On 5/19/2018 2:08 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sat, 19 May 2018 11:23:05 -0500, AMuzi wrote:

On 5/19/2018 11:02 AM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
http://www.velo-pages.com/main.php?g2_itemId=27633&g2_imageViewsIndex=1

-snip snip-

Whenever I see photos of the ride share fiasco in China, where
thousands (or millions?) of bicycles are literally abandoned on the
streets, I have to ask myself, how did they make those bicycles so
quickly and cheaply?
https://www.google.com/search?q=china+abandoned+bikes&tbm=isch
Probably lots of plastic parts.


Good query and I don't know.

I suspect that for a bicycle manufacturer on a contract for
10, 20, 50, 100,000 bicycles, assembling from mostly
standard parts (which are dirt cheap) is the logical path.
At some larger run injection molds might pay off but I don't
know that would always be true.

For a specific injection molded part I paid $3000 for a tool
in The Middle Kingdom but to replace it in Wisconsin USA
cost $11,000. So there's that. For a run of bicycles with
as you wrote, 'lots of plastic parts' you're talking 'lots
of tools' besides the amortization for each tool.

OTOH if you meant Tourney level mostly nylon gear changers
and shifters as opposed to Deore type mostly aluminum parts,
then I absolutely agree.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971