Category: Bicycle Industry
There's no photo-finish in determining the largest bicycle-making nation on Earth. China wins by a huge margin with 87 million bicycles produced last year, about two-thirds of all bikes made.
That's nearly a three-fold increase in the past decade, notes the Financial Times. In fact, it's the only country among top bicycle producers to see any increase in that period, according to figures compiled by Earth Policy Institute.
The biggest fall came in the United States, where production dropped from 6 million in 1997 to 300,000 in 2007. But the good news is that a cadre of small companies with a handful of employees continue to make handcrafted bicycles in the U.S. …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/12/07/china-tops-in-bicycle-production-but-handcrafted-bike-industry-alive-and-well-in-us/
It's always a good idea to support your local bike shop, but that's especially the case now.
Bicycle shops that were flying high over the summer when gasoline was $4 a gallon are now struggling as petrol prices drop and the economy heads south.
When you shop, maybe you can find a good deal at a discount store, but what will happen when you need to find someone to tune-up or repair your bicycle and all the small bike shops have closed?
I'd been thinking about the case of a New Haven bike shop owner who had to close one of his stores when I received an email from Mike, the blogger over at bicyclespokesman.com. He said he's trying to start a campaign among cyclists to support their local bicycle shops this holiday season. …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/12/06/now-is-the-time-to-support-your-local-bicycle-shop/
The breathless marketing of Trek's new chainless bicycle will no doubt capture bike industry news in coming weeks as the next new thing in bicycling.
But since I sometimes follow different trails, I'm going to report on something that I discovered this morning that could revolutionize and improve your sag-supported bicycle touring experience — the Luggage Locator.
I've been on many across-state bicycle tours and have never had to repair a broken bike chain (I always carry a chain tool though), nor have I got my pants leg caught in a bike chain. But I have spent countless hours of my life searching for my black duffel bag amidst a pile of hundreds of other black or green duffel bags at the end of a bicycle tour stage …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/11/20/next-big-thing-in-bicycling-luggage-locator/
DiNotte Lighting is recalling about 1,700 lithium-ion batteries used with bicycle lights.
The recall, in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, has been ordered because a loose wiring connection and improper venting can cause the battery to overheat, posing a burn hazard to consumers.
No incidents or injuries have been reported, however. Consumers are urged to stop using the battery and contact the company for a free replacement.
Manufactured in the US and China by AA Portable Power Corp. of Richmond, California, the batteries are distributed …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/11/18/dinotte-lighting-recalls-lithium-ion-batteries-for-bicycle-lights/
You may have seen these Extrawheel bicycle trailers before, but they are new to me.
I use a standard cage-style Yakima bicycle trailer (now made by BOB, see video on jump) for touring. It allows me to keep heavy weight off the back wheel of my bike, and when combined with front panniers, my bike tracks very well.
It also allows me to fulfill my TMS syndrome — Too Much Stuff.
These Extrawheel trailers also keep heavy weight off the rear wheel, and they're lighter than standard BOB trailers …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/11/08/lightweight-bicycle-trailer/
The Shimano American company is recalling about 275 Shimano Dura Ace carbon clincher bicycle wheels.
They found that that rim surface and interior spoke hole plugs could puncture the innertube. There have been no reports of injuries after blowouts.
Manufactured in Malaysia, the wheels were sold in the US from April through August 2008 for about $1,300 …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/10/23/small-voluntary-recall-for-high-end-shimano-wheels/
Two South Korean bicycle makers saw their stocks rise on Wednesday despite an overall loss by the market that day.
Samculy Bicycle jumped 10.58 percent and Very Good Leisure rose 5.2 percent, according to TradingMarkets.com. This in spite of a 8.24 percent loss by the Kosdaq market.
The increase is believed to be driven by the Seoul city government announcing plans to build 129 miles of bike paths throughout South Korean over the next four years…
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/10/23/south-korean-bike-policies-pump-stocks/
More than 23,000 exhibitors and attendees crammed the Sands Exposition Center in Las Vegas last month for the Interbike International Bicycle Expo where some 1,100 brands were displayed.
Imagine. That's bigger than many towns I've lived or worked in. And everyone was there to meet, greet and talk about bicycles.
The indoor expo was preceded again this year by the Outdoor Demo in Bootleg Canyon in nearby Boulder City, Nevada. The 5,000 people who attended that hands-on event set a record …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/10/09/2008-interbike-bicycle-expo-like-a-small-city-east-coast-event-coming-up/
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas; but I'm sure lots of visitors to Interbike wish they could carry some stuff home with them. Here are some public pictures at flickr.com from years past with descriptions I've added. …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/09/25/bicycle-lust-at-interbike/
That old Schwinn bicycle has come a long way.
Keeping one wheel in the past with children's bikes, Schwinn has evolved over the past 114 years into racing bikes, touring bikes, mountain bikes and hybrids.
At the Interbike Bicycle Expo in Las Vegas this week, Schwinn unveiled its Tailwind, a hybrid-electric bike that uses Toshiba's ion battery technology.
While Schwinn already has six eBike models on the market, the Tailwind has the fastest recharge at 30 minutes from a standard residential outlet. The charge is good for 25 to 30 miles …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/09/25/schwinn-unveils-tailwind-electric-bike-at-interbike/
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