Where are the Brit Bikes?

[Landslide]

Not sure where Brompton's source their frames and parts (some from Far East surely) , but fairly certain they're assembled in the UK.

Made in London. Apparently the MD there can tell which member of staff has built a frame just by looking at the brazing.

 

[Randochap]

Now we're getting somewhere. Carry on.

 

[bonj2]

Correct. Do you think employers in the UK (or elsewhere) exist out of a philanthropic desire? No. They exist to turn a profit, which is why more and more production (for Western companies) is being off-shored to the East.
I'm fairly sure that the Taiwanese aren't forced to work for the likes of Giant. They're still free to roam the mudflats with their chickens if they so desire. Maybe they'd don't get paid what they should/could (who does?) but they are there by choice.

no employers exist out of philanthropy, so it's a null argument either way.
i.e. the argument can't validly be used to support the idea of buying British, but it can't be used to explicitly support buying taiwanese either, as the employer will pay the market rate, which is largely dependent on what other jobs are around in that area which the workers could alternatively get if they so desired.

In other words, philanthropy argument isn't a valid argument against people's desire to buy british for the purely irrational, solely emotional, but entirely valid, reason that they identify with people in britain, in a way that they don't with people from taiwan.

In other words, mickle's argument of supporting Mrs Woo is trying to be FAR TOO rational simply for rational's sake, when in fact the rationale behind it is basically just philanthropic - which going by my market rates argument applies no more to Mrs Woo than it does to Mr Bloggs of nottingham. So you might as well look to some other argument - given that it doesn't really matter to someone where their bike is made, they might as well therefore just support what they feel like supporting.

 

[Watt-O]

We appear to be suffering from short term memory loss here. When I was a kid (cotter pin days), a local bike builder may have provided a nice Reynolds 531 double butted frame with fancy lugs or lugless (as I preferred), but we couldn't wait to get hold Cinelli bars, Campag gears and Weimann 500s. I don't recall any decent British groupsets back then , as now. Guess we're just crap a mass production.

 

[bonj2]

We're crap at mass production because intelligent people don't want to work in factories.
It may not be politically correct to say so, but in developing countries most people are not as intelligent as people are in britain.
You need somewhere where the (relatively) lower standard of education means there is a whole community of people who are quite content to work in a factory.
(Granted we do have a minimum wage here, but it is only set at a level the market will support - i.e. it only exists to prevent charlatans and chancers taking advantage.)
Maybe in such time when global levels of education are a sea change from what they are now, then there will be a lot more automation technology.

 

[jimboalee]

Phone Scott's Cycles in Hall Green, Birmingham; and ask them about their 'British' bike.

 

[swee'pea99]

"It may not be politically correct to say so, but in developing countries most people are not as intelligent as people are in britain."
Nothing to do with political correctness - that's just nonsense.

 

[bonj2]

It isn't - they don't have as much education as we do in this country. The stats speak for themselves - the school attendance rate is lower, the quality of education is lower. They're not genetically less intelligent, they're just less educated.

 

[swee'pea99]

It isn't - they don't have as much education as we do in this country. The stats speak for themselves - the school attendance rate is lower, the quality of education is lower. They're not genetically less intelligent, they're just less educated.

But that's the point. You're confusing education with intelligence. They may be less educated (I say 'may' - even that is arguable), but that has absolutely buger all to do with comparative levels of intelligence, which is a totally different matter.

(Indeed, without wishing to get into too much of a racial quagmire, comparing the achievement levels of, say, Asian against white kids in, say, US schools, might lead you to the conclusion that levels of intelligence (as distinct from education) may well be significantly higher in places like Malaysia, Thailand and India than they are in the UK.)

 

[gavintc]

My last job was working with young men and women who had recently left school. Innate intelligence is there, but there is very low educational standard or competence. Our school system does not produce educated individuals.

 

[asterix]

Where are the Brit bikes? I have most of 'em:

2 Bromptons
1 British Eagle (1987, just been re-enamelled as part of its update)
1 Bob Jackson (1999, nearly as new, good load carrier, used for raid Pyrenean and other French tours Ellis Briggs did some important mods on it tho.)
1 Roberts (2003, awesomely comfortable and ergonomic, done some very hilly audaxes, now used in France)
1 Ellis Briggs (2009, used for Spring into the Dales, superb descender with sharp handling)

 

[Randochap]

Where are the Brit bikes? I have most of 'em:

2 Bromptons
1 British Eagle (1987, just been re-enamelled as part of its update)
1 Bob Jackson (1999, nearly as new, good load carrier, used for raid Pyrenean and other French tours)
1 Roberts (2003, awesomely comfortable and ergonomic, done some very hilly audaxes, now used in France)
1 Ellis Briggs (2009, used for Spring into the Dales, superb descender with sharp handling)

Sounds like a nice stable.

Anyone got a classic Hetchins?

 

[jimboalee]

Got a Moulton 'Mini'.
Alas, it has a Sachs Torpedo coaster brake.

 

[jimboalee]

Got a Peugeot.
Alas, the frame tubes are British.

 

[asterix]

Must admit, one bike I'd love to have a go on would be the legendary Peugeot PX10.