Charles Andrews wrote:
>
> No full groups from a US company in the classic era? A riddle easy to solve.
>
> The United States is a motor-dominated society. It has been for 100 years.
> Bicycles are toys to most people in the US. Not serious transportation. In
> the 1960s and 70s this was even more that case, if that's possible. No one in
> the US who cared had the money or expertise to manufacture a full parts
> group...but mostly, no-one cared, is my theory.
>
> In Italy and France and Japan, by contrast, bicycles are serious technology,
> deserving of serious time and money. Look at Suntour derailleurs from the
> 70s, or the full Superbe group in the early 80s...or even the first Dura Ace
> group. Clearly designed and manufactured by people who cared deeply about
> every aspect of bicycles and bicycling...labors of love, you ask me. No-one
> in design and manufacturing in the United States has loved parts enough to do
> that.
>
> They all go make cars, instead.
If you go back two turn-of-the-centuries (1900) there were actually hundreds and hundreds of American bike manufacturers making completely American-parts outfitted bikes.
Then Henry Ford came along and... well... here we are...
The truth of the mater is that, qiven the choice, human beings don't want to be self-propelled!
Chuck Schmidt SoPas, SoCal
.