Starting to produce spokes for the domestic production market in Switzerland, and starting to export them into the US for bulk sale are probably two different dates, but I recall getting my first sets of DTs in 1976 or so, and I think I'd been hearing industry rumblings/rumors about a better Swiss alternative to Robergel Trois Etoiles a little earlier. I also seem to recall some mention of their use by German and Swiss mechanics at the '72 Munich Olympics, but it has been so many years now it is hard to remember if it was then, or, more likely, at the '74 Worlds in Montreal. But at any rate, the early '70s would be a good time frame to start searching for verification of the actual date of DT's start.
Bill Bryant Santa Cruz, CA
Mark Bulgier wrote:
> When did DT start making bike spokes? The DT-Swiss website says the company
> was formed in 1994 - from a company that had been making wire products since
> the 17th century. I don't think either date is the right answer to my
> question!
>
> The reason I wonder is I saw this nice set of wheels on ebay,
> http://ebay.com/
>
> The hubs are '71, the rims are right for a '71, and the seller says the
> wheels were built at the Mondia factory in '71 with DT spokes. Right
> country, but I thought DT started making bike spokes later than that.
> Anyone else remember an article that said something to the effect that DT,
> Drahtwerke Trefilerie or "Wireworks Wireworks" in German then French, was
> dragged kicking and screaming into the bike spoke market when Robergel
> stopped? That would make it more like late 70s, right?
>
> Maybe I just didn't start noticing them in the US until they'd been around
> for a while.
>
> Mark Bulgier
> Seattle, Wa
> USA