So I am just getting into cycling and noticed that alot of companies that sell bikes under their brand name just build the bike from parts they buy then slap their logo on it. Is this pretty much widespread or do the very large sellers like Cannondale, Schwinn, etc. actually engineer and build their frames.
Yes and no... Yes they engineer the frames... No they don't actually build them...UNLESS it is a fairly high end frame, those are still made"in house". All others are made in one of like 3 frame factories in(guess where) China and Taiwan. Almost all big brands do this... (I think even the French and Italian brands look and pinerello do this)
Giant started out building for other companies. While they still have their own brand, they also manufacture for just about everyone else as well. At any given price point, there is probably not much difference between most bikes. This holds true for most mass-produced bikes.
I've noticed the same. With big bike manufacturers you seem to be paying them for the composition and design but not the manufacturing of parts.
They design everything in-house then contract out the manufacturing or they do both in-house? Isn't Surly a subsidiary of another larger company as well though.
Surly is owned by QBP, but that looks like a case of the distributor acquiring a company, rather than developing their own. Maybe it doesn't really make much of a difference, but I think they're still run as a completely independent company, and don't have to answer too much to the parent company. Also, QBP's brands are all over the place, doesn't look like that increased their buying power. My comment about Surly being proprietary was referring to their giant fat tire stuff.
