Back in the day when schwinn was the big brand Giant made them

Nishiki was big for a while, not as much in the US but elsewhere.

Would you believe Colnago frames weren't all built by some old Italian guy?

You can look right back to when Merida took over all of the manufacturing of Specialized, not just the lower end stuff. Look back to when maestro suspension hit the line, and higher end Giants were made with hydroformed tubing, with their own name on them

 

[frango]

What, you mean you don't get to walk right up to the line and take whatever you want?

The only Chinese factories I've been in were like a crazy free for all! Ever seen the show "Most Extreme Challenge"? Its like that but there's manufacturing equipment thrown into the mix.







*Disclaimer: the contents of this post were fabricated in their entirety.

Maybe I don't understand perfectly what You write, but, no, You don't enter Giant Taiwanese factory like a shopping mall.

Would you believe Colnago frames weren't all built by some old Italian guy?

Oh yes, I forgot that... It was a good one

 

[slowitdown]

Slightly more to it than that.

the secret handshake, the password...

 

[jonKranked]

Maybe I don't understand perfectly what You write, but, no, You don't enter Giant Taiwanese factory like a shopping mall.

It was a joke. Sorry if the sarcasm did not come across well, even with the disclaimer.

 

[slimshady]

its not just "what frames are made by giant" its what parts of the frame are made by giant. while it may be but together at another factory, that factory might be having drop-outs, machining, tubing, etc, made by giant because they dont have the tooling, the outsourcie doing outsourcing if you will

Most of Giant's bicycle production is aimed to the Asian commuting/city market. Something close to 78% of their production, if I don't recall badly.

As for Santa Cruz, I think I remember an article posted in the Solo Bici Magazine from Spain talking about a visit to Kinesis factory. There was a picture of several V10's rear triangles ready to be painted.

 

[frango]

It was a joke. Sorry if the sarcasm did not come across well, even with the disclaimer.

I did not understand well

 

[Big J]

Slightly more to it than that.

Corporate idiocracy may help or hinder your friend but what he/she is attempting is far outside of the norm, ....lots of red flags.

Hey, you rm pointy heads in the Mfg logistics, any ideas?

J

 

[chuffer]

Slightly more to it than that.

i don't know. the black / gray market may actually offer some interesting opportunities.

While China and Taiwan aren't the same (um...no need to go into the political nuances of that statement here), the black market in China was nuts when I was there. You could buy damned near anything. A lot of it was crap and fakes, but there were some real gems too.

 

[buckoW]

Lots of times they don't even allow cameras inside so actually buying something from the factory might be tough. If you do then the prices are incredible.

 

[yuroshek]

i highly doubt they will let you buy "X"frame from the warehouse. I doubt they even have extras there. If Giant puts an order for 5,000 glory frames to be built they will build 5,000. not 5,100 and then sell off the other 100 to walk ins. Plus you will not have warranty on the bike and if you do break it and hurt yourself you could go back and sue the warehouse, they will not have that.

so i think your chances are pretty slim, but than again you never told us what your plans are.

care to share??