Rocky Mtn Bikes Made in Canada

You do realize that if it's made overseas, it's machine welded…

that's just another myth about Taiwan

only the sub entry level stuff and some of the high end monocoque stuff is welded by anything resembling a "robot"

everything else is hand welded by experienced welders typically earning about US$25,000 a year

certaintly not second rate craftsman, or underpaid children!

Sweet!

:)

Sean - you're on campus still, right? I'm over in Liberty. I did a customer meeting in Bentonville, Ak. with the 'mart last year. Their EA was up and a bunch of us went over for the week and kissed up their arses until they signed the PO.

'spose my point is that buying a homemade bike as a protest is kind of pointless if one runs in those circles.

You do realize that if it's made overseas, it's machine welded…

experienced welders typically earning about US$25,000 a year

certaintly not second rate craftsman, or underpaid children!

wouldnt 25K a year in Tiawan be REALLY GOOD money by their standards?

I think I heard Pip say on this board that the 1st couple of hundred pieces you give a welder here in North america were junk till buddy learns the technique

machine welding is good for some things but not bike frames

wouldnt 25K a year in Tiawan be REALLY GOOD money by their standards?

I think I heard Pip say on this board that the 1st couple of hundred pieces you give a welder here in North america were junk till buddy learns the technique

machine welding is good for some things but not bike frames

north america has by far some of the best welders in the world. The thing is they dont build toys (bikes…) ever heard of oil fields, aerospace, nasa, nrc etc… bikes are for kids! :lol:

north america has by far some of the best welders in the world. The thing is they dont build toys (bikes…) ever heard of oil fields, aerospace, nasa, nrc etc… bikes are for kids! :lol:

exactly…i'm all for keeping the high value work here and offshoring the play stuff to folks who can use the work…

well if you build rocket ships but never build bikes how would you know how to weld them ?

just like tiawanese bike welders wouldnt be very good at welding oil rigs or rocket ships or a 100ton bridge section … I still maintain all the bike making expertise is in tiawan

well if you build rocket ships but never build bikes how would you know how to weld them ?

just like tiawanese bike welders wouldnt be very good at welding oil rigs or rocket ships or a 100ton bridge section … I still maintain all the bike making expertise is in tiawan

trust me, welders here are WAY better in every way.

trust me, welders here are WAY better in every way.

including drinking teh beers

Back in the day my dad built sections of the second narrow bridge which is how you get to the north shore … I still wouldnt have trusted him at any point to weld a bike frame

welding is pretty basic stuff guys…especially when we are talking repeated identical work, on jigs, with mitred tubesets.

i'd be surprised if there wasn't an equivalent statistical distribution of good to bad welders on both continents.

Its like anything there are good and bad doctors ,lawyers ,welders … you name it .But if you live in a place where most of the bikes in the world are made ,chances are all the best bike makers live there

my dad once told me all the really good welders who could do magic if they showed up for work … were alcoholics

welding is pretty basic stuff guys…especially when we are talking repeated identical work, on jigs, with mitred tubesets.

i'd be surprised if there wasn't an equivalent statistical distribution of good to bad welders on both continents.

basic… well that all depends. some welds are actually very difficult. all is not only steel and aluminum tubing. for example you have high vacuum welds for instruments in the nuclear fields, exotic materials (more exotic than titanium!) VERY thin welds and so on… the bicycle industry just cant afford that type of welder. not to say that there's no bike welder that's good, the ones that are, do it just for the love of it not the money, but that's rare… and those bike are expensive! 3000$ for a ti hardtail outch!:cry:

you're right - i should have said welding bikes is pretty basic.

I have a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering so i'm aware that there are a few very rare applications out there that can be more difficult.

When you come across a tradesperson that is a real craftsman it's amazing to watch though.

I have a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering .

i feel sorry for you