Why Your Bike Is Made in Asia

When author Bill McGann opened his bike shop in 1974, his stock of bicycles, parts, and accessories were all made in Europe. At the same time, the nearby sporting goods store sold Schwinn bicycles that were made in Chicago. But across town was a busy shop owned by a gentleman named "Chuck". It was stocked with all the famous imported lightweights; among them Peugeot, Motobecane and Raleigh. But his top-selling brand was a bike McGann was barely familiar with, Nishiki, made in Japan. Chuck had populated the town with hundreds and hundreds, possibly thousands of bright orange Nishiki Olympic bikes, Nishiki's basic consumer ten-speed.

Chuck said his Nishikis were not only a terrific value and well-made, they were equipped with wonderfully reliable, cutting-edge derailleurs. He was adamant that Nishiki bikes shouldn't be confused with the shoddy post-war Japanese merchandise everyone thought was junk.

Being twenty-two and lacking judgement, McGann heaped contempt upon Chuck's Nishikis and about six months after McGann opened his shop, he attended Chuck's bankruptcy auction.

But McGann was wrong and Chuck was right.

How that came to be and what followed is his story.

Over the span of McGann's thirty years in the bicycle trade, he watched European and American factories shuttered as the business of bicycle manufacturing moved from the west to Asia. It was a tragedy that could have been avoided if the western bicycle makers had responded to the needs of their customers, as the Asian makers did.