Which bicycles can I buy that isnt made in China? (1 Viewer)

[Abacist]

My son bought a Ribble e-bike and commutes from Plympton to South Brent every day - very pleased with it!

 

[Claris]

Try an ORBEA, made in Spain, I have an electric hybrid, Bosch motor, though has Shimano gear train.

 

[funflair]

When you say "Made in Spain" yet again it means assembled in Spain so fair chance that a substantial number of components including the frame come from China.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Michael Rennison]

There are British bike builders but they don't come in as cheap as China and that possibly goes some way to answering your question Jon jongood "how did we get in this position"

Orange bikes built in UK https://www.orangebikes.co.uk/us/stories/view/handbuilt_in_halifax

"Built" can be anything from fully manufactured frame and many custom components to simple assembly of Chinese parts.

I've got a Mercian 853 Tandem, Mercian 853 Pro Lugless fast tourer, both made with British tubing but apart from the Brooks leather saddles and Caradice bags have parts made in Japan (Shimano) and English handbuilt wheels with bits from all over the world. Even my Brompton, assembled in the UK uses Chinese bits and bobs.

 

[funflair]

I've got a Mercian 853 Tandem, Mercian 853 Pro Lugless fast tourer, both made with British tubing but apart from the Brooks leather saddles and Caradice bags have parts made in Japan (Shimano) and English handbuilt wheels with bits from all over the world. Even my Brompton, assembled in the UK uses Chinese bits and bobs.

Nice bike we have a Dave Yates tandem, 531 tubing except the front seat tube as he said "can I put a Columbus tube in there" well who was I to argue, I did have British Hope hubs till I broke one, then the usual Shimano stuff with British carbon fibre chain rings and British made carbon bars.

 

[G-RMPS]

…so you don’t want any of the nine million bicycles in Beijing?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Tim Forsey]

Gazelle every time, very well built, great to ride just the best
Who call pips BRE 12 go on then can you come here come here standing around there

 

[Pigeonpost]

I'm looking for a new hybrid style bike to carry in the motorhome but I'm trying hard to buy less from China. I know I could have a Brompton but don't want wheels quite that small and a Pashley is a bit too big and heavy but almost everything else is made in China. Any suggestions?

 

[jongood]

Even my Brompton, assembled in the UK uses Chinese bits and bobs.

This is truly shocking! I would be taking back a Brompton that was loaded with Chinese bits.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[funflair]

You are really getting your teeth into the anti China vibe Jon , I hope those cheap cameras and remote switches on your Clou didn't come from China

 

[mofurt]

You could always look at Rohloff hub gears - made in Germany. A bit like the old Sturmey Archer 3/4 speeds, except they have 14 gears in the can and don't drop you into neutral when you are pushing hard up a hill. Build that into Mavic rims - the higher end ones are made in France, DT Swiss spokes are still made in Switzerland.

Get a Brooks saddle, still hand made by men in brown overalls in Birmingham (though bizarrely due to how their supply chain is set up and Brexit they can't sell to you direct anymore, as they distribute from Italy).

Specify Campagnolo brakes - they still make all their components in Europe.

Alternatively, get components from Hope - Broken Link Removed - they make them all in the UK.

Add them custom frame from a UK frame builder - e.g. Argos (no, not that Argos), Bob Jackson, Ellis Briggs, Mercian, Dave Yates etc.

You are most of the way to a non-Chinese bike, but it will cost you proper money - I'd expect to be paying absolute minimum £3K for a bespoke bike specced that way, probably more.

 

[jongood]

You are really getting your teeth into the anti China vibe Jon , I hope those cheap cameras and remote switches on your Clou didn't come from China

This is my point Martin and amply demonstrated with this thread, its almost impossible to buy stuff that doesn't contain stuff from China. Now if China was a democratic country this would be worrying but as it's a one-party dictatorship with ambitions of world domination and doesn't even care about it's own citizens I think its pretty terrifying.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Jenben]

You could build your own, Mrjenben built this to my specific requirements

 

[mofurt]

Nice bike Building your own has a lot of advantages; you can specify each individual part to be right for you rather than a generic target audience, and you know precisely how it is built and so how to fix it if things break on the road. All my bikes in the last 20 years were hand assembled by me, including wheels (buy hubs, spokes and rims then build them up on a truing jig). I've not built a frame yet, though.

It needs a bit of knowledge to understand what is compatible with what, and some specialist tools for things like bottom bracket assembly and fitting the cassette to the wheel, but none of it is difficult.

 

[Michael Rennison]

That looks gorgeous- you must be one happy lady. I spent a lot of time and money getting the tandem to fit Sara. It's definitely worth the investment. I can see how you could make up a bike from all Britsh parts but then you'd probably get stuck when choosing the tyres and tubes.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[funflair]

You could always look at Rohloff hub gears - made in Germany. A bit like the old Sturmey Archer 3/4 speeds, except they have 14 gears in the can and don't drop you into neutral when you are pushing hard up a hill. Build that into Mavic rims - the higher end ones are made in France, DT Swiss spokes are still made in Switzerland.

Get a Brooks saddle, still hand made by men in brown overalls in Birmingham (though bizarrely due to how their supply chain is set up and Brexit they can't sell to you direct anymore, as they distribute from Italy).

Specify Campagnolo brakes - they still make all their components in Europe.

Alternatively, get components from Hope - Broken Link Removed - they make them all in the UK.

Add them custom frame from a UK frame builder - e.g. Argos (no, not that Argos), Bob Jackson, Ellis Briggs, Mercian, Dave Yates etc.

You are most of the way to a non-Chinese bike, but it will cost you proper money - I'd expect to be paying absolute minimum £3K for a bespoke bike specced that way, probably more.

That’s basically what I was about to post except I might have included Tune components made in Germany, Continental tyres from Germany, but yes it’s going to cost and £3k won’t go far which brings us back to why so much stuff comes from China as they are feeding a need/desire for cheap products, either cheap for the consumer or cheap for the importer so they can make bigger profits.

 

[PhilMary]

I'd strongle recommend Whyte bikes. Designed in the UK, manufactured in Taiwan. Superb kit, I have a 905RS.

https://whyte.bike/

Another chance to upload the pictures

Full stable, mountain bike, E mountain bike and gravel bike.


.

 

[Michael Rennison]

Gravel muncher

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[MacroMad]

I'm looking for a new hybrid style bike to carry in the motorhome but I'm trying hard to buy less from China. I know I could have a Brompton but don't want wheels quite that small and a Pashley is a bit too big and heavy but almost everything else is made in China. Any suggestions?

I have said before, Royal Dutch Gazelle. My wife has had (still has one) several, they are not cheap but they are manufactured in Dieren, Netherlands and are fully assembled in the factory, not by some trainee at a well know outlet on a "Retail Park".
There is a dealer for them now in Shrewsbury, an old established bike shop.

 

[MacroMad]

You might have been better off saying that you did'nt want a bike from the "Far East".
That kind of rules out most of the bikes we get here in the UK. They may be Western names or Brands but where are they made.

 

[CazPaul]

This is my point Martin and amply demonstrated with this thread, its almost impossible to buy stuff that doesn't contain stuff from China. Now if China was a democratic country this would be worrying but as it's a one-party dictatorship with ambitions of world domination and doesn't even care about it's own citizens I think its pretty terrifying.

I agree, just because it is difficult and requires more research doesn’t mean not to attempt it.

I am trying too, avoiding China where possible. Or we might just as well say” Well it’s too difficult so will go along with everyone else and not bother”

It can be done with a lot of things, clothes being one, but requires research.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[SteveRallye]

Probably been covered on here but we have a pair of Hybrid Dutch Giant Twist electric bikes made in Taiwan. Still going strong after 10 years and just replaced the batteries, kept the old ones as standby as they are still good for 20/30 miles.

 

[jongood]

You might have been better off saying that you did'nt want a bike from the "Far East".
That kind of rules out most of the bikes we get here in the UK. They may be Western names or Brands but where are they made.

I dont have a problem with countries in the far east, the issue I wished to highlight was the unhealthy nature of Chinese dominance in our markets.

 

[jongood]

I have said before, Royal Dutch Gazelle. My wife has had (still has one) several, they are not cheap but they are manufactured in Dieren, Netherlands and are fully assembled in the factory, not by some trainee at a well know outlet on a "Retail Park".
There is a dealer for them now in Shrewsbury, an old established bike shop.

Wasn't possible today but hoping to visit Dave Mellors tomorrow.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[jongood]

That’s basically what I was about to post except I might have included Tune components made in Germany, Continental tyres from Germany, but yes it’s going to cost and £3k won’t go far which brings us back to why so much stuff comes from China as they are feeding a need/desire for cheap products, either cheap for the consumer or cheap for the importer so they can make bigger profits.

Following the suggestions on this thread I have thought about it but sadly I don't think I know enough about bikes and which components go together to build my own

 

[Michael Rennison]

You may not have the experience but a really good local bike shop will. There are some amazing engineers out there with the passion for British crafted bikes. Just looking in your manor - Dave Mellor Cycles is a Shrewsbury family business started in 1985 by Dave Mellor and Great Britain International Cycling star Melanie Grivell. Dave was a mechanic for the GB teams from the details on his website. Sounds like a promising place to start.

 

[Riftzoner]

Specialized, Scot, Merida, Trek, Cannondale and Giant, all buy fraomes fromTaiwan. I have a ten-year-old Specialized tourer, bought new, brilliant gearing for any hills you encounter, a very comfortable ride and not too heavy.

I hate to say, but Merida make all the frames for the brands you mention (apart from Giant who are actually now Korean owned & have their own manufacturing plant for both alloy & carbon frames) plus they (Madrid a apart from being the biggest frame builder in the world) own a large stake in Specialized.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Jenben]

That looks gorgeous- you must be one happy lady. I spent a lot of time and money getting the tandem to fit Sara. It's definitely worth the investment.

It’s a lovely bike I feel very lucky, it’s not a cheap option to build from scratch but I think for him it was like Christmas everyday for a while with all the bits being delivered

I don’t think Mrjenben is keen on the idea of a tandem as he suspects l will have my feet up and let him do the hard work.

 

[Brains]

Following the suggestions on this thread I have thought about it but sadly I don't think I know enough about bikes and which components go together to build my own

There are plenty of local 'one man and his dog' cycle shops that would be happy to build a bike from the ground up to your spec.

You need one with (access to) a jig, where they can measure your body and riding style so that they start with the correct size and angle of frame.
After that it's just a case of how much do you want to spend.
£2k is where you start, £3k will be good, but you can spend more (with diminishing returns!)

One example in South East London is The Velo Doctor (Website takes an age to load)
Two guys operating out of a workshop at the back of the garden.
Expert mechanics and build to order.
All the profit is donated to local charities and their rates are cheap (as they hardly have any overheads)

 

[Brains]

If you are visiting London anytime soon, then the ultimate 'Bike Porn' shop is Condor. on the edge of the west end.

They make their own frames, they have a jig, and they will build to any budget as long as it has a comma in it.
The shop is more like a jewellers inside, glass cabinets filled with very expensive silver shiny things!

Their bikes are used by many London Couriers also by several racing teams and many serious cyclists have at least one Condor in their stable.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}