$1250.00 for a one speed coaster brake cruiser, and you can't even get chrome handlebars, or fenders or even white walls???? Are they built by UAW union guys or something?
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$1250.00 for a one speed coaster brake cruiser, and you can't even get chrome handlebars, or fenders or even white walls???? Are they built by UAW union guys or something?
The Emory is well built and is a good bike but it needs to be a social status thing to own one. The stainless frame and roller bearings are great, but even if we even up the trade deals overseas, we still can't match the cost of a decent bike because of the labor cost. Craftsmen wont work for 5 bucks a day over here.
Unfortunately, the most cost effective way to build a bike in America is to limit the number of Americans on the payroll with automation. No (or few) craftspersons to weld the frames or machine parts. The exact opposite of why we want to bring manufacturing back to the states in the first place.
In the meantime, I will keep enjoying American made bikes from the last century.
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In the meantime, I will keep enjoying American made bikes from the last century.
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I did a quick check. It's 1965 and you can get a decent bike for $75. Jump to 2020 and how much is that same $75 adjusted?
$617 dollars.
That's what the manufacturers should aim for today to be viable.
$617 dollars.
That's what the manufacturers should aim for today to be viable.
Priced one of these out on their web site, totaled $3515.00. They have options like buying a car.
Basic Worksman "Classic" recreationals go for about that. Stripped down "Newsboy" industrials are less than 500.
$500.00 for a single speed coaster brake bike still seems too steep to me, unless it's something really different like a chopper. I could see someone paying $500 to $650 for a good multi-speed road bike.
Sorry, got stuck someplace between 1965 and today. $1000.00 and higher for a bicycle?
It's hard to get used to the notion of bikes costing more than I paid for quite a few of the cars I've owned. But, then I remember Dad complaining when he had to pay more for a car than they did for their house ($14,000.00 in 1965). LOL
Perhaps I am part of the problem why manufacturing left America.
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Sorry, got stuck someplace between 1965 and today. $1000.00 and higher for a bicycle?
It's hard to get used to the notion of bikes costing more than I paid for quite a few of the cars I've owned. But, then I remember Dad complaining when he had to pay more for a car than they did for their house ($14,000.00 in 1965). LOL
Perhaps I am part of the problem why manufacturing left America.
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Nah, that Emory pad is a ripoff.
The Worksman I think aren't bad because, though the component spec is beneath most foreign-built competitors at their price range, they're built to last and the pricing is still around the entry level for something not from a box-store. You can also get them with a front brake (!) for well less than half that Emory.
The Worksman I think aren't bad because, though the component spec is beneath most foreign-built competitors at their price range, they're built to last and the pricing is still around the entry level for something not from a box-store. You can also get them with a front brake (!) for well less than half that Emory.
It is my belief that this whole service economy sandwich they've been trying to stuff down our throats for thirty-some years is a crap sandwich...a perpetual motion machine. Ideas and software and other intangibles are too easy to steal/duplicate/etc...we need a country that makes stuff, making stuff rules!
However...I don't get the price point of the collegiate, or the other Detroit bikes...I really don't get the price point of the Emory. The Wyatt, maybe...Worksman, on the bubble, they just need more interesting products.
However...I don't get the price point of the collegiate, or the other Detroit bikes...I really don't get the price point of the Emory. The Wyatt, maybe...Worksman, on the bubble, they just need more interesting products.
So what I hear you saying is, you want to move production of physical goods back to the USA.
You don't want want to pay too much money for those goods.
And you didn't say, but I assume because you seem like a good person, that you want the Americans making those goods to get a fair and livable wage.
Let me write a letter to Santa and see what he can do for you.
I don't think it's just the actual manufacturing jobs that cause the price to be so high. Technology could take care of some of that.
Perhaps there's too many levels of management that never spend any time in the shop? Or maybe the company feels they can charge more because of their name or the "Made in USA" label? Or maybe there's too much government red tape and/or taxes?
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Perhaps there's too many levels of management that never spend any time in the shop? Or maybe the company feels they can charge more because of their name or the "Made in USA" label? Or maybe there's too much government red tape and/or taxes?
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If you want to bring the factories back, but not the jobs, why do you want them back?
Not being facetious, genuine question.
Probably, in many cases. I think Detroit is a pretty lean company in the scheme of things. But they do have people not robots building their bikes. Saw it on The World According to Jeff Goldblum.
But running a factory in the US is exponentially more expensive at every level, from property prices, to the guy to come fix the robots.
While it's more than I would pay, I don't think their prices are unfair for an American made bike. Even if you take their marketing copy with a grain of salt.
At my last job where I did masonry and driving, the government and insurance companies made more in taxes (FICA, state employment and sales,local property) and fees than all employees combined (4), including the owner, who was the lowest paid full time worker. Even with that, competitive pricing was a struggle. For those who don't know, https://www.accountingcoach.com/blog/fica-matching
https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/10701-unemployment-insurance-small-business.htmlhttps://www.thehartford.com/workers-compensation/who-pays-for-workers-compensation
https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/10701-unemployment-insurance-small-business.htmlhttps://www.thehartford.com/workers-compensation/who-pays-for-workers-compensation
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And yet Amazon, GM, and Goldman Sachs pay no tax. Among others.
I'm not going to say more on why, because I'll cross from economics into politics, which is a RRB no no.
But I strongly suggest to anyone to look into why Amazon gets over 100 million back FROM the government instead of paying tax. And look into it before the election!
I doubt any bike company would ever get that big anyway.
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Yes
quite willing to pay a premium for made in the USA.
Yes
Santa not required. I'm a Machinist...in the USA. There are 1000s of small machine shops around the country that easily compete with overseas manufacturing for business. There are plenty of large shops that go broke...usually because they are encumbered by the anchor known as...The Union.Let me write a letter to Santa and see what he can do for you.
Prior to my current stint as a Machinist, I worked for Hewlett Packard. Our site, at its peak had over 8000 employees. We got sat down at an assembly one day, so the big boss man could present the plan to outsource most of our production to Italy (temporarily) and then to china (permanently). Big presentation, all kinds of numbers up on the screen, various experts speaking...and then, the big finale, the reveal, how much is this going to save HP. He writes on the board a number...and underlines it three times...and turns to the crowd with a huge smile on his face...and is met with nothing but looks of disbelief and confusion. The biggest profit making division of a multi-billion dollar corporation, that was by itself a multi billion dollar division, was going save something comparatively minuscule...I believe it was ~18million/yearly. A few years later and there was less than a 1000 employees on the site and stock price went from over $100 share to junk status (under $5 share). This is the horrible business condition known as 'short-sightedness'. Oh, and the savings for outsourcing never materialized and market share of our product dropped from mid-70% to mid 50% (and never rebounded)...because the outsourcing partner couldn't ramp up fast enough to meet a rapid increase in consumer demand (capacity we had until our fabs were shutdown and machines sold for pennies on the dollar and people let go).
S&M makes made in USA bikes for a reasonable cost...all I was saying is that the Detroit and Emory offerings don't seem reasonable, comparatively.
BCA, through Kent, is doing assembly and some manufacturing in the US of crap bikes to compete with china crap bikes at WallyWorld...and seem to be growing steadily over the last 4-5years.
It isn't impossible to compete...and with the current china backlash, if it sticks, there may be more demand for non-chinese products.
HP kind of has a bit of a history of leading technology and poor business decisions.
:/
They exchanged cutting edge plants for ones that weren't up to scratch yet, not the only bad bet HP has made I think.
Good call on Santa though, we don't wanna be outsourcing our distribution network to a foreign entity.
I'm not against machine shops or anyone who wants start a manufacturing business in the US. Good for them, I hope they do great. Just don't poison the water hole.
I just think a wide spread push to turn the clock back to become a nation that's primary industry is manufacture of physical goods, will be worse for the country, not better.
America got where it is by being innovative, not for it's capacity to churn out millions of tons of plastic doodads, googaws, and thingamajigs
:/
They exchanged cutting edge plants for ones that weren't up to scratch yet, not the only bad bet HP has made I think.
Good call on Santa though, we don't wanna be outsourcing our distribution network to a foreign entity.
I'm not against machine shops or anyone who wants start a manufacturing business in the US. Good for them, I hope they do great. Just don't poison the water hole.
I just think a wide spread push to turn the clock back to become a nation that's primary industry is manufacture of physical goods, will be worse for the country, not better.
America got where it is by being innovative, not for it's capacity to churn out millions of tons of plastic doodads, googaws, and thingamajigs
But we will feel better about riding our Chinese "Huffys" if we load them up with American made doodads and geegaws and such. LOL
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