Where Was My Bike Made?

I found this great article by Kerry Roberts where he gives you information about where your bike was actually made. His list dates from 2008. Since then, all of Cannondale’s production has shifted to Asia. All Colnagos except the EPS are made in Taiwan. All Pinarellos are made in Taiwan. All Kuotas are made in Taiwan. All Orbeas are made in Taiwan. All Wiliers are made in Taiwan.

All TIME frames are made in France. Just as Giant is unusual in the fact that they make their own carbon frames, the same is true for TIME.

Why is this important? It’s important for pricing. Any frame made in the US and Europe can have a premium price attached to it. Frames that aren’t can’t breach a certain logical price limit. Obviously this isn’t true for every manufacturer, especially for some who don’t want you to find out that your bike was made in Asia, like the Prince by Pinarello.

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6 responses to “Where Was My Bike Made?”

  1. MJ Klein Avatar
    MJ Klein

    my wife and i supply bike components to some US designers. i can tell you from personal experience that a lot of the “European made” bike frames are made in Taiwan and that that fact is kept secret from buyers.

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  2. range Avatar
    range

    Hi MJ!
    Yep, I know! I’m actually quite surprised at all of the brands that don’t advertise that their frames are made her in Taiwan. This gives you a great idea at how many OEM frames you can get from those same factories.

    Reply
  3. cphu Avatar
    cphu

    Its funny how ppl still have negative connotation about things “made in taiwan”, little did they know thet most of the world’s computers are designed and manufactured in taiwan. Acer, Asus, HTC are all big taiwanese brands and Giant bicycle is actually a Taiwanese brand as well.

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  4. range Avatar
    range

    I know about those facts, but that isn’t the issue. The issue is that prestigious bike manufacturers try to pretend that their bikes aren’t made in Taiwan. They slap on labels like made in the USA, made in Italy, and charge 5 times the price.

    Examples include Pinarello, Storck, and others. Both of my bikes are made in Taiwan. I like them a lot since they didn’t cost that much and they work very well. I’m about to order an OEM carbon fiber frame. That same factory makes Storcks.

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  5. bonesb Avatar
    bonesb

    A correction regarding Colnago origins: the fully-lugged carbon frames – then the C50 and now the C59, the EPS and now the EPQ, and the Extreme Power were always and are made fully in Italy. Colnago’s steel frames (including the sublime Master series) were and are fully made in Italy, including the 3 new steel bikes they’re now making.

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    1. range Avatar
      range

      Most of the entry level and mid-range Colnagos are made in Taiwan though. Or outsourced, especially the monocoques. I agree, the fully-lugged Colnagos are still made in Italy.

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