Originally Posted by Calsun

Best R&D is with Specialized and it shows in the key patents they have held for the past 20 years for MTB components. Shimano is most likely having their parts made in China or Malaysia and not in Taiwan. Taiwan provides much higher quality for manufacturing but labor costs are higher as they do not use slave labor in any form. German companies have their products designed in Germany and often manufactured in Taiwan. Specialized is currently having its bike made in Taiwan which further reflects on the quality of this country's manufacturers.

These companies have benefited from their ability to get bank loans to finance new tooling and new factories. In the USA funding for small manufacturers dried up completely after 2008 and more than 2 million machinists in Ohio alone found themselves out on the street. Great way to cripple unions but at a high cost to workers and their familiers. I have had my company's tools made in Taiwan for the past 15 years and some made in China for the past 10 years. When I spent 6 months trying to find a company in the USA to manufacture a brand new high end tool there was no one to be found. All said they could not get loans from their bank and this was after working with them for 30 years.

Most of what is shown as made in the USA is actually made in Asia and then shipped to Mexico and assembled or boxed and then, with NAFTA, it can then be taken across the border and sold with a USA source of origin label.

This year I bought two Specialized e-bikes for road and a Specialized Stumpjumper full suspension MTB and this was after spending weeks looking at what was available to buy and the components supplied on the various bikes. It is far easier in the current situation to buy a bike that is already equipped with most of what you want instead of trying to find items on the Web. Even so I am having to buy and install a dropper post on my hardtail as this is still considered an extra by all the bike companies for bikes priced below $2,000. One more reason to work with the people at a local bike shop. Money spent in your community is "recycled" many times whereas money spent at a mail order company or at a Wal-Mart immediately leaves the community. I support local jobs with my wallet.