On Sun, 20 May 2018 18:40:27 -0700, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Sat, 19 May 2018 14:22:52 -0500, AMuzi wrote:

On 5/19/2018 2:08 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sat, 19 May 2018 11:23:05 -0500, AMuzi wrote:

On 5/19/2018 11:02 AM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
http://www.velo-pages.com/main.php?g2_itemId=27633&g2_imageViewsIndex=1

-snip snip-

Whenever I see photos of the ride share fiasco in China, where
thousands (or millions?) of bicycles are literally abandoned on the
streets, I have to ask myself, how did they make those bicycles so
quickly and cheaply?
https://www.google.com/search?q=china+abandoned+bikes&tbm=isch
Probably lots of plastic parts.

Good query and I don't know.

I suspect that for a bicycle manufacturer on a contract for
10, 20, 50, 100,000 bicycles, assembling from mostly
standard parts (which are dirt cheap) is the logical path.
At some larger run injection molds might pay off but I don't
know that would always be true.

For a specific injection molded part I paid $3000 for a tool
in The Middle Kingdom but to replace it in Wisconsin USA
cost $11,000. So there's that. For a run of bicycles with
as you wrote, 'lots of plastic parts' you're talking 'lots
of tools' besides the amortization for each tool.

Would $600 million dollars suffice to pay for the necessary molds and
tooling?
https://techcrunch.com/2017/06/15/mobike-raises-600-million/
That's in addition to $300 million Mobike raised from investors.

Notice the wheels on the Mobike bicycles in the photos.
https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/mobikes-airless-tyres.jpg
Plastic rims on the bicycles some of the bicycles, while conventional
spokes and aluminum(?) rims on others. My guess(tm) is they're
replacing older higher cost technology with better and cheaper. In
large quantities, that means stamped or molded parts replacing
extruded and assembled parts.

Many of the frames look very different and are not a conventional
geometry. They seem to be designed to be rugged, easy to fabricate,
and built to be stored outdoors, all possibly at the expense of
weight.
https://media.wired.com/photos/5a84ad90a2d3835392e1b58a/master/w_582,c_limit/Limebike-TopArt.jpg
More like a "comfort bike" than a cheapened conventional bicycle. With
a "one size fits all" design and sizing, variations in frame
construction by size can be ignored resulting in even larger
production quantities using hydroforming and robotic welding.

I haven't seen one of these bikeshare bikes up close, so I'm doing
quite a bit of guessing. I may get my chance shortly as the People's
Republic of Santa Cruz now has a bikeshare program:
http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/government/city-departments/public-works/traffic-engineering/bike-share

OTOH if you meant Tourney level mostly nylon gear changers
and shifters as opposed to Deore type mostly aluminum parts,
then I absolutely agree.

Where nylon parts can't be used, I suspect that stamped steel seat
posts, cranksets, crank arms, and pedals may make a comeback simply
because they are cheaper.

A couple of years ago I was at a Bike show where quite a number of
Mainland Chinese manufacturers were present. I asked one of the
vendors what he'd have to charge for a complete Head Bearing Set.
After some discussion about size of order, etc., the guy reckoned that
for a smallish order the cost would be 1 dollar each.

Or look at Alibaba volume prices and then think what they would be
when you said, "Oh say, 50,000 units"?

--
Cheers,

John B.