thewalrus

I recently bought a DT Swiss front hub... it was made in Switzerland. Would it theoretically be possible to build a bike using entirely european-manufactured components? Here's a brief list, if price were not an issue:

Scott or BMC frame (made in Germany and Switzerland)?
full Campy Record group
Cinelli bar and stem (actually made in Italy?)
DT Swiss hubs and spokes
Mavic rims (are they made in France?)
or, Mavic Ksyrium SL/ES wheelset (made in France or Taiwan?)
Hutchinson or Continental french-manufactured tires
Continental tubes
Selle Italia saddle

cuda2k

Stuff like chains, cables, etc would be hard to ensure a eruo origin, but the list looks pretty much spot on to me. At least you've got all eruo "brands." Can't say yay or ney on where some of those brand's factories are these days so can't be a help there.

thewalrus

I am pretty certain that Connex/Wippermann chains are made in Germany... I have a SRAM nine speed chain that was made in Germany, since SRAM's chain division came from their acquisition of Sachs. The cables would probably be the hardest part.

EdZ

Scott frames are made in Taiwan.

Retro Grouch 

I think that my Porsche mountain bike, when it was new, must have been close. It had all Sachs components and Continental tires. After a few rides I had to Shimanoiz it.

cuda2k

Looks at my new PC-58 chain sitting next to me.... so indeed you are correct - I stand corrected.

Anyone got some 411 on Mavic rims/etc?

fmw

My Basso is almost entirely Italian and could be made so, I think. The tubes are Vittoria but, I assume, they are made in Taiwan like all tubes and the tires are Vredestein, wherever those are made. Everything else is Italian except for the pedals, seat post and bottle cage. The seat post is PZ racing (Taiwan) and I really like it. It is very light. The pedals are Look (French maybe?) But making everything Italian would be quite simple, I just haven't done it yet.

jemoryl

This wouldn't be a difficult project except both of your chosen frames might be made in Taiwan. Easy enough to find another Euro frame... Tubes and a computer might be the most difficult thing: I have some Michelin A-1 tubes with a box that says 'made in France' but the tubes themselves say 'made in Taiwan'; some A-1s say 'Yugoslavia'.

toomanybikes

In fact both of those frames are made in Taiwan.

sportbiker

Other component choices actually made in Italy (AFAIK): Selcof or ITM for handlebars, stems and seatposts; FIR or Ambrosio wheels; Miche or Ofmega hubs and headsets; Selle San Marco saddles.

thewalrus

Do you know where Sapim CX-Ray spokes are made?

Guest

Sure. I went to the factory in Italy- all Italian made products. That's why I went straight to the factory.



Koffee

Jakey

I have two american made parts on my torelli. A king headset, and an easton seatpost. Everything else is european....mostly Italian with french pedals.

My tubes were made in taiwan

LittleGinseng 

I believe Belgium produces Sapim spokes.

rufvelo

Unfortunately, you may soon find that your list is really :

Scott or BMC frame - made in Taiwan.
Campy Record group - made in Taiwan.
Cinelli bar and stem - made in Taiwan.
DT Swiss hubs and spokes - made in Taiwan.
Mavic rims - made in Taiwan.
Mavic Ksyrium SL/ES wheelset - made in Taiwan.
Hutchinson or Continental - made in Taiwan.
Continental tubes - made in Taiwan.
Selle Italia saddle - made in Taiwan.

Hopefully you'll still enjoy your Euro 'branded' ride. Enjoyment is key, easier when you place less emphasis on country of manufacture, more on the functionality of the specific component.

Serpico

even stuff branded by a European company isn't necessarily made in Europe

Campy's Ergo Brain 'puter is made by Cateye in Osaka, Japan. Most tires are made in Thailand and then branded by European or American companies.

Anyways, good luck I guees

MichaelW

My Tutonic Schwalbe tyres are made in indonesia.
There are a bunch of other Euro component makers: Mavic, Specialities-TA, FRM, Hope, Amrosio, Clarks cables.

I wonder how much of a full campy groupset is not manufactured in house. Where do they source their bearing, cables etc from? I heard that they outsource their forging to a local specialist, (apparently the same place used by TA, but couldnt confirm it)

EURO

If price isn't an issue, you'd get a set of Carbon Sports/Obermeyers for wheels, they are hand made in Germany.

I'm not sure why anyone would want just European components - that whole euro-centric attitude is odly only something you seem to get in the US. Over here people just buy what works for the price.

sportbiker

As with many things, once one gets beyond minimal levels of functional competence more ephemeral qualities become important: company pedigree, reputation, corporate image, one's social consciousness, status, aspiration, etc. It doesn't have make syllogistic sense; if it did, the companies operating in the upper half of any consumer segment would likely go out of business.

DocRay

that's a classic prat response. Marketing guys love guys like you. Money for style, no substance.
The companies in the "upper half" of cycling make better products, regardless of origin of country.

sportbiker

...which simply duplicates Euro's question. My answer was that it's as much (if not more) the a-logical reasons why someone would prefer an all-European bicycle.

Any additional meaning you infer in my prior post is your doing.

Fox Farm

What is the point of trying to have all European componets, etc? I mean, there is nothing wrong with what you are trying to do but for what reason?

puddin' legs

Sure, it can be done no problem at all if that's what yer heart desires, and it will be a nice bike, but not a Scott frame.

(Full campy Pegoretti!)

DocRay

What I infer from that was that you should be embarassed for admitting that you would buy a bike just to be a poseur. All those emphemeral or illogical qualities can just be summed up as bull ****.

sportbiker

Your mistake #1. That wasn't part of my answer, express or implied.

<sarcasm>Methinks you have deeper personal issues than the country of origin of one's bicycle.</sarcasm>