Colnago made in Taiwan!

http://www.bikebiz.co.uk/daily-news/article.php?id=5294

YIKES!

Greets, Derk

Derk wrote:
http://www.bikebiz.co.uk/daily-news/article.php?id=5294

YIKES!

Greets, Derk

No surprise-Just makin' it official. So much of what Ernesto has said in
the past turns out to be 'different'. "I will never have a 1 1/8inch
headtube!!', said at Interbike, at the Colnago lovefest in 2003.

Oh well, is an association with Trek far behind??

"Derk" wrote in message
...
http://www.bikebiz.co.uk/daily-news/article.php?id=5294

YIKES!

Greets, Derk

I wonder if the bicycle industry is going to follow the same path as
woodworking machinery.

20 years ago Taiwanese machines were thought to be (and generally were)
inferior to those made in North America and Europe. But over time, the
Taiwanese became very skilled and the quality of work they were able to
produce began to rival a machine made anywhere else.

BUT... and this is key... the quality of the machine is always dependant
upon the specs dictated by the company that is slapping its name on it. One
good example was a hand drill that was available at Sears a few years ago.
The form factor was just like a very expensive model sold by another
company. And Sears reps were fond of saying they came out of the same
factory. All true... but Sears had spec'ed nylon gears instead of metal, a
lighter motor, etc. That same factory was producing some of the best drills
anywhere, but not all the drills coming out of it were good. But they were
all built to spec.

Marketing also improved, and people began associating Taiwan with quality
machines. But this improvement also shot prices up. Now China has taken
over the roll of cheap machine production, and Taiwan is churning out the
better, more expensive stuff.

I have no doubt that Taiwan CAN produce a frame as good as any in the world
as long as the company that's placing the order is willing to pay for high
quality work.

But personally, I'll take a hand-made frame built in the good ol' USA over
any in the world. But I'm willing to pay for it too.

On Wed, 2 Mar 2005 08:20:23 -0700, "Bestest Handsander"
wrote:

"Derk" wrote in message
.. .
http://www.bikebiz.co.uk/daily-news/article.php?id=5294

YIKES!

Greets, Derk

I wonder if the bicycle industry is going to follow the same path as
woodworking machinery.

20 years ago Taiwanese machines were thought to be (and generally were)
inferior to those made in North America and Europe. But over time, the
Taiwanese became very skilled and the quality of work they were able to
produce began to rival a machine made anywhere else.

BUT... and this is key... the quality of the machine is always dependant
upon the specs dictated by the company that is slapping its name on it. One
good example was a hand drill that was available at Sears a few years ago.
The form factor was just like a very expensive model sold by another
company. And Sears reps were fond of saying they came out of the same
factory. All true... but Sears had spec'ed nylon gears instead of metal, a
lighter motor, etc. That same factory was producing some of the best drills
anywhere, but not all the drills coming out of it were good. But they were
all built to spec.

Marketing also improved, and people began associating Taiwan with quality
machines. But this improvement also shot prices up. Now China has taken
over the roll of cheap machine production, and Taiwan is churning out the
better, more expensive stuff.

I have no doubt that Taiwan CAN produce a frame as good as any in the world
as long as the company that's placing the order is willing to pay for high
quality work.

Yep. I've seen the same thing happen with Japanese and Korean guitars. They can
build as good a product as anyone at any price point you specify. It's just what
price point and quality is the label specifying.

Taiwan is certainly there as far as bikes. They even seem to like the things,
which I do think shows at some level in the product.

But personally, I'll take a hand-made frame built in the good ol' USA over
any in the world. But I'm willing to pay for it too.

I don't have anything against Italian brazing either.

Ron

"This is a major step forward for the Italian bicycle industry,"

On Wed, 2 Mar 2005 08:20:23 -0700, "Bestest Handsander"
wrote:

But personally, I'll take a hand-made frame built in the good ol' USA over
any in the world. But I'm willing to pay for it too.

I like handmade stuff too but the hands can exist anywhere in the
world. Robots are more reliable than people.

On Wed, 02 Mar 2005 15:37:36 GMT, RonSonic
wrote:

I have no doubt that Taiwan CAN produce a frame as good as any in the world
as long as the company that's placing the order is willing to pay for high
quality work.

YOOU BETCHA!!

Just take a look at Mark Hickey's Chinese made Habanero
frames--workmanship and material quality on par with any ti frames I
have ever seen.

MHO



Guy A
Ripley, TN

Yikes? Maybe now the quality will improve! Colnago has never had a
"factory". All Colnago frames are sourced from other fabrication
facilities, so why not utilize some of the best bicycle frame
fabrication facilities in the world? Hey, I'm a big "made in the USA"
guy, and love the tradition of Italian frame building ( thank you
Antonio Mondonico! ), but this is simple economics here. In fact, I
applaud Ernesto for not trying to bull**** the public like so many
other "Italian" brands who say their stuff is still made in Italy when
it's clearly a chinese / taiwanese part. It's maybe time that the
mystique of Colnago finally falls. They're just bike frames, after all.
Some made somewhere in Italy, and now some made somewhere in Asia.
--Jim

Oh well, is an association with Trek far behind??

Welcome back! :)

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

"Meccanico di Bici" wrote in message
oups.com...
Yikes? Maybe now the quality will improve! Colnago has never had a
"factory". All Colnago frames are sourced from other fabrication
facilities, so why not utilize some of the best bicycle frame
fabrication facilities in the world? Hey, I'm a big "made in the USA"
guy, and love the tradition of Italian frame building ( thank you
Antonio Mondonico! ), but this is simple economics here. In fact, I
applaud Ernesto for not trying to bull**** the public like so many
other "Italian" brands who say their stuff is still made in Italy when
it's clearly a chinese / taiwanese part. It's maybe time that the
mystique of Colnago finally falls. They're just bike frames, after all.
Some made somewhere in Italy, and now some made somewhere in Asia.
--Jim

I think you have it wrong! They are not just bike frames. Colnago is
rideable artwork. It is truly the doctor and dentist bike. Colnago is the
bike that you dreamed about as a young racer. Now that you are older, you
have the disposable income to afford one. That's the marketing in a
nutshell...

Bruce