American bicycles. Is it worth ordering from the USA?

The History of American Bicycles

It all started with Albert Pope. It was he who, in 1878, opened a manufacturing operation in the state of Connecticut, making penny-farthings with an enlarged front wheel. This resulted in the creation of the first brand, which was named Columbia. 

Ten years later, the familiar inflatable tires appeared, patented by John Dunlop. Around these same years, the first bicycles with equal-sized wheels and a drive chain appeared, as well as the first gear shift levers. America’s first bicycle boom began.

If in 1889 about two hundred thousand bicycles were assembled, then just a year later already a million were being produced. For the next decade, the roads belonged to two-wheelers, and buying a bicycle in America became possible literally at every turn. And this is not an exaggeration: from one Colambia the number of manufacturers jumped to 312. 

However, this triumph did not last long. Already by 1905, 211 of the newly minted bicycle makers had gone bankrupt. The era of the Model T and the automotive revolution began, and bicycles were pushed “into the children’s corner.” 

A new rise began sometime in the late 60s. Interest in the environment, cheap transportation, and a new means of recreation created new demand. It is precisely in this period that the main brands we value today have their roots. In 1970, about 5 million bicycles were manufactured. In those days, there were more than 75 million cyclists in the USA.

Major brands and the “Big Three” of American bicycles

Today the American market demands 15-20 million new bicycles worth $6-7 billion per year. About two thousand companies and about 150 brands operate in it. You definitely can’t complain about a lack of choice. But more than 40% of the market is divided among three large companies, the so-called “Big Three”. 

These are Giant, Trek Bicycle and Specialized Bicycle Components. When talking about bicycles from the USA, it makes sense to talk about them first of all. 

Trek.

The “Three” is led by Trek Bicycle. Under its umbrella are such subsidiaries as, in fact, Trek, Electra, and the legendary Gary Fisher. The “umbrella” brand emerged at the height of the bicycle boom of 1975. That was when Bevil Hogg and his partner Richard Burke began knocking out steel frames in a barn. The timing was excellent, the business took off, and now American bicycles of this brand occupy a full 26% of the national market.

Within just a decade, what had once been a makeshift operation in a barn began borrowing technology from aviation and even NASA. It was in 1985 that Trek began producing aluminum frames, and just a year later, in 1986, the company created its first carbon fiber frame. Innovation became a kind of “pass” for Trek into the “major league”. 

In 1990, Trek Bicycle “crossed” a fast road bike and a classic American mountain bike, creating a hybrid that was faster but still comfortable and capable off-road. Subsequently, the hybrid line brought Trek both fame and profit. 

Today Trek makes almost anything — American children’s bicycles, mountain bikes, city bikes, hybrids, e-bikes, road bikes, cyclocross bikes, bicycles for men, and women’s models. As for price, the range is also pleasing to the eye — from a modest $200 up to $10 000 and more for professionals. 

The actual “Americans” among “Treks” are approximately 20 000 per year, rolling off the assembly line at the Trek plant in Wisconsin. There are also “Asians,” and it is worth уточнять the production location if you decide to buy a bicycle in America. 

Besides full-fledged bicycles “from saddle to sprockets,” “Trek” and its subsidiary brands also produce spare parts — wheels, stems, pedals, handlebars, saddles, bike computers. In addition to these, there are also accessories — helmets, glasses, cycling shoes, and so on. Everything is quite reliable and high-quality, especially the high-end class “Americans”.

Giant.

The second-largest and most influential bicycle brand, widely known throughout the world. We will not focus heavily on this brand, since both it and its “umbrella” brands are, rather, based in Taiwan. In the American market, the ambitious Taiwanese control about 10% of the market. Prices at Giant are slightly higher than at Trek, and the quality is considered lower.

Specialized. 

But Specialized Bicycle Components is an American company, and moreover, a company whose history could illustrate some article about the “American dream” in the flesh. The creator of Specialized Bicycle loved bicycles back in childhood. 

When Mike Sinyard entered college, he began buying up old bicycles, repairing them, tuning them, and selling them. This allowed him to pay part of his tuition, and in 1974 the side job turned into an independent company. At first Sinyard imported parts from Italy, but he was dissatisfied with their quality. Two years later he also began producing his own product — tires with the Specialized Bicycle Components label. 

The company proved successful, and soon the first “mountain” bicycle appeared that became mass-market — the Specialized Stumpjumper, which entered the market in 1981, became a bestseller, and with updates and modernizations has “survived” to the present day. Today the original Stumpjumper is available both in a hardtail version and as a full-suspension bike. 

Specialized Bicycle Components’ forte became the use of composite materials; for example, the Specialized Epic became the first carbon fiber frame available to the mass market. Another breakthrough of this company is the rear suspension shock layout, which became classic.

Although after the crisis of the 90s, 49% of the company’s shares ended up with the Taiwanese from Merida, Mike Sinyard still controls the “golden share” and carries out overall management of production. The official website delivers goods free of charge to the Pochtoy.com warehouse when purchasing a model from $150.

Online bike shops in America. Where is it a good deal to buy bicycles?

• Performance Bike. A well-known online store in America for bicycles and cycling gear. Quite a lot of videos and a truly wide selection. Worth your attention. 
• Jenson USA. A popular bike shop in the USA. Bicycles of all styles, gear, components. There are kids' models and interesting e-bikes. 
• Walmart. You don't have to look for a two-wheeled friend on specialized platforms. If you navigate the categories on Walmart well, you'll find choppers, cruisers, hybrids — in a word, anything. There are women's and unisex bikes, bikes for kids and teenagers, even tandems. 
• Amazon. Bezos's giant needs no recommendations. Fighting your way through the exercise bikes may not be easy, but cool models can be found here too. 
• eBay. It's better to hunt for old or very unusual models here rather than on Amazon. If you check the sellers and consider used models as an option, we recommend taking a look.

- Amazon USA bicycles with delivery of goods to Russia.

- eBay USA bicycles with delivery of goods to Russia.

In the USA you can order bicycles for anything — cyclocross bikes, road bikes, track machines, cross-country "steeds", BMX, trial bikes, fat bikes, bikes for freeride or flatland, street and freestyle models. Many online stores don't ship bicycles to Russia, so the order is placed to the Pochtoy warehouse address in the USA. Before buying, check the rules on the "Restrictions and prohibitions" page: sporting goods are accepted with a value of up to $300 per item, batteries above 100 W (5.0 Ah) and standalone batteries are prohibited, and bicycle tires are shipped via CDEK tariffs only as part of a bicycle.

- The delivery price will be shown by the delivery calculator.