jjefferies

My ignorance. I wasn't aware of Giant Bicycle manufacturer, apparently the world's largest manufacturer. Interesting article in the NY Times for those who haven't read it.
Sorry, apparently I can't post a link to the story. Go to NY Times (nytimes-dot-com) and look for "Sorry, the World's Biggest Bike Maker".
No shift in manufacturing to the US in the foreseeable future. But they're opening a new factory in Hungary?

The limitation on posting a link is rather idiotic IMO.

moderator's note: here is the link https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/17/b...-shortage.html

ZHVelo

You joined in August 2013 and this is your 8th post only? And what is the point of it anyway?

Maelochs

Giant makes frames for many other manufacturers as well as for its own bikes.

DaverSomething

At least his post was attempting to be constructive. Yours on the other hand... wow dude.

Reflector Guy

This just might be his Annual Post.

We'll all have to check back in a year to see if he posted again.

TiHabanero

The industry is homogenized, frames coming from a few select manufacturers, components from a few select manufacturers, and then the two are put together with a name on the down tube. Many people do not know this, but now those reading this thread do. It has been this way for many decades. Giant is the big boy in the industry, and has really set the standard for production frames. One thing unique about Giant is they not only design their frames and forks, they build them, too. Trek, Specialized and most of the rest do not. They only design and spec, they do not build the actual frame and fork. Although I now ride custom frames, I have ridden several Giants, Treks, and Specialized in the past, and they all performed well.
There are also production frames that the actual manufacturer produces and a company such as Trek or Specialized (I am not saying they do this now) contract to buy the frames and have their name put on it. Many off-brand names do this and the consumer gets a price break. Nothing fancy, mind you, just a good solid platform from which to hang parts.

MattTheHat 

Tough room.

ZHVelo

That was exactly my point - there was absolutely nothing constructive about that post. A link to an article and then the rest was so random there was no point to it.

To clarify: consider the last sentence of the OP, seems a bit off to complain about that, and may have something to do with him having so few posts anyway. Then the rest is about Giant that OP didn't know was the largest (ok, great) and then something about manufacturing not in the US (why would it be, a Taiwanese company has no reason to produce in the US when even US giants, pun intended, like Apple outsource to China/Taiwan themselves). Please tell me, what was constructive about that post.

burnthesheep

Reported as spam. There is a report button, use it.

Also, stop being apologists for users in violation of forum rules. Spam is against forum rules. If you can't post a link due to forum rules on posts or posting, and try to circumvent that by "hey go look at this random thing you'll have to search for thus giving views and clicks to a site"........that's spam. Whether intentional or not.

The apologists should be receiving negative points also for being enablers.

rydabent

When people argue over bike brands they have to understand that a half dozen mfg in the world make 99% of bike frames. Those mfg get in orders from the different brands, weld up a frame and paint it with the name of the bike company that ordered it. They for the most part are all the same bike with different paint and name on them.

fietsbob

though now companies like Giant are so big that they can make tooling patterns for their aluminum hydroforming machines
to even make the frame component tubes shaped differently for the customer brand importer..

MattTheHat 

And yet the post remains. How is this spam? The OP references a story about the bicycle industry. That seems fairly on topic.

"The apologist should be receiving negative points for being enablers." Okay. lol

Flip Flop Rider

is this mic on?

MattTheHat 

I guess I missed this part when originally reading the post. It does seem a little silly to complain about the ten post requirement when the OP has been a member since 2013. Insert head scratch smiley here.

GrainBrain

In regards to Hungary, they're building there because the demand is there and the labor rate is low. It's the same reason the small manufacturing shop I work at is viable, we target niche markets and maintain a close proximity to our customers.
Some interesting quotes:
While for decades developed nations looked towards other country's for cheap labor, now with China's booming middle class that's much more difficult...
Finally her viewpoint on manufacturing in America...
​​​​​​

hillyman

Your all just upset because wasn't an opportunity to post a pic of your Giant bike

livedarklions

Also, diversifying where they manufacture affords opportunity to avoid tariffs.

livedarklions

Just to let you know how much I respect your rather odd definition of spam, here's TWO links to the article OP referred to:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/17/b...-shortage.html

https://www.chicagotribune.com/natio...c3y-story.html


Seriously, OP neither violated the letter or the spirit of the no links under 10 posts rule. That's to prevent real spamming, not people calling attention to interesting items in the news.

livedarklions

It pointed to a really good article about the strategy of the world's largest bike manufacturer.

And there's a pretty interesting part of that article about what it would take for Giant to want to produce in the U.S. Also, a lot about the shortage, the U.S. China trade war and more.

unterhausen

We have a post limit to discourage spammers. It occasionally catches someone who doesn't post if they don't have anything novel to say. Many of us could learn from the OP in this regard.

I edited the OP to add the link, but I'll post it again: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/17/b...-shortage.html

livedarklions

Thank you!

According to post #9 , you should demerit yourself as a spam apologist.

indyfabz

My Surly touring bike is 60cm. Does that make it a giant bike?

ZHVelo

And OP followed up on none of that in his OP beyond "no manufacturing in the US any time soon, but in Hungary ('oh my God stop the presses why not US but Hungary')".

mstateglfr 

Thats a loose use of the word. I read this article on my own earlier today. Someone getting around the URL rules is just not a big deal to me when the article is from a newspaper. Context. Its different from if the website linked is for a product the poster is selling.

mstateglfr 

The point was to share a news article with everyone. I read this article earlier today and found it interesting since I like hearing about global supply chains.