So, just what can you buy?
I know the UK is virtually devoid of industry, but really it’s getting a bit silly now, are we doomed?
Will China really be the world force within the next decade?

Your thoughts?

Thoughts? Do some reading before making statements like “I know the UK is virtually devoid of industry”.

I know the UK is virtually devoid of industry

Someone should really tell Arm this.

UK has a surprising amount of manufacturing

it’s just that we used to have a lot more….

China is having an accelerated industrial revolution, they are realising that you can’t just chuck the waste into the environment and consequently their costs are going to go up

Ouch, maybe I should have said relatively…

I’ve tried. It’s hard.

I know China can’t build the high performing engines we build….

We’ll outrun them everytime…

I meant to say, it’s relatively hard.

China have the money and means (read: cheap, placid labour) to throw at solving many energy and environmental problems, but unfortunately have yet to develop a strong will. I’m considering a job out there, given that the UK support for my future line of work is a shambles.

2unfit2ride makes a good point though.

Let’s build a bike with UK made components (not designed, made)

I’ll start

Hope can give us hubs, BB, headset, brakes.

So we need:

Frame
Fork
Spokes
Rims
Crankset
Chain
Rear cogs/cassette (it can be a single speed)
Stem
Handlebars
Seatpost
Saddle
etc etc

(I can think of a few of those, but won’t spoil it by grabbing too much)

The forum search function is working again…..

druidh – Member
The forum search function is working again…..

Feel free to use it then.

Frame from Orange.

Cassette – Hope again http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/eurobike-2010-hopes-new-cassette-with-integrated-freehub-27582
Saddle – Brooks
Frame – lots of UK niche frame makers still out there.
Fork – as above if you’re willing to go without suspension.

I get stuck after that.

Hope do seatposts now…and stems and qr devices. Middleburn do chainsets. Renthal or Use for bars.

Got a cassette, so we’ll need a derailleur 🙂

Still got the foot flat to the floor and no Chinese in sight….

Misguided approach sorry.
We should buy more chinese products, then their economy will grow faster and their costs (wages, energy, materials etc) will go up, making UK based manufacturing more competitive.

It would have to be one of the boxy Oranges, their diamond frames are built overseas aren’t they?

Good point toys19…. I think that at some point soon (ish….) the price of oil will stop it from being economical to ship so much from the far east generally and have the same effect.

UK bikes are easy, try clothing, toys for kids, toys for men, handbags for women, sushi for Saturday evening.
UK isn’t doing too badly, it’s just we all got used to having it better and cheaper. Get TJ as a PM, he’ll sort you lot out.

It’s already happening. Lots of my clients are finding uk suppliers competitive over far east.. engineering stuff though, anything labour intensive (like clothes) is still impossible to compete in the uk.

Will China really be the world force within the next decade?

Honestly, I don’t think so. They’re chucking money at development but culturally they’re 100 years behind the west and until that changes, they’ll also be behind the west.

Why develop what you can steal? They bought a couple of Siemens and Toshiba bullet trains to “test” and built their own.Not having any need to pay development helps.They also have protectionist policies that make it nearly impossible to sell in their market.My little brother sells huge gas turbines for a uk based company,they have a new cleaner,more efficent product he is touting just now.18 months after theirs was launched the Chinese are building their own.Historically the Chinese people have always been at the beck and call of their leadership so I am unsure how any perceived cultural failing will impact their growth.Allied to a fairly “robust” attempt to dominate the South China Sea(200 mile territorial waters)and their human rights record means how far their ambitions lie worries me.

Will China really be the world force within the next decade?

LOL That might have been relevant when Nixon went there in 1972, but you are now at least 20 years out of date. China has been a world force for at least 20 years if not longer, and is currently arguably THE world force. Economically they are dictating the terms not us or the Americans. They actually have more US dollars in hard currency than the Americans do. Anytime they feel like telling us to poke it they can, and will do.

I know thats not likely to be a popular view, however, it doesn’t stop it being true.

Are these UK sourced components allowed to be made on machines from China or using raw materials mined or refined there?

I suspect BermBandit may have a good point.

Frame

Empire AP-1

“Someone should really tell Arm this”

To be fair, are does not manufacture anything. It just designs and licenses it designs for others to manufacture.

China has by far the largest foreign reserves of any country
Has the fastest GDP growth of any important economy
Has the fastest industrial production growth of any important economy
Is the worlds largest exporter
Is the second largest country by GDP
Is not afraid to throw its weight around to get what it wants

So I think it is fair to say that it is a pretty significant world force if not the world force already.

Had a go last year with the UK bike build, based it on a Pace frame with Hope, Middleburn, USE, Charge components, struggled with drivetrain bits and bobs and rims and anything actually being made in UK as most are only designed in UK!