FW: [CR]no US bike group

(Example: Framebuilders:Brian Baylis)

Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 13:54:42 -0700
From: "Jim Merz" <jimmerz@qwest.net>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: FW: [CR]no US bike group


None of his stuff is made in the USA. If you want to count designed in the USA, then Specialized just about had a group before this. I personally don't count this as American parts.

Jim Merz Bainbridge Is. WA

-----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-admin@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-admin@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of John Price Sent: Friday, August 30, 2002 12:40 PM To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: RE: [CR]no US bike group

I know it's not a complete group but what about Ritchey components ? Are they from the right time frame or too new (when did he start bringing out his components)? Short of derailleurs didn't he come up with about everything else ?

John "I'd like his cranks better without that BIG Logic logo" Price Denver CO

-----Original Message----- From: Chuck Schmidt [mailto:chuckschmidt@earthlink.net] Sent: Friday, August 30, 2002 1:30 PM To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: Re: [CR]no US bike group

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

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