tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post3898492161198811563..comments2024-03-28T11:56:48.304-04:00Comments on The Retrogrouch: Designed in America: Part TwoBrookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12110998345857993287noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-17602749387612876802022-08-29T08:49:08.768-04:002022-08-29T08:49:08.768-04:00Thank-you for this thread. Nice to be able to dig ...Thank-you for this thread. Nice to be able to dig up the history.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-77242837762600196692020-11-08T18:10:14.477-05:002020-11-08T18:10:14.477-05:00i got my first diamondback in late 1977, my best f...i got my first diamondback in late 1977, my best friend was mitchell wieners nephew, we would go into the western states imports warehouse and pick out all the parts we wanted for our bmx bikes. was pretty fun,. we met harry leary eddie king and eddie fiola too if i recall the names right at the warehouse a couple times. their trohpies were lined up in the reception area. didnt know mitchell died years ago, good guy. his son was a douche though forgot his nameAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-17268606861474817542017-01-01T17:11:53.828-05:002017-01-01T17:11:53.828-05:00As a luthier I can relate to this... this is exact...As a luthier I can relate to this... this is exactly the same business story that happened with American guitars. These days kids doesn't want a Fender: they prefer ESP or Ibanez, which are made in the same factories as Squier, Epiphone, Washburn, etc. Wanna buy American? Then be ready to pay a BIG chunk of money.<br /><br />And just as has happened with bicycles, people 'in the know' don't buy custom guitars for the Big Three. They go to a luthier, who builds exactly what they want in a garage-sized shop, at a price that sometimes can be lower than an American-made Gibson.<br /><br />Alexander Lópezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08517986861000324855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-47045611769920611392016-10-14T22:03:23.280-04:002016-10-14T22:03:23.280-04:00Excellent series (I came late to it, apparently). ...Excellent series (I came late to it, apparently). I wound up purchasing the book "No Hands.." (not hard to find on Amazon, as it turns out), a very interesting read and it adds to my knowledge store - I have three Schwinns, two made in Japan and one in Greenville.PilotFishBobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03531788633188713227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-62996307137993642092016-07-28T14:14:47.490-04:002016-07-28T14:14:47.490-04:00Great piece! I've read quite a bit about the b...Great piece! I've read quite a bit about the bike biz on the Internet, in particular as I try to figure out why the Centurion Super LeMans I bought brand-new in 1980 has held up so well over the last 36 years. (I still use it as a good, rugged training bike.) This is the first piece I've seen that explains the difference in marketing strategy that made Centurion an innovative brand. I think, though, it also explains why I have become more sympathetic to obscure exotic vintage European brands and frame-builders. I've come to recognize the differences between a quality mass-market bike and more rarefied products. Your piece helps explain why those differences exist.erik smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07813753353041937133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-64158924757018413542016-07-20T13:25:42.285-04:002016-07-20T13:25:42.285-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-12614494394172941452016-07-19T19:47:56.204-04:002016-07-19T19:47:56.204-04:00Huh! I never knew that about Centurion, thanks for...Huh! I never knew that about Centurion, thanks for the education. <br /><br />Yeah, Cannondale was one of the last to go, rather sad, regardless of how you feel about their bikes....<br /><br />Nice write up enjoying the series!MendonCycleSmithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02213406716238931069noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-12742537173859464712016-07-19T13:35:13.342-04:002016-07-19T13:35:13.342-04:00Actually the true story is somewhat different but ...Actually the true story is somewhat different but I'm not in a position to tell it.philcycleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07037641086503534960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-43214889925543622622016-07-19T08:43:44.827-04:002016-07-19T08:43:44.827-04:00I'm not aware of any thorough list anywhere. M...I'm not aware of any thorough list anywhere. Mostly, one just hears things, or sees mention of this bike and that model. A comprehensive list would be nice, but as you say, many brands probably try hard to downplay it.Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12110998345857993287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-51445066667123398292016-07-19T08:41:02.650-04:002016-07-19T08:41:02.650-04:00Gazelle was owned by Raleigh at the time, which mi...Gazelle was owned by Raleigh at the time, which might explain that. Raleigh would eventually go to Asian sources like everyone else, but they weren't ready for it at that time. I did read somewhere that they were afraid that the Asian made bikes (that would become Centurions) would seriously undercut their own offerings. Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12110998345857993287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-54111721315880509432016-07-19T08:24:25.072-04:002016-07-19T08:24:25.072-04:00i find it interesting that Raleigh initially rejec...i find it interesting that Raleigh initially rejected off-shore sourcing for their Grand Prix. i was shopping for a bike in the summer of 1972 and remember seeing Grand Prix bikes bearing a decal stating "made in Netherlands by Gazelle." Was British euro-centric/anti-asian prejudice at work?<br /><br />i worked in a shop that sold a lot of Centurions in '73. They did strike me as looking a LOT like Raleighs. And now i know the real story.mike w.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10317710564489321690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-86121915790007254692016-07-18T17:31:41.704-04:002016-07-18T17:31:41.704-04:00I'd be curious to know if anyone keeps/has kep...I'd be curious to know if anyone keeps/has kept a running family tree of manufacturing plants and the frames, in particular, that were/are built there, for the sake of comparison. I would think the companies themselves would like to downplay such things, which might harsh their marketing mellow. You get some piecemeal info here and there, but nothing comprehensive. So much is made of the various levels of tubing. I don't doubt real differences, but am interested in identifying diminishing returns.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-81550302803331317202016-07-18T14:04:39.575-04:002016-07-18T14:04:39.575-04:00Yes - you are right about the Stumpjumper. Sinyard...Yes - you are right about the Stumpjumper. Sinyard literally took a Ritchey-built mountain bike to Japan, and they copied every detail of it.Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12110998345857993287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-17857306213654422332016-07-18T12:31:39.356-04:002016-07-18T12:31:39.356-04:00Your are kind to specialized...since their stumpju...Your are kind to specialized...since their stumpjumper was a copy of the Ritchey. Wich make the recent wave of copyright infrigement lawsuit they launch a little ironic. <br /><br />Your last paragraph is why i want to buy a local steel frame, and not one from a big brand. I think a Jaegher, but their threadless stem are very ugly...<br /><br />For the rest, excellent article likethje first, a very good read.<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00518909092982637229noreply@blogger.com