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American Bikes 9 of top 10

3K views 39 replies 25 participants last post by  lalahsghost 
#1 ·
Trek, Specialized, Felt, Cannondale take the top 9 of 10 spots equipment wise. SRAM up there as well. Colnago and Bianchi not even in the tour. Looks like the exotics are becoming even more exotic. God help us Euro fans.
 
#3 ·
American bikes or American bike companies who-have-out-sourced-the-actual-business-of-bike-making-to-somewhere-in-the-world-where-labour-costs-are-so-much-lower-than-the-cost-would-be-if-we-made-them-in-the-US?

I've no axe to grind about bikes made outside the US, but the idea of an 'American bike' is a bit of a vague one these days....
 
#5 ·
Taiwanese bikes take 9 of the top 10 places in the TdF.

I know that Treks are supposedly still made in Waterloo, WI. But, Specialized and Felt both outsource.

Orbea, the one as you would say "non-American" company in the top-10 can't even be called a Spanish bike as it isn't even made anywhere on the Iberian peninsula.
 
#6 ·
This is really a question of technology and where it comes from at the front of the pack. With proper supervision and great technology you can train chimpanzees to make carbon fiber parts.

The fact is, the US has continued to blaze the trail in this field. Everyone else follows--some several years behind.
 
#7 ·
SwiftSolo said:
The fact is, the US has continued to blaze the trail in this field. Everyone else follows--some several years behind.

What facts form the basis for this statement? Toray is the world's largest manufacturer of carbon fiber, and it's Japanese.
 
#11 ·
both

M-theory said:
...Which would you rather have, A Trek Madone or a Colnago.
Honestly, I'd rather have a Madone. And I do!
I just got both, because I couldn't figure out what the differences were that people were arguing about.

But it is nice to see US bikes doing well. I would bet that at leat the 3 Trek's were made here...
 
#14 ·
albert owen said:
Pinarello - Lambo
Trek - Ford
Colnago - Ferrari
Spesh - GM
Giant - Toyota

They all go as fast as the rider can, but some have style and heritage.
+1 on they all go as fast as the rider can. Put my fat arse on any of these, and they are all just Pintos with flat tires and blown head gaskets.

-1 on comparing bikes to cars though. I never can understand why people do that. Crap, I think I just neg'd myself. ;)

I could be wrong, but I can't really find too many faults with any of the top bike brands being produced today. They all make really nice bikes. They are all capable of very high performance. And they are all generally very reliable.
 
#16 ·
SwiftSolo said:
This is really a question of technology and where it comes from at the front of the pack. With proper supervision and great technology you can train chimpanzees to make carbon fiber parts.

The fact is, the US has continued to blaze the trail in this field. Everyone else follows--some several years behind.
You're funny.
 
#17 ·
M-theory said:
There was a thread awhile back which posed the question...Which would you rather have, A Trek Madone or a Colnago.

Honestly, I'd rather have a Madone. And I do!
And I am sure that you made a fine choice, nothing wrong with a Madone. Then again, I have never met anyone who decided to shell out a couple of grand on a bicycle only to turn around and loudly proclaim their failure on an internet forum.

We don't do that on RBR, it'd make us look like idiots to more than just the non-cycling public.
 
#18 ·
M-theory said:
There was a thread awhile back which posed the question...Which would you rather have, A Trek Madone or a Colnago.

Honestly, I'd rather have a Madone. And I do!
Good for you, so long as you have a bike you enjoy. But as for me, I've NEVER understood why someone spends $3k+ on an off-the-peg sized bike. You can get a custom sized bike, with the frame actually made in America for a great deal less than a Madone or a Colnago.
 
#19 ·
FondriestFan said:
What facts form the basis for this statement? Toray is the world's largest manufacturer of carbon fiber, and it's Japanese.
You mean aside from being 9 out of 10 in the TDF?

To begin with, I'd suggest that Iran's world standing in oil production may not be indicative of their standing in automobile technology--as an example of the flaw in associating raw materials with technology.

NASA has long held the lead role in composite technology due to the requirements of space travel. Most of state of the art methods have been developed for or by them. That has been the case since the mid 70's.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Consumers such those here are the reason why "American" bikes were in the Tour in the first place. Consumers who continue to buy "American" bikes are the reason why they are assured to keep on appearing in the Tour. All of the bikes that placed in the top 10 crossed the finish line in the positions they did because of the people who assembled them, maintained them and by far most of all raced on them. Frames are merely the chassis. Components, Sram, Shimano, Campagnolo and etc. make the cockpit, brakes, transmission, drive train and wheel bearing. The cyclist is the engine.


However, if this true:

Pinarello = Lambo
Trek = Ford
Colnago = Ferrari
Spesh = GM
Giant = Toyota

Then:

Time = Bugatti Veyron :p
 
#21 ·
SwiftSolo said:
You mean aside from being 9 out of 10 in the TDF?

To begin with, I'd suggest that Iran's world standing in oil production may not be indicative of their standing in automobile technology--as an example of the flaw in associating raw materials with technology.

NASA has long held the lead role in composite technology due to the requirements of space travel. Most of state of the art methods have been developed for or by them. That has been the case since the mid 70's.
WTF? These bikes are made in Asia, first of all.
Second of all, the fact that more teams are sponsored by American bike companies is more an indication of the amount of money available to them, not because of superiority in carbon technology.

Good grief.
 
#22 ·
SwiftSolo said:
You mean aside from being 9 out of 10 in the TDF?

To begin with, I'd suggest that Iran's world standing in oil production may not be indicative of their standing in automobile technology--as an example of the flaw in associating raw materials with technology.

NASA has long held the lead role in composite technology due to the requirements of space travel. Most of state of the art methods have been developed for or by them. That has been the case since the mid 70's.
just put it down and walk away
 
#24 ·
FondriestFan said:
WTF? These bikes are made in Asia, first of all.
Second of all, the fact that more teams are sponsored by American bike companies is more an indication of the amount of money available to them, not because of superiority in carbon technology.

Good grief.
I think you may still be having a little trouble separating labor from technology! I'd suggest that the location of an assembly line may not be related to the technology and inventiveness of the product. Sometimes it does have an impact on the quality of workmanship--but not the quality of the technology.
 
#25 ·
SwiftSolo said:
I think you may still be having a little trouble separating labor from technology! I'd suggest that the location of an assembly line may not be related to the technology and inventiveness of the product. Sometimes it does have an impact on the quality of workmanship--but not the quality of the technology.
Dude, stop waving that flag for a minute. Taiwan is the epicenter, and has been for well over a decade, of CF bike parts manufacturing and engineering. All of the know-how is concentrated on that island. They aren't chimpanzees, you know. :rolleyes:
 
#26 ·
SwiftSolo said:
I think you may still be having a little trouble separating labor from technology! I'd suggest that the location of an assembly line may not be related to the technology and inventiveness of the product. Sometimes it does have an impact on the quality of workmanship--but not the quality of the technology.
Technology? The technology involved in making the carbon fiber lies with Toray in Japan.

Want to talk about bike frames specifically? Time weaves their own carbon.

The idea that the rest of the world is years behind the US in carbon fiber technology is completely false.

But, if you're referring to some specific technology, by all means, explain it.
 
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