![]() You’ll also have to go through an incredible number of regulations, prescriptions and permissions that I can barely describe without writing an essay. What is the hardest part of bike component production in Asia?įancy joining the business? You’ll need a lot of money right away because you’ll have to pay the entire sum before any goods are shipped. Therefore, I’d advise you to design your original mould for frame production and use open moulds for the rest. Nevertheless, this is not the case with frame production because frames are what people like to compare in details. Since all components look the same, nobody will realise that you’re using an open mould as do dozens of your competitors. After selecting the preferred model, you just label the products with your company’s name and that’s it. In thick catalogues, you are about to find hundreds of components of different quality, made from different carbon types with different weight parameters, colours, etc. Regarding components, I can genuinely recommend choosing from the open moulds. At that stage, you can add some six more months before you receive your own bike, which makes the entire process about a year and a half. At that moment, the investment made is roughly 70,000 US dollars. Then there is a separate mould for the rear triangle that fits all sizes. You’ll need at least four sizes of each model (S, M, L, XL), which multiplies the number of moulds you’ll have to design. With aluminium frames, it’s quite simple but the costs will grow if you decide to produce carbon-fibre frames. As soon as you give the green light, the production is ready to begin. ![]() The next step comprises building a prototype from aluminium that is sent to you to undergo a thorough test. Designing an original mould from scratch will take up to five months. Big companies like Astro Engineering, A-Pro, Giant or Merida offer you their engineers when you make a contract to build the mould in their facilities. First of all, you’ll need to hire a frame designer. The second option is designing your frame, which is both more difficult and more expensive. The production depends on the manufacturer’s given minimum you’ve committed to take. The average price is approximately 400 dollars for an aluminium full-suspension frame and 700 dollars for a carbon full-suspension frame including the paint job. You select the model, send them your graphics, logos, the colour finish and within six months, you have your own brand. The easier way is to use an open mould that is available to anyone who negotiates the collaboration with the Asian partner. How long does it take to put hands on the actual prototype of “my” bike from the moment I decide to run my own company? The disadvantage is that you’ll have exactly the same bikes as anyone else who would place the same order, the only difference being the brand name. The advantage is that you do not have to pay for tooling. Open mould is a frame anyone can buy and put their name on it. We decided to order the open-mould models Enduro 29er (aluminium frame) and Trail Bike 27,5 (carbon frame) and called the resulting brand BEAST. They build bikes for companies such as Mondraker, Transition, Haibike, CTM, and many more. The other agreement we made on the show was on using open moulds for frame building with Astro engineering, which is one of the biggest bike manufacturers in the world. We agreed on testing the first 50-wheel set. We instantly knew that this had been something we were looking for. This solution not only makes the wheel stiffer but also looking like it landed here from the Back to the Future movie. The company was established by ex-employees of Cannondale who designed a unique profile of a wheel with different spoke lengths on each side. ![]() ![]() In a hidden corner of the hall, we found representatives of the Quai wheels. A visit to the Eurobike fair trade revealed that we were late with the idea. I’ve started Bee Biker three years ago with my partner Jan Havelka with the intention to build light bikes for kids. Starting with the Eurobike trade show is fine but if you want your business to grow bigger, you’ll need to leave for Asia trade shows like Taipei International Cycle Show and Taichung Bicycle Week. The most fruitful way is to speak with them face to face. This is the most difficult part of the job. How can I find a trustful partner in Asia? China and Vietnam are the biggest carbon-fibre parts producers. Which country is the best for manufacturing which components?Īluminium components, frames and cranks are mostly made in Taiwan. We are now running a development process with several companies and the COVID-19 is slowing us down. Does coronavirus affect the collaboration with Asian regions right now? ![]()
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