Where Bike Components Are Made – Inside SRAM's Taiwan Factory

Where Bike Components Are Made – Inside SRAM's Taiwan Factory

Thanks to SRAM, we got incredible access to their Taichung, Taiwan facility. Step inside and find out how bike components are made…

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On a recent visit to Taiwan, we just couldn’t turn down the chance to check out SRAM’s factory. This is the place where new products, products under development, and, the products that we’re used to seeing are made.

Check it out and why not SHARE this video?!

Watch more on GCN…
SRAM eTap first ride/impressions ▶︎ http://gcn.eu/1Sn1ouw
Our tour of Canyon’s Koblenz facility ▶︎ http://gcn.eu/1qQaR16

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50 Comments

  1. Eldred on December 14, 2022 at 12:42 am

    What does it feel to have your sleeping hours disrupted like that?



  2. DocKilat on December 14, 2022 at 12:42 am

    Cheap labor from Taiwan then the American companies sell it high as if they paid so much..admit it that is why its in Taiwan because of the labor costs. Some of the factory machines even look dirty and those workers manually using knives to chop the excess carbon..



  3. Clotil Charusco on December 14, 2022 at 12:43 am

    Sería óptimo hacer subtitulos en las notas para los que no hablan inglés y gustan del ciclismo. Gracias.



  4. 水滴花-2882sjjs- on December 14, 2022 at 12:45 am

    -You-



  5. boatman222345 on December 14, 2022 at 12:46 am

    Excellent!



  6. albert sparks on December 14, 2022 at 12:46 am

    Back in the 1980’s when I was learning about plastics (carbon fiber reinforced plastics included), I was told that with the advent of the intrusion of this “cheap” and easily machine components that came from abundant raw materials, things should be way cheaper to manufacture rather than using steel and/or aluminium.
    I believed!
    But now. Plastics are priced like gold. I see plastic components weighing less than a pound (0.5 kg) being sold for in excess of 200 USD.
    HOW COME?



  7. jane blogs on December 14, 2022 at 12:46 am

    And here I was thinking SRAM was American



  8. Riddick tonn on December 14, 2022 at 12:47 am

    All cheaply made Chinese products sold for ultra high dollars. Feel stupid yet America? All your corporations have sold out to China!



  9. MultiChaga on December 14, 2022 at 12:48 am

    Shut up and show the shop!



  10. Dan Sotelo on December 14, 2022 at 12:49 am

    i just found this 3 yr old GCN video and I’m glad and very surprised that GCN went to Taiwan and maybe China to see first hand how fantastic and amazing these factories are & function. Starting in the late 70s as I was working for the Japan Group (ie Shimano, Tioga. SR, Araya, etc), First going to Japan when it was like China today. Later Taiwan, in the late 80s, and then China in the mid-90s. till I semi-retired from the bicycle industry in 2003. Back then I used to warn American manufactures like KLEIN (by mount St Helens), that Asian manufacturers are way more modern and more advanced than their operation… They just laughed at me like I was too stupid, saying Asian factories are using hammers and crude tools to make junk. When in reality they were the Cat’s Meow when it came to precision & quality. A few years later they and all other stubborn American manufacturers learn their lesson and ate crow. On one of my business many business trips to Asia in the mid-90s I took with me one of the biggest doubters who started a very popular BMX brand. He was blown away by how Taiwan could do circles around any of his American manufactures in quality and volume, let alone the super low prices.
    In other words, GCN keep going back to Asia and do a whole tour of bicycle manufacturers in Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and all other high-end bicycle manufacturers in Asia. You will be blown away by how much has changed in the last 3 years since your last visit to Taiwan. Sincerely Dan Sotelo, aka Mr. onZa



  11. Wayne Young on December 14, 2022 at 12:49 am

    It’s always nice to pay for things that are hand made.
    Wife and I are in the process of changing our road bikes 🚲
    Liv and Giant
    Already have Carbon wheels

    Roval Alpinist CL HG Wheelset
    Next is Aero bars and at the same time
    SRAM FORCE
    The only thing original is the Frames



  12. gianfranco garau on December 14, 2022 at 12:49 am

    Sfruttamento umano allo stato puro, giustamente con le scarpe da ginnastica e più comodo lavorare



  13. Bob Guru on December 14, 2022 at 12:51 am

    I will only buy Shimano Japan made metal parts from now on.



  14. Riddick tonn on December 14, 2022 at 12:55 am

    I’d like to know how they mount tires so straight and balanced?



  15. supersonicwings on December 14, 2022 at 12:57 am

    Sram etap the best thing to happen to cycling, no more wires!



  16. Rock Roll on December 14, 2022 at 12:58 am

    I appreciate their effort.



  17. BIKERS SPRINT on December 14, 2022 at 12:59 am

    How much 1by crank set sram



  18. Cancer on December 14, 2022 at 1:01 am

    And you get paid more than the whole factory, lol. 😂🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😢



  19. Richard Young on December 14, 2022 at 1:02 am

    With SRAM being so expensive I really do hope that the employees get paid well



  20. Jonathan Ratzlaff on December 14, 2022 at 1:03 am

    Once you run out of CO2 on a ride and your tire is still flat, its time to get a pump. Never will use CO2 except maybe to inflate a tubless tire. Good thing you only need 45 psi in a gravel bike….



  21. 水滴花-2882sjjs- on December 14, 2022 at 1:03 am

    -就-



  22. Mustafa Ali Karaal on December 14, 2022 at 1:04 am

    So cool



  23. Nico Danger on December 14, 2022 at 1:04 am

    I’d like to see machining a Eagle cassette



  24. XenonROG on December 14, 2022 at 1:06 am

    Where are the republicans who hate their jobs being outsourced? 🤔🤔🤔



  25. abdallah salah on December 14, 2022 at 1:10 am

    hello . i want to start my workshop to made bicycles and i need some help .if any one can help me with information’s can contact with me on my email luonking5@gmail.com thanks



  26. faxepl on December 14, 2022 at 1:11 am

    Polish cyclists always giggle when they hear the name "SRAM" (or try to pronounce it differently) 😉



  27. Ron Hau on December 14, 2022 at 1:12 am

    Very interesting!



  28. Joeriz Lapidario on December 14, 2022 at 1:13 am

    ❤️❤️❤️❤️



  29. J H on December 14, 2022 at 1:16 am

    his voice is so roadbikey



  30. John on December 14, 2022 at 1:17 am

    SRAM sucks! literally garbage can worthy components touted as premium. Brakes suck, derailluers suck, seatposts suck. These guys cant get anything right.



  31. GICking on December 14, 2022 at 1:17 am

    I don’t understand how you get started. Sure, you have an idea, but you have no machines, so how do you make the machines that make your parts?



  32. Stani Disque on December 14, 2022 at 1:17 am

    ITS CALLED S RAM AND NOT SCHRAM



  33. Stuart Domay on December 14, 2022 at 1:20 am

    Cool video, I work on a Dahlih cnc mill in the UK (made in Taiwan) 👍🏻



  34. 水滴花-2882sjjs- on December 14, 2022 at 1:21 am

    -前的-



  35. albert sparks on December 14, 2022 at 1:22 am

    Lol. When I was studying in the 1980’s, they told us how plastics (carbon fiber reenforced plastics included) were easily manufactured, raw materials were plenty, long lasting and cheap.
    Today, I see plastic parts weighing less than 0.5 kg being sold for tons of cash. Lol.
    How comes?!?



  36. Poverty Spec on December 14, 2022 at 1:23 am

    This is preschool stuff compared to Campy quality



  37. Jonathan Vogel on December 14, 2022 at 1:24 am

    SRAM I go with them as they are not making their stuff in that country of shit next door 🙂



  38. Greg Knipe on December 14, 2022 at 1:25 am

    thanks, another great production!



  39. Венцислав Борисов on December 14, 2022 at 1:25 am

    Like it is cool having all these ideas putted in practise now for couple of years, I mean all the designes and technologies involved in creating the final product. But at the same time it is fucking depressing seeing these people working in factory painted in nuance of gray, doing nothing, related to the ideas which moves the company, but rather working like robots without soul. We, all the humans, are awful animals….



  40. Qayyum Zulkiflee on December 14, 2022 at 1:27 am

    I knew it..bicycle manufacturing are so inefficent, hence the price. You dont see a gearbox made by yamaha priced so expensive like this..why? Because the manufacturing process is an assembly line



  41. L Y on December 14, 2022 at 1:30 am

    I will keep my hand made Italian steel Colnago thank you very much.



  42. southern_leyte on December 14, 2022 at 1:31 am

    I have never been mad about carbon fiber, I’m still on alu but my fork is fiber…😂



  43. Neki Stunter on December 14, 2022 at 1:32 am

    Why does this guy look like budget Linus Tech Tips



  44. Ryan on December 14, 2022 at 1:32 am

    Ah yes deburring i am used to this in welding when preparing to weld in college usually end up getting bullied by swarf in my sock sometimes no fun



  45. Tejas Khairnar on December 14, 2022 at 1:34 am

    I guess my next bike will be aluminium alloy 😏



  46. Zohar Modifier on December 14, 2022 at 1:36 am

    wait … so SRAM was actually cheap but jacked up as a USA brand like Apple … yea this 2-3 years SRAM quality had caught up to Shimano … but reliability wise maybe the material usage is better on cassette … the rear derailleur etc



  47. Indra PT黃家英 on December 14, 2022 at 1:37 am

    What? Taichung?!?!?!?!? I stay in Taichung but never know about this. I just know FSA factory in this city.
    Oh, so bad. I need to go around. Huff



  48. Mitch Warner on December 14, 2022 at 1:39 am

    Please don’t see Taiwan the same as China



  49. Twisted Stone on December 14, 2022 at 1:39 am

    You mention impact and fatigue testing but what about sunshine testing ? Fella brought a bike in for repair after he’d left it out in sunshine and the rear derailleur had bent over so far it had snapped ! Nothing hit it just the plastic got hot in the sun ! Why make a plastic derailleur ?



  50. Zulham Syahputra on December 14, 2022 at 1:40 am

    taiwan’s products No.1 Quality