My impression is that Asia has sent a wake-up call to bikes manufacturers world-wide, and the net result is less expensive, higher quality components, both by Asian companies and European companies. Campagnolo is a good recent example of this.
Asia is good for cyclists.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/sponsors/ita ... olnago.php
Ernesto Colnago also believes Taiwan/China is the future. Excerpt:
Colnago notes that "you can see here with these forks, there's carbon and there's carbon. See how thick the carbon fibre is on my fork in the center, while the other two forks use a much thinner material. I simply won't take chances with carbon fibre!"
Just back from the Taiwan bicycle show, we asked Colnago about his decision to join the Taiwan sourcing consortium controlled by Giant Bicycles called the A-Team. Colnago has become a A-Team sponsor member, joining Specialized and Trek. Colnago told us right off the bat, "we will source several mid-range models for 2006 in Taiwan. The rest of our production will remain Made In Italy and will always remain as Made In Italy. But we see that the the world of bicycles is changing. Thanks to our collaboration with A-Team, now we can obtain high-quality competitively priced bicycles that can bear the Colnago name."
Colnago further explained to Cyclingnews, "Of course, a few years ago, I would have never considered taking a partner in Taiwan. But now the time is right. I am the first Italian who has officially decided to move part of my production to Taiwan. So I've joined the A-Team because when I to do something, I always try to do it in the most serious and clearest way possible. I am not trying to hide anything here. Colnago wants to collaborate with the best Taiwanese companies. At Colnago, we go ahead by small steps; we're a company that operates in a high-end niche market are not looking to sell a lot of bicycles. Plus, Colnago is synonymous with quality and production control and with the A-Team we can produce high-quality bicycles in Taiwan that maintain the standard of quality and design I've established at Colnago over the last fifty years."
Colnago also told Cyclingnews that his Taiwan sourced product would not be available in the US. "Most of our sales in America are high-end frame sets so we don't believe that our new mid-range bikes meet the market needs. They are destined only for Europe and Asia."
That looks more like a phone number.
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