Thinking about Made in USA components

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by estuche

Have some of the companies who arguably do not make stuff in the US but are affiliated, such as Sram, Ritchey, FSA, Cane Creek, etc, always been that way?

Included in this list should be Cannondale. They made all their frames, as well as much of their bags and clothing, in the USA, until the thought they should go into the motorcycle business as well. Although their bicycle business remained profitable, the motorcycle venture drove them into bankruptcy, and they were bought by the Canadian company Dorel. Dorel soon shut the US factories and moved all production to Asia. Although Cannondale is often thought of as a US company, not only do they not manufacture in the US anymore, they aren't even owned by a US company.

[zzy]

I've heard that Trek - the earliest major OEM to build production carbon bikes (the 5000 was back in '92?) - was instrumental in 'helping' the government determine what qualifies as 'MIUSA' for bikes. Only a certain percentage of the finishing had to be done in WI to qualify, along with assembly. The majority of 5xxx and 6xxx OCLV frames during the peak Lance years were pumped out of molds in Taiwan, but most has MIUSA labels on them. Certainly they have always made SOME frames from scratch in WI and still do, but not the huge volume they've claimed over the years. Bob Parlee said that his Z5 frames would qualify as MIUSA even though they were pumped out of molds from a Giant-owned factory, but he didn't want to cheapen his custom brand.

This is primarily conjecture, I admit, but I would love to know the true story. I wish there was more transparency in major OEM production.

[MikeD]

Trek also put a lot of US bike companies out of business by buying them, taking whatever technology they offered, and shuttering the business; Bontrager, Klein, Fisher, and LeMond. Bastards...

[sg8357]

You want a Wisconsin bike, buy one from Mr. Schwinn.

Made in Waterford, WI. It says Waterford on the d/t.

[jemoryl]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

Politifact backs up Gov. Scott Walker's claim that Trek makes 99% of their bikes overseas:

https://www.politifact.com/wisconsin...icycles-overs/

I always assumed that Trek currently makes most of its bikes outside the USA. What I found interesting was that the article says they make some bikes in Germany and Holland? What would those be?

[GonaSovereign]

Originally Posted by jemoryl

I always assumed that Trek currently makes most of its bikes outside the USA. What I found interesting was that the article says they make some bikes in Germany and Holland? What would those be?

https://www.trekbikes.com/nl/nl_NL/f...ietsen/c/B551/

Plenty of city bike builders in NL and DE.

[CunegoFan]

Originally Posted by joosttx

Pauls Components, White Industries, Phil Wood, Spur Cycle bells, King Cage, Wolftooth (I think), I9 (I think) are US Companies which make their parts in the US.

Wolf Tooth makes their stuff in the U.S. They do have a spinoff now, Otso, that sells frames made overseas as well as things Wolf Tooth does not make, like rims, bars, etc.

The Otso stuff looks pretty sweet. Stainless steel gravel frame for $1300 with adjustable dropouts to accommodate different wheel sizes.

[Plum Hill]

Originally Posted by pasadena

For a product to be called Made in USA, or claimed to be of domestic origin without qualifications or limits on the claim, the product must be "all or virtually all" made in the U.S.

In some cases it’s laughable.
We checked into ball caps some years ago. If the assembled cap came in from overseas, it was labeled as being made in the country of origin. If the cap came in with the bill unattached, and the bill was sewn on in the US, it could be labeled as MIUSA.

My mother worked in the apparel industry. The company started importing items in addition to making them here. Supply was so bad an entire order of long sleeve blouses showed up too late in the season. The long sleeves were cut and hemmed in the US plant, and a MIUSA label was sewn in. Along with a union label. Employees not happy.

I recently tried some Keene shoes since they were labeled American Built. As I found out later, the parts come from the Far East and are assembled in Portland (or wherever).

[mbrtool]

"You want a Wisconsin bike, buy one from Mr. Schwinn.

Made in Waterford, WI. It says Waterford on the d/t."

or an Ellis...just down the road a bit.

Ray

[harlond]

Wald makes their stuff in Kentucky, don't they?

[quickfeet]

Nevermind

[jemoryl]

Originally Posted by GonaSovereign

https://www.trekbikes.com/nl/nl_NL/f...ietsen/c/B551/

Plenty of city bike builders in NL and DE.

Yeah, but I would have guessed that Trek made those in the Far East as well. Did see a lot of Euro made city bikes when I was in Germany, including the German made Kettler and Hungarian made Winora (with Portuguese wheels!) that I rented.

[93svt96]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

I'm surprised (or maybe I shouldn't be) that nobody has mentioned Kent International. They sell their bikes mostly in outlets like Wal-Mart and Target, but they make 400,000 bikes each year in the South Carolina factory.

Very cool , I will keep that in mind for kids bikes.

[93svt96]

[QUOTE=93svt96;2483521]Very cool , I will keep that in mind for kids or not so serious riders/QUOTE] sorry my phone sucks

[soulspinner]

Originally Posted by mbrtool

"You want a Wisconsin bike, buy one from Mr. Schwinn.

Made in Waterford, WI. It says Waterford on the d/t."

or an Ellis...just down the road a bit.

Ray

here here