Made in Japan (which for some reason seems OK
DO NOT underestimate the quality of Japanese . . . I was going to say products but you name it.
Just don't underestimate anything from that part of the planet.
Motorcycles, cars, electronics, aerospace equipment, woodworking, crafts in general, steel, science, Zen, athletes, BICYCLES ! ! ! !
Here Bicycles . . . let me tell you a story. Back in the late eighties things were changing big time in the realm of bicycles. Companies were looking at building plants in Mexico; eventually most all of them went to China (not saying good or bad quality wise; the Chinese can build to what ever standards they are paid to build to; Apple Computers right ? World class quality !) . . . so anyway Japan made Miyata brand bicycles (which has a fascinating history; they started out making guns). Miyata was getting in trouble and was running a promotional program and as incentives to sell more units they offered an all expense paid vacation to Japan for shops that sold so many units in a year etc. The owner of the shop I worked at met the quota and he and his wife were treated to said vacation.
Around that time I was at an international bicycle industry trade show in Anaheim California and I was looking at new top of the line bicycles for the coming year. A business man, Japanese, walked up to me and said "Do you like that bicycle ?" and I said "YES ! Very much." and he said "GOOD" and walked away.
Well later I figured out that man was Mr Miyata himself, the owner of this large, old and prestigious manufacturer. He was doing his damnedest to keep the production in his own country, and by the way, the quality was first rate all the way .
Bottom line :
He didn't want to cut corners.
He wanted to keep a Japanese company all Japanese.
He wanted to sell the best and get paid for it rather than sell a lot of junk.
He tried to educate the consumer (as we did) about real quality; the consumer didn't want to listen.
The USA was on this track back then where price was all they cared about and just sought out and bought cheep where ever they could find it and some how felt good about it like they had "won".
In the end Miyata Bicycles pulled out of the North American market rather than lower their standards.
True story.
PS: and in the words of Merle "America has been rolling down hill like a snow ball headed for hell ever since".
But we have cut throat Walmart so I guess that makes it all OK.
