HOW BICYCLES WERE MADE IN 1945‏

[Paul Anderson]

Interesting, would think much would apply to today.

http://vimeo.com/39401575

[Naismith]

Splendid.

[TeaSea]

I would think the major difference would be that in the film all the components were depicted as being manufactured on site, which was often the case years ago. Most plants would subordinate that work out now, the costs of specialized manufacture now being more than the transport costs. Much more efficient in that case to purchase from a supplier and only execute assembly of the final product .

[brad kaste]

Truly fascinating video clip. Schwinn bicycles were manufactured in Chicago up until the early 1980's. Cheaper foreign competition and labor unrest finally undid the proud bike manufacture. The name is still around,...but that's about it. All products are now outsourced. Maybe the same with Raleigh.

[Wing_Z]

Splendid.

Yes that's the word...
There'd be some H&S changes of course, I suspect you'd be hard pressed to find an enamel worker today who'd be willing to stick his hand in the vat, along with the frame!

[TeaSea]

Yep, the employee's were doing tasks routinely which made me cringe in terms of safety. As much as I have come to despise the increasingly extreme aspects of OSHA, the basic premise is sound.

Interestingly, this plant would not be allowed to function today in either the UK, U.S. or the Eurozone.

[cheezyflier]

i happen to know a couple of manufacturer's of recumbent bicycles. they buy the tubing and tig weld their own frames in a jig. then they paint/powder-coat, add the components, tune, and then box em partially unassembled for shipping. i don't know what their numbers are, but i would guess if they hustle they could do 10 bikes/week. the one place is just 2 buddies in a pole barn behind his house. they farm out the powder-coating.

[Lionheart]

Thats a scary amount of work! Must have been one awesome bike.

Thanks for the heads up on this. Great film.





Bill

[cheezyflier]

Yep, the employee's were doing tasks routinely which made me cringe in terms of safety. As much as I have come to despise the increasingly extreme aspects of OSHA, the basic premise is sound.

Interestingly, this plant would not be allowed to function today in either the UK, U.S. or the Eurozone.

still to this day there is alot of stuff done routinely that's extremely hazardous in one way or another.
i've been installing duct for alotta years. from the lowliest work-out-of-a-van company to huge corporate shops both merit and union. in the states and canada too. still we do things that we shouldn't. for lots of reasons. being job scared. or being ambitious. not wanting to be that guy.
being lazy or stupid. i'm glad osha and whmis do what they do. even though sometimes they are a little over enthusiastic.