no name import cruiser bikes

[Fenlason]

I am seriously into tandems.. there is someone who make performance wheels for them.. that are FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!

I have bought things that would make some people choke at the price.. and I can't even fathom spending that much for wheels...

[Fenlason]

another note.. some of the worse department bike product was made in the US. In product made here.. you either had some of the best available, or some of the worst.

At one point Masi.. a very nice upper end Italian bicycle moved their production the California.

[nikwax]

Giant was one of the Taiwan companies building bikes.. as was Hodaka. Giant finally decided to make bikes with their name on them also.

Even though for example Hodaka make bikes for many people it does not mean that all of them were the same. Each company would spec and choose what they wanted for geometry and sizing. They still designed their bikes.. they just did not manufacture them.

My understanding the reason bike production went from Japan to Taiwan.. was the currency issues.. The US dollar vs the Japenese yen.

right, I'd forgotten that Giant was actually one of the manufacturers.


I knew I'd over-simplified this ;-) Some companies certainly design some or all of their own frames (Trek, for one, has designed some of their frames). And there are many unique bikes out there that are domestically designed. As I'm riding an old school cruiser now, I see bikes from Felt and Electra in this segment that are designed in the US and built overseas, and the quality is good. We also have bike builders here in Oregon for niche markets who are doing very well.


I believe it was both currency and manufacturing costs that moved production out of Japan, as Japan (and Europe) moved out of their early post-war economic models (manufacturing of inexpensive basic goods: bicycles, motorbikes...recall that BMW was a struggling builder of motorcycles and puny cars after WWII, and Honda started up after the war building motors for bicycles) and into more mature economies (finance, manufacturing of high end goods). Taiwan was the "next Japan" (efficient mass production and low labor costs) and once western quality control appeared, Taiwan was the place to manufacture.


Also recall that back in the day a lot of the frames were hand brazed, simply because that's the way they'd always done it, or because materials like 531 required it. That 1979 bike of mine cost the better part of $1000 when all was said and done partly because the frame was hand-brazed silver soldered 531 tubing. In Taiwan, they learned how to machine solder frames for a lot less money. And the only two frames failures that I've experienced have been on European made frames, not Taiwan ones.

[Fenlason]

I did simplify it also.. I am sure there were many reasons.. and now.. at least in the bike industry China is the new Taiwan.

I myself have seen a lot of these asian bikes fail. Of course I see a lot of bikes. Yet I don't think it is because they are made in Asia. For the lower end American junk is worse.

[Shadow Catcher]

The components are cheap junk and I would suspect the frame is as well. Bike Nashbar has some decent deals on mountain bikes starting about 250$.
One thing to remember is that Ebay ratings cover short term when did it arrive was description accurate... and says nothing about long term did it last or have you a clue what you got.

[Senior Ninja]

5
I'd love one of those three wheel "sports car" type bikes, but almost two grand?! Am I missing something?
Steve

[Fenlason]

:( 5
I'd love one of those three wheel "sports car" type bikes, but almost two grand?! Am I missing something?
Steve

probably...

[Shadow Catcher]

Just saw the seriously into tandems from Fenlason. I bought an Iron Horse MTB tandem cheap about 450$ at the time, did not want to risk lots of $ for something she would not like. Nancy does not see well out of one eye and did not like cycling because she can not judge distances.Turns out she liked it and I knew I would be replacing components, which was where they saved money. Every time we went out it would break a spoke on the freewheel side (cheap spokes) and eventual I had 48 DT SS spoke three crossed rhino rim wheels built by a guy who uses a tensometer to get tension correct. All of the other components were changed to Shimano XT and half step gearing (no duplicate gears).
We went to the Midwest Tandem Rally one year and were riding along with the group at about 19 mph and a couple passed the group going a LOT faster. Later I encountered them and the bike, it was carbon fiber and light enough to pick up with your little finger. Speed costs money, but then so does heavy duty bullet proof

[Fenlason]

Just saw the seriously into tandems from Fenlason. I bought an Iron Horse MTB tandem cheap about 450$ at the time, did not want to risk lots of $ for something she would not like. Nancy does not see well out of one eye and did not like cycling because she can not judge distances.Turns out she liked it and I knew I would be replacing components, which was where they saved money. Every time we went out it would break a spoke on the freewheel side (cheap spokes) and eventual I had 48 DT SS spoke three crossed rhino rim wheels built by a guy who uses a tensometer to get tension correct. All of the other components were changed to Shimano XT and half step gearing (no duplicate gears).
We went to the Midwest Tandem Rally one year and were riding along with the group at about 19 mph and a couple passed the group going a LOT faster. Later I encountered them and the bike, it was carbon fiber and light enough to pick up with your little finger. Speed costs money, but then so does heavy duty bullet proof

I would have said that a $450 tandems would not have that great a frame either. It is not so much an issue of it failing, but an issue of the frame being stiff enough for decent handling.

I have ridden a few different bikes, but I can't say I have even seen an IronHorse tandem. I am glad it is working out for you.

yeah our newest tandem is a ti and carbon bike.. it is light.. and fast..

and actually it is the stiffest tandem I have ever ridden as well as the most comfortable. Not that long ago those two attributes were mutually exclusive.

[Nic]

I had great luck with a stretch frame beach cruiser that was a no name. I added some more chrome and stuff to it and lowered it. I loved that bike but i sold it to start my teardrop build.

[1912]

I have a couple of Huffy beach cruisers that look similar to your no name bike. I use them exclusively for the dry lake beds. They have nice 2.125x26 tires so they do fairly good on the sometimes dusty playa. Their drawback is the weight. Pretty heavy, but for how I use them it is just fine. Which is mostly slow speed desert riding on the very flat surface.

[Cliffmeister2000]

I'm not a bike snob. No, really, I'm not. I have a 1897 Nishikli Olympic (Road, Steel), a 1987 Cannondale Black Lightning (Road, Aluminum) a 1994 Trek 2200 (Road, Caron Fiber and Aluminum), and a 1994 Trek 7000 (Mountain, Aluminum).

I remember going into Redlands Cyclery, where all of my bikes came from, to buy my first bike as an adult. They had a sign that said "If Huffy made a plane, would you fly in it?"