I was pretty sure that the Airborne frames sourced their titanium tubing from China, but I wasn't sure if the frames were built there. What about some of the other low-priced (at least compared to Litrspeed) titanium frames from nominally U.S. or European companies? Are they built in China as well? I believe some recent reviews of UK titanium bikes in Cycling Plus have mentioned that the tubing was obtained from Russia to reduce cost. Does anyone know of any titanium frames actually being built in Russia?
Interesting how quickly previously high-tech materials like titanium, carbon fibre, and semiconductors and the techniques for working them become "comoditized" and therefore capable of being produced anywhere in the world. Those countries which like to think of themselves as "advanced" either have to continue rapid innovation like Intel or Microsoft or add some element of artistic content like the European clothes designers or the Italian automotive styling houses, in order to maintain their higher income levels.
I guess high-quality, lugged steel bicycles fall into the latter category. The art of making these doesn't seem to be transferred as easily as more "industrial" processes, although it eventually does cross borders as evidenced by North American and (as we have discussed recently) Japanese custom builders who have matched and sometimes surpassed the European craftsmen they emulated. The lack of (to my knowledge) high-quality custom bicycle builders in places like Thailand and China probably doesn't reflect any lack of necessary skills (or the ability to learn those skills) but the near nonexistance of local demand or of an overseas demand large enough to attract international joint ventures. Also, the lower incomes make it more difficult for any but the small elites to afford to outfit a shop or travel to UK or Europe to learn the craft as many US or Japanese builders did. While the US and UK custom builders probably don't think their incomes very high considering the efforts they expend, they should probably take some comfort in the fact that they earn considerably more than the guys building Airbornes in China, and furthermore probably don't have to worry about custom builders springing up in China, India, and Thailand to compete with them.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Houston, TX
> In a message dated 10/14/2002 10:51:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> questor@cinci.rr.com writes:
>
> << Apparently this kind or repair requires a vaccum-sealed environment
with a
> Argon welding unit and a experienced TI welder! >>
>
> I don't think that is the case any more ..
> The new welding apparatus has argon gas shot out around the welding tips
to
> engulf the weld just for that short time...
>
> << Airborne Cycles in Dayton can't do the job because all of their TI
frames
> are manufactured in China! It turns out that Airborne contracts all frame
> R&D to the local Huffy Research Center in Springboro, OH. I mistakenly
> thought that Airborne did their own work...>>
>
> Ha! I wonder how many people thought that Airborne was a good old Yankee
> firm! No one wondered why they were so inexpensive? I notice in most all
the
> magazine coverage, that salient point was left out...
>
> << The only TI repair facility that I am aware of is at TI Cycles in
Seattle
> WA <www.ticycles.com>. >>
> I bet Monsieur Ferris at Anvil or the folks at Titus to name a few could
do
> that if they want to... Big "IF", that last!
>
>
> Dale Brown
> Greensboro, North Carolina