The Chainlink

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/news/newsDetail/2098.html

In contrast to the struggles of the automobile industry, I see this as representing a victory for bicycles.

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I own 3 TCR Giants and have to say that they are the best bang for the buck.

The 2009 lineup is sweet

http://www.bikeworldnews.com/index.php/2008/06/23/giant-rolls-out-2...
In related news, I may move to Taiwan.

Ugh.... just realized this is news from 2008.

The original article has moved to here:

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/north-america/2008/12/02/giant-emplo...

EJ's link is long broken as well...

Delving into the archive instead of starting a new discussion....isn't that what we're supposed to do?   I'm really having some debate about the "Made in Taiwan" aspect of cycling.

h' 1.0 said:

Ugh.... just realized this is news from 2008.

The original article has moved to here:

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/north-america/2008/12/02/giant-emplo...

EJ's link is long broken as well...

Outside of the idea of "buy American to support America," which is hard to argue with if that is a view point you adopt in your life across the board and are trying to espouse here, at least many of the factories in Taiwan are known to have good working conditions, produce a quality product and pay a not-too-horrible for Taiwan wage (I say not-too-horrible because, like here, there are still gross disparities between a CEO's salary and the worker working the line).  

Like anywhere, including the good old US of A, there are factories in Taiwan that likely have horrible conditions and pay migrant workers terrible wages; but factories like the Giant factory profiled above--and most bicycle frame and component factories I'm aware of actually--have a pretty decent reputation.       

The whole flair-up around Trek is pretty ridiculous IMHO, however, as it is fueled almost entirely by Walker, an avowed Koch Brothers lackey that never would think twice about the issue if he was doing better in the polls.    


Matt M. 18.5KM said:

Delving into the archive instead of starting a new discussion....isn't that what we're supposed to do?   I'm really having some debate about the "Made in Taiwan" aspect of cycling.

h' 1.0 said:

Ugh.... just realized this is news from 2008.

The original article has moved to here:

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/north-america/2008/12/02/giant-emplo...

EJ's link is long broken as well...

I spent a bunch of time trying to find the article linked in the top post because the link was long broken and just loads an empty pane.... and the next link was long broken and just loads an empty pane....

Some bounce-to-top forums have a feature that locks threads after they are inactive for a certain period of time (6 months? a year?) and this one should too.


 
Matt M. 18.5KM said:

Delving into the archive instead of starting a new discussion....isn't that what we're supposed to do?   I'm really having some debate about the "Made in Taiwan" aspect of cycling.

h' 1.0 said:

Ugh.... just realized this is news from 2008.

The original article has moved to here:

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/north-america/2008/12/02/giant-emplo...

EJ's link is long broken as well...

so noted.

h' 1.0 said:

I spent a bunch of time trying to find the article linked in the top post because the link was long broken and just loads an empty pane.... and the next link was long broken and just loads an empty pane....

Some bounce-to-top forums have a feature that locks threads after they are inactive for a certain period of time (6 months? a year?) and this one should too.


 
Matt M. 18.5KM said:

Delving into the archive instead of starting a new discussion....isn't that what we're supposed to do?   I'm really having some debate about the "Made in Taiwan" aspect of cycling.

h' 1.0 said:

Ugh.... just realized this is news from 2008.

The original article has moved to here:

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/north-america/2008/12/02/giant-emplo...

EJ's link is long broken as well...

My father's family came to the USA with very little, but earned their way to middle class eventually because they made their living in New England factory towns working in the factories and in the community.  So, all this gives me a persistent nagging headache.  To me it's personal.

ad said:

Outside of the idea of "buy American to support America," which is hard to argue with if that is a view point you adopt in your life across the board and are trying to espouse here, at least many of the factories in Taiwan are known to have good working conditions, produce a quality product and pay a not-too-horrible for Taiwan wage (I say not-too-horrible because, like here, there are still gross disparities between a CEO's salary and the worker working the line).  

Like anywhere, including the good old US of A, there are factories in Taiwan that likely have horrible conditions and pay migrant workers terrible wages; but factories like the Giant factory profiled above--and most bicycle frame and component factories I'm aware of actually--have a pretty decent reputation.       

The whole flair-up around Trek is pretty ridiculous IMHO, however, as it is fueled almost entirely by Walker, an avowed Koch Brothers lackey that never would think twice about the issue if he was doing better in the polls.    


Matt M. 18.5KM said:

Delving into the archive instead of starting a new discussion....isn't that what we're supposed to do?   I'm really having some debate about the "Made in Taiwan" aspect of cycling.

h' 1.0 said:

Ugh.... just realized this is news from 2008.

The original article has moved to here:

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/north-america/2008/12/02/giant-emplo...

EJ's link is long broken as well...

Ah, Mary Burke.  If that's the best that Democrats in Wisconsin can come up with to Challenge Walker then I'm afeared that our neighbors to the North are going to be in for another long haul dynasty like Tommy Thompson.  I often wonder if Tommy hadn't stepped down to take the HHS job for shrubbie if he'd still be governor today. 

After the disastrous recall gambit that dealt a serious blow to the credibility of the left and labor in Wisconsin, their next move is Mary Burke?  

I just shake my head...


And that's a fair concern--outsourcing and its impacts on the US labor force is an issue in almost every industry.  

Some people (the head of the UCI apparently), though, seem to be concerned with China and Taiwan as somehow indicating that a product will be "cheap quality" or produced in a factory with poor working conditions.  Those concerns do not match up by-in-large with the reality of the cycling industries' facilities in Taiwan and most of China from what I understand.  

Trek still makes their high-end carbon frames in Wisconsin, though I've never seen anything to suggest those frames are necessarily any better in terms of failure rate or other important quality control markers than high-end carbon frames coming out of China.  


Matt M. 18.5KM said:

My father's family came to the USA with very little, but earned their way to middle class eventually because they made their living in New England factory towns working in the factories and in the community.  So, all this gives me a persistent nagging headache.  To me it's personal.

ad said:

Outside of the idea of "buy American to support America," which is hard to argue with if that is a view point you adopt in your life across the board and are trying to espouse here, at least many of the factories in Taiwan are known to have good working conditions, produce a quality product and pay a not-too-horrible for Taiwan wage (I say not-too-horrible because, like here, there are still gross disparities between a CEO's salary and the worker working the line).  

Like anywhere, including the good old US of A, there are factories in Taiwan that likely have horrible conditions and pay migrant workers terrible wages; but factories like the Giant factory profiled above--and most bicycle frame and component factories I'm aware of actually--have a pretty decent reputation.       

The whole flair-up around Trek is pretty ridiculous IMHO, however, as it is fueled almost entirely by Walker, an avowed Koch Brothers lackey that never would think twice about the issue if he was doing better in the polls.    


Matt M. 18.5KM said:

Delving into the archive instead of starting a new discussion....isn't that what we're supposed to do?   I'm really having some debate about the "Made in Taiwan" aspect of cycling.

h' 1.0 said:

Ugh.... just realized this is news from 2008.

The original article has moved to here:

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/north-america/2008/12/02/giant-emplo...

EJ's link is long broken as well...

...So I like how we recycle old bikes in Chicago. It makes sense. I'm working on an old Bridgestone right now. It's a really nice bike. It's Japanese. I'll be restoring it with Japanese components. But I'm the line worker. My lbs benefits from the parts I order from them and any work I ask them to do. Some of the bike components are going straight to the Recyclery. Rivendell is way outside my price range. The rear spokes will be Wheelsmith though!

ad said:


And that's a fair concern--outsourcing and its impacts on the US labor force is an issue in almost every industry.  

Some people (the head of the UCI apparently), though, seem to be concerned with China and Taiwan as somehow indicating that a product will be "cheap quality" or produced in a factory with poor working conditions.  Those concerns do not match up by-in-large with the reality of the cycling industries' facilities in Taiwan and most of China from what I understand.  

Trek still makes their high-end carbon frames in Wisconsin, though I've never seen anything to suggest those frames are necessarily any better in terms of failure rate or other important quality control markers than high-end carbon frames coming out of China.  


Matt M. 18.5KM said:

My father's family came to the USA with very little, but earned their way to middle class eventually because they made their living in New England factory towns working in the factories and in the community.  So, all this gives me a persistent nagging headache.  To me it's personal.

ad said:

Outside of the idea of "buy American to support America," which is hard to argue with if that is a view point you adopt in your life across the board and are trying to espouse here, at least many of the factories in Taiwan are known to have good working conditions, produce a quality product and pay a not-too-horrible for Taiwan wage (I say not-too-horrible because, like here, there are still gross disparities between a CEO's salary and the worker working the line).  

Like anywhere, including the good old US of A, there are factories in Taiwan that likely have horrible conditions and pay migrant workers terrible wages; but factories like the Giant factory profiled above--and most bicycle frame and component factories I'm aware of actually--have a pretty decent reputation.       

The whole flair-up around Trek is pretty ridiculous IMHO, however, as it is fueled almost entirely by Walker, an avowed Koch Brothers lackey that never would think twice about the issue if he was doing better in the polls.    


Matt M. 18.5KM said:

Delving into the archive instead of starting a new discussion....isn't that what we're supposed to do?   I'm really having some debate about the "Made in Taiwan" aspect of cycling.

h' 1.0 said:

Ugh.... just realized this is news from 2008.

The original article has moved to here:

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/north-america/2008/12/02/giant-emplo...

EJ's link is long broken as well...

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