Trek & Gary Fisher bikes = USA made

In article
<[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I'm interested in getting a hybrid type bike and would
prefer to buy an American-made product, if possible (yeah,
I know most of the components are going to be imported).
Have been told that Trek bikes are made in the US and that
Gary Fisher bikes are made by Trek (?). (Fisher bikes I'm
considering are the Utopia/Nirvana/Zebrano/Tibruon
series.)

The websites of both companies are rather vague on the
question, which usually implies that many or most of their
products maybe made elsewhere
(i.e., using terms like "Designed in America", etc.)

Is there an easy way to tell what bikes are US-made on the
websites?

Are the bikes well-marked?

Any other suggestions?

When I was shopping, the Trek dealer told me that their more
expensive (> $1000) bikes are made in the US (Wisconsin,
IIRC, though I could be wrong on that), but their cheaper
ones are made elsewhere in the world. Keep in mind that the
company is still based in the US, so the profits stay here,
and most of the office personnel are here.

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in
the newsgroups if possible).

Quoted message said:

I'm interested in getting a hybrid type bike and would
prefer to buy an American-made product, if possible (yeah,
I know most of the components are going to be imported).
Have been told that Trek bikes are made in the US and that
Gary Fisher bikes are made by Trek (?). (Fisher bikes I'm
considering are the Utopia/Nirvana/Zebrano/Tibruon series.)

The websites of both companies are rather vague on the
question, which usually implies that many or most of their
products maybe made elsewhere
(i.e., using terms like "Designed in America", etc.)

Is there an easy way to tell what bikes are US-made on the
websites?

Are the bikes well-marked?

Any other suggestions?

(I'm not looking for reasons why I shouldn't buy American
or why it doesn't matter or trying to get political or jingoistic-
just an unemployed toolmaker who prefers his dollars go to
US workers.)

Thanks a lot.

See:

usstuff.combikes.htmOpen ↗

David Kerber said:

In article
<[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I'm interested in getting a hybrid type bike and would
prefer to buy an American-made product, if possible (yeah,
I know most of the components are going to be imported).
Have been told that Trek bikes are made in the US and that
Gary Fisher bikes are made by Trek (?). (Fisher bikes I'm
considering are the Utopia/Nirvana/Zebrano/Tibruon
series.)

The websites of both companies are rather vague on the
question, which usually implies that many or most of their
products maybe made elsewhere
(i.e., using terms like "Designed in America", etc.)

Is there an easy way to tell what bikes are US-made on the
websites?

Are the bikes well-marked?

Any other suggestions?

When I was shopping, the Trek dealer told me that their
more expensive (> $1000) bikes are made in the US
(Wisconsin, IIRC, though I could be wrong on that), but
their cheaper ones are made elsewhere in the world. Keep
in mind that the company is still based in the US, so
the profits stay here, and most of the office personnel
are here.

I think this is the general case for all "American" bikes.
The higher end ones are made here (the frames), with cheaper
models farmed out to Taiwan or China. Componentry is of
course largely Japanese.

The Treks are based and made in Wisconsin. Waterford is
there too and they also build Herons. Cannondale has their
headquarters in Connecticut but the bikes are produced in
PA. Independent Fabrication is here in MA.

How to tell which model is actually built where I do not
know. Perhaps just ask at the respective web sites.

SMH

Get a Cannondale. All their models are made in PA.

TREKs & Gary Fisher bicycles are made both here in the US
and overseas. It's difficult, if not impossible, to build
lower-end frames here in the US, due to the astoundingly-
cheap (yet increasingly-skilled) labor in China. At the
higher price points, technology can keep the US
production ahead of the game, and build a better frame
for a similar price (but it's a moving target, with the
technology that TREK uses in a domestic frame today
likely to become the standard way they're built in China
two years down the road).

In general, bikes below $700 will have frames produced
overseas, although final finishing, painting & assembly is
usually done in the US. Above $700, nearly all frames are
produced in TREK's Waterloo, WI facility. The plant in
Whitewater is primarily used for painting & assembly.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReaction.com

For a given model, you need to look at the label on the
chainstay. If it says "Made in the USA"
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm interested in getting a hybrid type bike and would
prefer to buy an American-made product, if possible (yeah,
I know most of the components are going to be imported).
Have been told that Trek bikes are made in the US and that
Gary Fisher bikes are made by Trek (?). (Fisher bikes I'm
considering are the Utopia/Nirvana/Zebrano/Tibruon
series.)

The websites of both companies are rather vague on the
question, which usually implies that many or most of their
products maybe made elsewhere
(i.e., using terms like "Designed in America", etc.)

Is there an easy way to tell what bikes are US-made on the
websites?

Are the bikes well-marked?

Any other suggestions?

(I'm not looking for reasons why I shouldn't buy American
or why it doesn't matter or trying to get political or jingoistic-
just an unemployed toolmaker who prefers his dollars go to
US workers.)

Thanks a lot.

Folks back home (I graduated from UW-Whitewater) are pretty
ticked off at Trek, according to my family. Looks like Trek
is laying off everyone at the Whitewater facility, probably
to ship the jobs overseas.

"Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles"
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

TREKs & Gary Fisher bicycles are made both here in the US
and overseas. It's difficult, if not impossible, to build
lower-end frames here in the

US,

Quoted message said:

due to the astoundingly-cheap (yet increasingly-skilled)
labor in China.

At

Quoted message said:

the higher price points, technology can keep the US
production ahead of

the

Quoted message said:

game, and build a better frame for a similar price (but
it's a moving target, with the technology that TREK uses
in a domestic frame today

likely

Quoted message said:

to become the standard way they're built in China two
years down the

road).

Quoted message said:

In general, bikes below $700 will have frames produced
overseas, although final finishing, painting & assembly is
usually done in the US. Above

$700,

Quoted message said:

nearly all frames are produced in TREK's Waterloo, WI
facility. The plant in Whitewater is primarily used for
painting & assembly.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReaction.com

For a given model, you need to look at the label on the
chainstay. If it says "Made in the USA"
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm interested in getting a hybrid type bike and would
prefer to buy an American-made product, if possible
(yeah, I know most of the components are going to be
imported). Have been told that Trek bikes are made in
the US and that Gary Fisher bikes are made by Trek (?).
(Fisher bikes I'm considering are the
Utopia/Nirvana/Zebrano/Tibruon series.)

The websites of both companies are rather vague on the
question, which usually implies that many or most of
their products maybe made elsewhere
(i.e., using terms like "Designed in America", etc.)

Is there an easy way to tell what bikes are US-made on
the websites?

Are the bikes well-marked?

Any other suggestions?

(I'm not looking for reasons why I shouldn't buy
American or why it doesn't matter or trying to get
political or jingoistic- just an unemployed toolmaker
who prefers his dollars go to US workers.)

Thanks a lot.

"Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles" <[email hidden]> wrote
in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

TREKs & Gary Fisher bicycles are made both here in the US
and overseas. It's difficult, if not impossible, to build
lower-end frames here in the

US,

Quoted message said:

due to the astoundingly-cheap (yet increasingly-skilled)
labor in China.

I've watched, over the last 20 years or so, the migration of
bicycle production from place to place. In my very early
career we had bikes manufactured in Europe (Peugeot,
Raleigh) and Canada/US. A lot of those makers were pushed
out of the low-end market by cheaper Japanese bikes. Over
time, they became too expensive as cheaper Taiwanese brands
became available. From Taiwan they've migrated to China.
I've already seen bikes manufactured in India. I wonder how
long they can keep finding cheaper places to build
bikes..Bangladesh? Mali? The technology transfer is pretty
good..Japan had great quality, Taiwan learned and became a
strong maker (Giant). Chinese bikes were absolute rubbish
early on but they have become the equal of Taiwan in
quality. Indian bikes right now are also total [censored], but
soon they will equal the Chinese quality. Developed nation
labour is too expensive for such "menial" tasks.
Environmental costs, wages, benefits, unions...they simply
can't compete. Welcome to the Brave New World.

Cheers,

Scott..

Quoted message said:

Folks back home (I graduated from UW-Whitewater) are
pretty ticked off at Trek, according to my family. Looks
like Trek is laying off everyone at

the

Quoted message said:

Whitewater facility, probably to ship the jobs overseas.

I haven't heard anything about it, and hope it's not true.
But if it is, it's not because they're shipping the jobs
overseas... the jobs are already there. We created them with
a new world economy with fewer trade barriers and a desire
to get everything done as cheaply as possible, even if that
means buying from huge megastores that make predatory
demands upon their suppliers and replace decent local jobs
with those paying less $$$ and fewer benefits (not that I'd
say anything like that about Wal-Mart...).

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
chainreactionbicycles.comchainreactionbicycles.comOpen ↗

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

"Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles"
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

TREKs & Gary Fisher bicycles are made both here in the
US and overseas. It's difficult, if not impossible, to
build lower-end frames here in the

US,

Quoted message said:

due to the astoundingly-cheap (yet increasingly-skilled)
labor in China.

I've watched, over the last 20 years or so, the migration
of bicycle production from place to place. In my very
early career we had bikes manufactured in Europe (Peugeot,
Raleigh) and Canada/US. A lot of those makers were pushed
out of the low-end market by cheaper Japanese bikes. Over
time, they became too expensive as cheaper Taiwanese
brands became available. From Taiwan they've migrated to
China. I've already seen bikes manufactured in India. I
wonder how long they can keep finding cheaper places to
build bikes..Bangladesh? Mali? The technology transfer is
pretty good..Japan had great quality, Taiwan learned and
became a strong maker (Giant). Chinese bikes were absolute
rubbish early on but they have become the equal of Taiwan
in quality. Indian bikes right now are also total [censored],
but soon they will equal the Chinese quality. Developed
nation labour is too expensive for such "menial" tasks.
Environmental costs, wages, benefits, unions...they simply
can't compete. Welcome to the Brave New World.

It won't last forever. There are only a limited number of
places to move. Once they've all been industrialized, you'll
see prices start to rise, and jobs migrating back to the
more industrialized countries where technology over-rides
labor costs. It's going to take quite a while, though.

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in
the newsgroups if possible).

Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles said:

TREKs & Gary Fisher bicycles are made both here in the US
and overseas. It's difficult, if not impossible, to build
lower-end frames here in the US, due to the astoundingly-
cheap (yet increasingly-skilled) labor in China. At the
higher price points, technology can keep the US
production ahead of the game, and build a better frame
for a similar price (but it's a moving target, with the
technology that TREK uses in a domestic frame today
likely to become the standard way they're built in China
two years down the road).

Absolutely.

Labor cost is all that is ever mentioned, but there are
other costs too -- and those are also lower in lower cost
areas. I say "areas" because the same situation exists
within the US. For example, this is why BMW built a plant
in South Carolina instead of southern California, or even
in Detroit. Everything is cheaper, from the real estate, to
the cost of building a new factory, to the workers within
it, to the utility bills. Plus, governments frequently
offer huge tax advantages, or even partially pick up the
tab, for new businesses to move into their areas. Companies
can play this to their advantage. If it's cheaper to build
a low-tech plant somewhere, it's cheaper to build a high-
tech one there too.

Second, increased productivity often requires new techology,
and new kinds of workers. Sometimes it's easier and cheaper
to just start over -- with both. In light of the above, that
often means somewhere else.

Matt O.