Re. 1
In general terms all the companies I’ve dealt with have been fully open about country of origin for frames.
For example when Niner moved production to Vietnam they were very open about the process/decision.
If country of origin is a big deal to you when purchasing a bike a shop or brand will readily have that info if you ask.
In my experience for the Vast Majority of riders its either ‘Made In North America’ or ‘Made In Asia’ but I’ve certainly worked with customers who drilled down country of origin more specifically for geo-political reasons.
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Relating to the article, I assume you’re referencing the passage about the company representative requesting to not have their brand named in this specific piece?
I don’t know what brands Cam contacted but I can think of examples that are fully open about the fact their carbon frames are made in China but would not want to be referenced in relation to an article negative about President Trump’s tariffs.
Firstly, it’s a lot of risk to alienate ~50% of your potential American customers (you have employees to support) taking a stand on something you absolutely cannot influence when you already are going to be dealing with higher prices / lower margins.
Secondly, if you’re located in a fully red state (every major federal and state elected position belonging to a Republican) multiply \#1 by also potentially toxifying your work place.
Sept. 26, 2018, 3:06 p.m. - Andrew Major
Re. 1 In general terms all the companies I’ve dealt with have been fully open about country of origin for frames. For example when Niner moved production to Vietnam they were very open about the process/decision. If country of origin is a big deal to you when purchasing a bike a shop or brand will readily have that info if you ask. In my experience for the Vast Majority of riders its either ‘Made In North America’ or ‘Made In Asia’ but I’ve certainly worked with customers who drilled down country of origin more specifically for geo-political reasons. ... Relating to the article, I assume you’re referencing the passage about the company representative requesting to not have their brand named in this specific piece? I don’t know what brands Cam contacted but I can think of examples that are fully open about the fact their carbon frames are made in China but would not want to be referenced in relation to an article negative about President Trump’s tariffs. Firstly, it’s a lot of risk to alienate ~50% of your potential American customers (you have employees to support) taking a stand on something you absolutely cannot influence when you already are going to be dealing with higher prices / lower margins. Secondly, if you’re located in a fully red state (every major federal and state elected position belonging to a Republican) multiply \#1 by also potentially toxifying your work place.