51–60 of 213 posts
Also, if enough manufacturing shifted to Taiwan, that itself might prompt a certain "stable genius" to add them to the list of tariff countries. Or China might become aggressive enough toward Taiwan that he would lump them with China in tariffs.
Bicycles are something that you need to be careful buying. Don't buy a BSO - a Bicycle Shaped Object. Just because it looks like a bike, doesn't mean you can comfortably ride it. An entry level bike is about $1200. You can comfortably ride it for hours, or up hills, carry a heavy load, it won't easily break, and it'll have a smooth ride. I feel bad for people that go out and buy a BSO; BSOs ruin cycling. We need to h…
I have to laugh at this. In Japan, my Chinese-made bicycle is bulletproof and entirely functional. It cost $150, shipped to my front door. It’s a folding bike with 9 speeds and disc brakes. I’ve ridden it day after day for years. It spent two years without shelter in the elements. It won’t win the Tour but it is a winner in every other way. You can tell me the environmental impact was horrendous and I would believe y…
You don't see many of those in the US compared to places like Europe or in your case Japan.
Probably because there's less of a market for them in the US.
What the OP is probably thinking of is the crappy bikes you get at supermarkets, where the quality is really not very good, and they're assembled by someone who is not paying attention. Sometimes they try and look like a more expensive bike: front shocks, lots of gears and so on. The commuter bikes in Europe were, on the other hand, built with that in mind - big fenders, more upright position, and fairly rugged if not lightweight construction. You wouldn't mistake them for a bike you'd want to go on a long ride with.
This could just be a neat spin on a move towards automation :)
Are there any robots yet that can weld bicycle frames? I thought that was still a job for humans...
I don't immediately discard an item because it's made in China, as I know of some high quality items made there. Most Apple products, some Xiaomi products or Meermin/Feit shoes. However, I tend to be very skeptical about its quality. Moving manufacturing to China is most often done to reduce cost. The only industry where it's not done due to cost, but supply chain issues, is electronics. And with cost reduction comes…
> Sadly, it's all about price. It’s about price because consumers can’t measure by anything else. Eg. I can’t tell which of two products is manufactured to higher standards, nor which one isn’t infested with formaldehyde. Until consumers are able to determine those other factors then yes sadly it is all about price (and marketing).
I feel twitter suffers the same problems. Who is genuine? Who has unbiased knowledge? Who can tell me the truth about a product? Can I know your credentials online without knowing your name? ((Imagine twitter posts being flagged "This person has no qualifications and has failed a basic maths exam")) -- idea - online exams with my results cryptographically signed.
Block-chain seemed to offer some sort of solution. Maybe if we had trusted manufacturers of components, then these components could be tracked (along with pollution, carbon miles, labour policies, etc) all logged in the block chain. A bit like "fair trade" but for other items. Easily checked using your phone/bar-code before purchasing.
Bicycles are something that you need to be careful buying. Don't buy a BSO - a Bicycle Shaped Object. Just because it looks like a bike, doesn't mean you can comfortably ride it. An entry level bike is about $1200. You can comfortably ride it for hours, or up hills, carry a heavy load, it won't easily break, and it'll have a smooth ride. I feel bad for people that go out and buy a BSO; BSOs ruin cycling. We need to h…
We just moved and needed to buy some new kitchenware. You would not believe how difficult it is to find so much as a spoon that is not made in China. Even from any name brand, even in a "fancy" store like Williams-Sonoma.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
>And you'd never encounter a product that smells formaldehyde with an OEKO-TEX label. These guys will put lead in children's toys but would never be so unscrupulous as to put a fake label on the product? Or lie to obtain certification?
That's a criticism of the supply chain and enforcement, not the certification itself. I think most people would agree that a promise without verification is no real promise.
Giant is a Taiwanese company. I've had quite a few of their road bikes and mountain bikes over the years, and they have all been excellent - superbly designed and built. All made in Taiwan too - it seems only their cheaper frames are made in China ( https://cyclingtips.com/2015/02/a-tour-of-giants-taichung-fa... ). From what I've heard, a majority of the world's high-end bicycle frames are manufactured by Giant and P…
But if you ask China, Taiwan is also China.
It's the same if you ask Taiwan. Their official name is "Republic of China".
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Sadly, it's all about price. It’s about price because consumers can’t measure by anything else. Eg. I can’t tell which of two products is manufactured to higher standards, nor which one isn’t infested with formaldehyde. Until consumers are able to determine those other factors then yes sadly it is all about price (and marketing).
When the internet was young and I was wide eyed optimistic I thought reviews and ratings would solve this problem. It didn't. Then amazon came along and promised a similar panacea, user ratings... but again it didn't quite happen. I feel twitter suffers the same problems. Who is genuine? Who has unbiased knowledge? Who can tell me the truth about a product? Can I know your credentials online without knowing your name…