Does Your Bike's Country of Origin Matter?

[@bluestarboy52]

I have a Taiwanese frame, with American stem, seat post and crankset, German tires, Italian saddle, it’s been great.

[@hyde7751]

mr worldwide

[@WCIIIReiniger]

I have a budget steel frame from bottecchia and since it is from the 90s it was probably really made in Italy. I also switched almost every component so it carries a lot of China stuff but also German tires and saddle, an american cog and rear hub, ... I don't really care where it comes from. The frame has emotional value to me and I upgrade it whenever I feel like the upgrade helps solving my needs.

[@christopherwebb3517]

My town has a non-profit bike co-op. It's a great place to get decent parts on the cheap. I got a set of really nice Sram rim brakes in virtually new condition for $20.

[@Coastal_Cruzer]

Is it a bike collective by chance?

[@christopherwebb3517]

@@Coastal_Cruzer - Yes.

[@golfnerd3107]

Normally I would say all that matters is the QC on the floor. but I would absolutely love to reduce the amount of my money that ends up in CCP coffers as much as possible.

[@TBrownProductions]

you know what else matters , upload 4 of asking for fixie point videos back- love ya

[@rodfrancis9160]

Hey ,i love him too..🤣

[@laneromel5667]

I purchased a Ti frame from China, the welding is a work of art, and very economical for a Ti frame.

[@josequilez]

Which one if you remember. I'm in the market for a new project. Got tired of Carbon frames

[@laneromel5667]

Waltly Titanium out of China.@@josequilez

[@LakelandSAT]

Aphelion Cycles designs Ti and works with Taiwanese fabricators. I am three years into my frame, and I friggin' adore the thing. Not cheap at $1500-$1750, but much cheaper than American made Ti. Aphelion's website is dog shit, but their sales team is legit. Nothing but praise from me

[@Cube_Ernator1077]

The Worlds, best Super-Conductors are made in Taiwan. Jus' saying.

[@Ptrmrkks]

With american technology

[@Cube_Ernator1077]

@@Ptrmrkks Yes- That's WHY the Chinese Want Taiwan-for the American Technology!!

[@dq814]

Watching your videos made me fall in love with Fixie bikes and today I bought my first fixie. Nothing expensive (FabricBike Light Pro Black), but it's supposed to be a good enough bike to start with. Today is my 44th birthday. It's my gift to myself. Zach, good luck and the Channel is growing big with a lot of followers! Thank you!

[@roydrink]

My favorites are earth-made…😂

[@tstodgell]

I love Taiwanese bikes, hence why I refuse to purchase from mainland China.

[@pinoygal6232]

Yes, it must be made in NOT CHINA!

[@cartilagehead]

IDK, chrome lugs + black hardware looks weird to me

[@jered2177]

Prefer made in Merica but definitely not a deal breaker.

[@kipcc3918]

Not the gunfire background on the american flag bg bit 🤣🤣 PS: I sense a squid collab? Or a squid frame in the works? :3

[@paulvanreesch2493]

Really great presentation of a topic I now no longer try to engage with, because of the usual knuckleheads. Zach, thanks for this. Btw, that chrome polished lugged frameset is a stunner.

[@OliverPickard]

knowing that the bike you ride was made by some one who was paid well for their labour makes a bike ride that little bit nicer in my opinion and good customer service and serviceable parts are both worth paying for

[@groovealate74]

I have a Taiwanese made drum kit made of North American maple.. I bought it used for a steal.. HOWEVER THE BUILD QUALITY, AND THE BEARING EDGES WERE TOP NOTCH.. Taiwan has upped their game in manufacturing.. They aren't a joke.

[@renevanderlinde6221]

Thanks Zack, you have answered lot of questions, i can do a lot of comments on this subjesct, but who has the time, like you said in one of your vids , "nothing really matters as long as you are happy with it" and it is a good ride,,, ps. loved that x-files sounds in the vid,,, ha ha very cool . Rock on Dude !!!!!!!!!!!!

[@suhdud4646]

I only ride bespoke bikes designed in the USA, precisely machine welded using Triple Butted AL6069 and painted to perfection in China. I only ride Engine 11 which I have 3 of. 2022 Vortex, 2023 Candy Blue Crit-D and 2024 pearlescent white/pink Hunter Bros Hal design coming in at 7Kg's with the only component being carbon is the 50mm wheel set.

[@iniquitybdm5820]

Hey Zach man. Ive been seeing your videos for a while now. Would you mind telling me if I should get an njs chain specifically the d.i.d racing pro chain over the izumi jet blacks. Ive been running shimano olive chains as a beginner. Here are the prices for each of the chains DID Racing Pro NJS - 1,300 Philippine Peso ($23) Izumi Jet black - 1,600 philippine peso ($29) Im a complete noob. But my friends that ive asked have mixed opinions. Some says i go izumi. Some say i go did because “NJS”. The njs one is pretty cheap imo considering its njs but its a legit product since im buying it directly from DID themselves.

[@ABCRapster]

I have a State fixed gear, made in Arizona, USA. We all know how notorious those bikes are with quality control issues lol. Luckily I haven’t experienced issues with my ride but county of origin definitely doesn’t matter with quality.

[@N0_WAY]

Taiwan frame Taiwan crank denmark bb America ring and cog.. China rims Polish hubs. Buy what works 💯💯💯

[@Coastal_Cruzer]

"Cheap bikes are made in China" "Made in USA bikes are what dreams are made of" Huffy before 1999:

[@benoitpoirier3941]

hi i'm french and i love made in us parts . i actually own a volume cutter frame , deepv rear wheel , aerospoke in front , thomson stem and seatpost . i love my bike !

[@tommasodegiovanni2147]

It gets even weirder. Shoes that are Made in Italy could very well be made by immigrant Nepalese calzolai (shoemakers). Still Italian? Made in the Italian way in an Italian design? From Italian cows? Poor cows.

[@ashleydruve]

Velocity use to be made up Brisbane Australia. I still have some of those Australian made rims. I toured the factory in Brisbane in the 2010s. Then they packed up and moved to the USA to be closer to the majority of customers.

[@event4216]

Taiwan made hub set costs less than one US made hub and works as well as big American brand hubs. Yes, Phil offers low and high flange variants, mods like lighter axle or bigger dome cones to hold wheel stronger to prevent slipping under load or fancy bearings. If you value style over value (pun intended), go for Phil hubs. To me, hub hole count should match spoke count and have decent hardware (i.e. preferably nuts instead of bolts) and hub shell rather be cast and forged instead of being CNC'd. Otherwise, hub is just a hub.

[@Josukegaming]

This is a surprisingly really well thought out video on this topic. People get way too obsessed about "made in USA" etc bikes. Taiwan makes amazing quality bikes that makes beautiful bikes actually accessible to your average joe.

[@MAGAIVER]

Saying a bike has been made in America is vague at most. America is a huge continent, you'll have to specify which country in the American continent.

[@stevekelly6544]

I think Milwaukee bicycle company is no more since Waterford frame builders shut down….

[@chrisbiker4702]

I have a 2010 cannondale that I am pretty sure is American. The new models are not. The frames now are probably made in Taiwan like most bike frames. I bought a new cannondale last week and the bike shop guy said the aluminum used now is not the same quality as my 2010.

[@nellAhh]

In the philippines we have Ave Maldea, he makes mostly steel frame and you can also talk to him directly to customize your dream frame

[@event4216]

I'm OK with about any bike company as long as money I pay doesn't flow to Russia or China. Other nasty countries don't make bike parts so I didn't mention them.

[@laillosidgar]

I just got an american brand that scream "bike California", but also slap "handmade in Indonesia" with big font on it's box.

[@event4216]

To me Andel cranks 7:08 look nicer (shaped crank arms, volcano style spider) than 75's 7:28 (very conventional look, and black which looks not as nice as silver).

[@scruf153]

the problem in America is not enough people ride bikes I have an American frame with American cranks European BB American wheels and tires clothes made in Switzerland you have to search really hard to find real American made parts

[@danthegreat-4851]

Frame is just a hitensteell, but all of my components made from japan decades component but still kickin...

[@not-fishing4730]

Hey, Mommy's Bikes are a good thing. (Yowamushi pedal)

[@MrMediadirect]

I bought a used aventon recently and heard so much about this seat clamp issue. Turns out they actually started offering it in their site for just 10 bucks, so I guess they somewhat made it right

[@MrFalcman]

I just bought a Trek Domane AL 5, and noticed that the frame was made in China.

[@michaelbosch9024]

freakin A! Zach preach! our dollars are votes and we gotta be the change we want to see. glad i picked up a wabi last fall.

[@rainbowhiker]

When are you going to test a Tsunami framset?

[@419hermit]

Where are Milwaukee’s built now since the doors closed at Waterford?

[@Noneofyourbusiness-p9q]

Taiwan for the win. So many other counties brands and companies have their frames and parts made ther or have their factories their for a reason.

[@knife1406]

Tier list : Italy Japan USA > Taiwan China

[@Coastal_Cruzer]

The Davis Bike Collective has parts and bikes for dirt cheap

[@joeminton105]

Motobecane.... All American made. Top notch bro!

[@Marcoco0]

I love liberty bike 😂,because it’s not that expensive

[@Horus-Lupercal]

I have no idea where the parts of my bikes are from. I don't care, lol.

[@TL243]

Not sure I agree. There are books out there about how Taiwan is the leader in quality.

[@edkrassenstein5534]

Style over everything.

[@dyn12864]

No, everything comes from taiwan.

[@vinsona20]

Try a French designed bike made in Slovakia

[@jeremyemilio9378]

Purists will asks where is the raw stock material mined

[@sonymicronin]

Bro your brother is damn near your twin y’all look so alike 😂

[@carl2614]

so the bike is italian but born in china is it considered a italian but Chinese citizen?

[@PatrickAnthonyOpaco]

I have a Marin bicycle that's made in Indonesia.

[@ben6089]

Yes it matters because it affects how much I had to pay for it

[@sebastian-FX357Z1]

Most bikes r now made in china due to lower labour costs.

[@sonymicronin]

Japanese bikes are all I really care about I wont lie

[@veejayzee1750]

Taiwan is a great Manufacturer of bikes.

[@andrestrd]

Getting a bianchi because i like the color😂

[@slidyslipinslide]

love your vids

[@jrnamida5470]

Another video please...

[@timothymidkiff2894]

My cannondale was made in Cambodia.

[@bavarianhero]

LeaderUSA Volare or 725. Cretin too. In the end just go ride and take flight.

[@bavarianhero]

LeaderUSA Volare or 725. Cretin too. In the end just go ride and take flight.

[@event4216]

As for Paul hub splined cog interface I can point towards Halo Fix-G hub which uses shorter HG mount (rigid extension of hub body, no freewheel there) which allows to adjust chainline in case your cranks are of some weird standards (that's for me anything not equal to 42mm) and it can take more than one cog at time (or 4 if you go for double Fix-G hub!).

[@TheFixedgear666]

My Fixed is a Peugeotbike made in 1983 .It was a 12 Gear shifted bike,Rims and wheels are builded in 2004 from a member of the german trackriding .I build it up in 2010.I still ride it.I love the feeling .When you ride fixed,you ride free.I own streetbikes,but its not the same

[@jasonparrish5204]

I have an all NJS Nagasawa and a Rinsei Lab frame with Mavic rims, Phil Wood hubs, Thompson seat post, Cinelli bar and stem, Selle Italia Flite saddle and Conti tires that’s 3 pounds lighter than the Nagasawa. Both are exquisite to ride.

[@jonathansherriff6254]

It doesn't matter where it matters how.

[@johnnieabreu7030]

I have a NJS CHERUBIM

[@andreroodt4647]

Over the years my perception of Taiwanese-made frames has changed. It makes logical sense to me that the more you do something the better you get at it. For the past 20 to 30 years Taiwan has been building more high-quality bikes at scale than any other country. As much as we romanticize made in Italy or made in America, you have to ask if those countries still have the skill to build quality mass-produced bikes. With the cost of bikes nowadays I'm not sure if the argument that it is cheaper to manufacture in the East still holds, it is probably a case of we just can't do this anymore. Having said that I hope the workers building the bikes are getting their fair share of the profits.

[@MrJoeblofromidaho]

Taiwan makes great bikes

[@axoltl2261]

I have a taiwan made frameset which is Celt 2017 Series High Tensile Steel Frame, the frameset is still alive until to this day I'm still using it daily. Its freaking durable and quality even tho it's 6 years old now. Just always maintain it and care for it.

[@darknoob43b]

Hey bro, I heard you talk about throne frames in another video, I had the throne phantom and did 100's of miles until someone stole it so I got a throne tracklord 2nd gen with the carbon alloy fork. Did I make a mistake?

[@jasoncbrooks74]

Transportation costs are huge in bike manufacture. Bikes are bulky and somewhat fragile in transit. If we had the infrastructure and skilled labor in the US that Taiwan has we would pay considerably less for bikes. US made is awesome for economic and environmental reasons but it would take years of investment in factories to bring costs down and skilled labor up to compete.

[@Sagwagon]

Was is Squid, Steve Rex? We need deets!

[@davidmurphy9151]

My wheels - The rims and hubs and tape are US made but the spokes are belgian and the tires are japanese. I am guessing the valves are from China?

[@B_COOPER]

I think it was more prevalent in the early days of cycling when imported bikes actually were made by the person who designed it. Unlike today where its all company

[@roguecode2354]

You ever notice that they like the "American" brands a lot more in countries like Japan but in the US people have mostly Asian built frames.

[@unit7531]

Priority bikes are belt-driven, and US made. Looking forward to hearing your take on the Priority Joker track bike

[@jamesjenkins8373]

Taiwan is the best

[@bitritch4649]

Watching your videos for a long time now, and learned a lot of it. And you confines me to ride fixed gear so next Friday I finally get my Schindelhauer Hektor fixed gear🙏🏻

[@davidward4329]

👏👏👏

[@dylanwang3452]

The production level of the factory and the rigid requirements of customers are the most important

[@timlee3000]

Thanks!

[@pratikpramanik7782]

Taiwan #1

[@kennethlove2884]

No.

[@bonusmagus]

I would love to see a vid of what type of custom bike you are looking for vs. what other brands have.

[@mh_dot_fm]

Brutal tracklocross on a british no name steel frame. That machine scares me in terms how much i love it.

[@mj897]

Not too many british manufacturers around anymore sadly.

[@krishnan-resurrection714]

@@mj897 sod all ...Raleigh stuff is all outsourced to Taiwan ...

[@brosettastone7520]

Damn you for always making me want to buy a Wabi

[@notl33t]

my state 4130 is made in Taiwan--and it runs great! love it.

[@mosesh06]

CCP bad

[@rodfrancis9160]

Its Something to dwell on for a moment when not on my fixie...

[@max_ri]

Funny how you cannot buy those bikes in Europe...

[@vardes4]

Out here dripping bro! Love the fit!

[@alex-cg6hq]

We are thankful for your content :D

[@blablablablabittybla561]

Yes.

[@garthgordon9054]

nicely done man

[@tsengtz4]

great video! so inspiring ✨