How Giant Became the world's biggest bike manufacturer
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- Опубликовано: 6 фев 2025
- How Giant Became the world's biggest bike manufacturer
I have often wanted to discuss the history of some of the biggest bicycle brands in the world and I thought I would start with none other than Giant Bicycles. If there is another company that you would like to see, let me know!
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Why do you all like certain brands? Is it the product, perception, pro riders?
Largely influenced by what a couple of our favourite LBS sold, what they recommended and what we were able to try in person. As a result, we have purchased Giant, Trek, Specialized, and Scott over the years.
Giant is very good value for the quality and we like how they support the dealers.
I don't care for brands, I have a sweet spot for GT because it's the first bikes I owned but I didn't own a GT since 1994 because they weren't what I was looking for. Nostalgia is a bad mistress
My favorite mtb brand is Orbea i current own 2 Orbea Alma's and love both bikes
Good History - Giant sounds like an honest business. There are a couple bike shops within a few miles of me. One does Specialized. The other does Giant. The Specialized shop seems much more pricey than the Giant shop. The guys in the Giant shop really went out of their way about a month back to ensure I had the right bottom bracket cartridge for my 1991 bike. Giving help like that creates customer loyalty.
Please make a video pitchforking Trek and Specialized 🙏
Been riding my Giant Talon 1 through out the years .Tropical weather in Singapore did proof that Giant had such a quality bike.
Giant win because they look after their customers. In my extensive experience as a consumer of Giant products, when there’s a product problem, they step up and support the dealers to support the consumer.
They don’t stuff around and make customers jump through hoops. In an industry where service generally leaves allot to be desired, Giant and their dealers (that I’ve dealt with) are a stand out.
Home alone tonight watching these history lessons front to back, and I find them very entertaining. Good job! Best regards from Norway (again)
I appreciate the support and always find it super cool that someone from Norway is enjoying the content!
Growing up in Taiwan in the 80's, Giant branded bikes were everywhere. Kids bikes, BMX, folding bikes, ladie's bikes, and city bikes. Later on when I found out Giant bikes were selling for over $300 in the US, I was shocked bikes can sell for that much.
Anyway, his name would be formally pronounced "Liou" almost like "Leo," but in Taiwanese, my grandma would pronounce that character "Lau." But if you pronounce it the way, be forewarned that you will be attacked by droves of Mandarin Nazis.
You guys got me hooked on Giant Bicycles back in 2015. I would only ride Trek Madones and you let me ride a defy and I was hooked. I think I have purchased about 4 or 5 Giants from you
Great video
I worked as a bike mechanic in the late 80's during university in a Schwinn shop. Worst QC ever. One customer came back with a complaint her new bike was making weird noises. Turns out the tubes were not welding into the lugs. The only thing holding the frame together was the paint! How the hell does that get pass QC? No way that would have happened if Giant was the manufacturer. FYI, I ride a Giant Defy Advance Pro 0, most comfortable bike I have ridden in 40+ years.
Hahaha
Hahaha
Yo bro, Your bike biz videos are great - I lived through this era and have BS in finance and I think your analysis is spot on - keep it up! 👍
Thumbs up! Giant make the best and simplest thumb down seat dropper leaver. If that makes sense. The maestro suspension is magic yet simple too. My only gripe with Giant was after driving 20 miles to a Giant store for a replacement deraileur hanger for a Giant bike. To be told “Why would we stock a hanger for a bike more than 2 years old” and I’m like, “ because they break all the time and it’s a Giant bike and your a Giant store with a mechanic.” Then I get told “ No we only have parts for bikes still under warranty. You should try and purchase one online.”
The compact frame was the brainchild of Englishman Mike Burrows who sold it to Giant. He also designed Chris Boardman’s Lotus track bike.
A low stack, what a genius
I worked for a Giant dealer in the early 90s, attended the interbike trade show multiple times. I got to know Skip Hess, who was head designer at Giant usa at the time (was a good guy). I bought one of the first Giant cadex mountain bikes, a cfm-2 , which I still have. I actually took it off road a couple times this year (rigid forks are rough).
Oddly enough, after a 28-year hiatus, I am working for a Giant dealer again and riding a Talon 1.
Strange route back to the beginning. 😏
I broke the rear triangle on one of my giants. No questions asked and it was replaced and back in my possession in 3 days. By the way, the shop didn't have it in stock. They sent it that quick.
Thanks, great story, appreciate the work you put into make it.
Hey, in the beginning credits the BSG shirt is my buddy’s shop in North Carolina! Blood,Sweet, Gears!
It sure is! Keith says hi!
been riding 30 years and this year 2023 i bought my First Giant. Ok it s a Ebike but i was impressed by the ride.
Bike is stable, well build, can get parts within 2 days , the maestro system is Ace and feels like a motocross bike, super solid and lively.
I never thought i would own a Giant as my main bike but, i did and it s a superb mtb for my type of ride.
I like exotic and expensive brands but for some reasons, it s a bit much of a marketing plot to make you spend money on more expensive material for ride say...2 hours a week.
I now ride the e 2 hours each day , 32 kms of pure fun and controlled ride.
I had a Giant mtb back in the 90's until i pawned it to get another bike.
Then i had another Giant in the following decade and ended up giving it away to a guy at work for his kid. Still hanging in his garage. His kid is out of high school.
I had a Murray X24 from Kmart back in the early eighties. A 24 inch BMX bike for the shortest kid in my grade.
Awesome video! i'd be interested in Norco's history
I love this history videos.. Keep it up mate!
i've had trek mtb's mainly for the last decade but i also have a giant toughroad gravel bike for the last 5 years, things been bombproof, nothing wrong with my treks either but for long rides on gravel roads the giant gets a good day out.
Thanks for the great video. Please make more❤
Giant Strong. ! 💪🏻 great video
Great idea for a video a short history on other bike brands would be great, preferably MTB company's
Yep. Great content.
Giant priorities: Product. Customer Service. Value.
Trek/Spez priorities: Profit. Hype. Marketing. Image.
1:14 Shout out to the guy wearing a Dark tranquillity shirt!!!
Excellent videos well done - do more very informative and interesting thanks!
Great info!! I had no idea on Giant, old school.. I ignorantly thought they were cheap on the level of Murray blah blah
I’m new to your channel. I would love to see your review of KLEIN bikes (especially Road). I was never fortunate enough to have owned one.
I just picked up a 1988 Nishiki Pueblo as a rail trail bike. When I looked up the serial number I learned the frame was built by...Giant.
Good content! Do another.
I bought my Giant trance x 29 because I rode a lot of full suspension bikes lately and it was the only one I liked, often other riders give me shit about it : "you could have got a yeti or a Canyon or etc etc"
I don't give any fks it's the one I liked 😂
Good video
I like your style. Others will also; persevere.
nice one
Pacific Cycle has been around for a while. Schwinn, Mongoose and others owned by them?
Very interesting
I had a friend who lived closed by in the 90s when I was growing up
Late 90s, he got a new Schwinn BMX, (not sure when they went bankrupt, but I know bicycles were being made with the schwinn name up until recently 🤷♂️ atleast here in Australia you could find a Schwinn)
I shit you not though, this BMX weighed like 15kg, a kids BMX, 20inch, small/medium frame
next Polygon bikes please
Giant's founder's Chinese name is Liu Jin Biao. His family name, Liu, you may pronounce it as / 'liju /. Many Chinese given names have their actual meaning, and Mr Liu's is one of them. Jin Biao, the given name, if you want to translate the Chinese characters to English, they would be "Golden Standard" or "Golden Badge."
Kind of curious why 70s used bikes can have high asking prices. Well I'm not sure they actually sell at those prices. I bought a 71 peugout in 71. Don't imagine it's a great ride today. Have an 86 Fuji allegro. I use it on a wheel trainer by kinetic. If you think vintage bikes have some special value that could be a video.
Bill Wurtz voice: King Liu had an eel farm but *it was blown by a typhoon*
I have a Giant Iguana
just what the world needs, more bla bla bla from another internet self promoter.
Giant's virtually consistently good, straightforward, no bs bikes speak for themselves and the company, you're 'input' isn't necessary.
Biggest bike manufacturer in the world right now is the Dutch firm of Pon Holdings, this includes brands like Gazelle, Kalkhoff, GT, Mongoose, Cannondale, Schwinn, to name a few.
Do they fabricate their own frames?
@@troglodytestroglodytes220 nope
@@walterm2618 my point being that Giant are the biggest manufacturer because they do make their own frames.
Giant doesn’t treat its dealers all that well. Their support staff is tiny and borderline useless. Their reps are constantly leaving. Source: I’m a giant dealer.
Department bikes are not built by people that work for like walmart
Have owned many giants over the years and have love them all, but why?
Are the colours so boring?
If you haven’t read this book you should:
No Hands: The Rise and Fall of the Schwinn Bicycle Company: An American Institution
By Judith Crown and Glenn Coleman
My opinion is Schwinn missed the opportunity to actually BE Giant, instead of the other way around.
The largest manufacturers of bikes in the world are:
Giant (as you said most every brand)
Merida (part owner of Specialized)
Ideal
That said there are others - having seen pictures of the bikes made by Fairly Bike Manufacturering their DNA seems to appear in Cannondale.
Being a Schwinn fan, I wasn’t able to get past this:
“…after unsuccessfully attempting to purchase a minority share in Giant Bicycles, Edward Schwinn Jr. negotiated a separate deal with the China Bicycle Co. (CBC) to produce bicycles to be sold under the Schwinn brand.[57] In retaliation, Giant introduced its own line of Giant-branded bikes for sale to retailers carrying Schwinn bikes. Both Giant and CBC used the dies, plans, and technological expertise from Schwinn to greatly expand the market share of bicycles made under their own proprietary brands, first in Europe, and later in the United States.”
So they used Schwinn’s intellectual property to push them into bankruptcy. Due to that, I’ve never bought a Giant.
That's just one side of the story, and i won't be surprised if that came from an U.S. source.
What rocket science that came from Schwinn that no one can copy in a matter of days?
In the end, that's just good for the consumer..! Competition keeps prices low, so I wouldn't fault Giant for that at all.
king lew
1:56 you really gonna waste my time like this? I'll be hitting that don't recommend button.
They got a great ROI. $100K at their inception is roughly a $500K investment now. Great success story.
Giant makes some decent value road bike, but they're missing the mark a little on the mountain bikes . I chalk some of it up to bike fashion the other bit to competitive designs
Giant is a copy-cat, nothing more. But they copy on a high level, and they work....
You realise they make their own carbon right? Name another brand that does
No giant is the trendsetter that makes every other “cool” bike you see … you obviously aren’t listening or have no idea. But listen and learn, really well done . Have a great day and safe ride. Cheers