Tariffs On Bicycles And Bike Parts--To Curb Illegal Immigration and Fentanyl Importation?

A Getty Image

 

One of the gusts in the storm of the opening days of Trump's second term is a round of tariffs on goods from Canada, China and Mexico.

Yesterday, the charges against Canada and Mexico were paused for 30 days,  but the ones aimed at China are still in effect.  Meanwhile, the United States Postal Service rescinded its announcement that it would cease accepting packages coming inbound from China and Hong Kong.

So what does all of this have to do with the cycling world?

Well, the effects on levies on Chinese goods--imposed on top of the duties and fees already charged--seem obvious at first glance.  About 87 percent of the bicycles sold in the United States are made in that country.  So are most accessories and helmets, and many items of footwear and clothing.  But those all of those items still account for only half of the money spent on bicycle-related goods in the US, mainly because most of the bikes are for kids or low-end models for adults.  While some carbon and other high-cost frames are made in China, the majority come from Cambodia, Vietnam and other countries.  "The specialty bike industry has moved out of China," one manufacturer's representative declared. "Any one that is still there has only themselves to blame."

Even so, many bikes and e-bikes that are "made in" Vietnam, Cambodia or even North America or Europe are built around frames that are made in China to be finished and assembled where they are "made."  And even if the frames are welded and painted in the US, there's still a good chance that some parts are made in China. So even if the manufacture of mass-market bikes returns to these shores (most of the bikes, or more exactly, frames built in the US are custom or limited- production), whether or not the tariffs will apply isn't clear.

As for our neighbors to the north and south, together they account for about a thirtieth of the sales volume of bikes and bike-related products from China sold in the US. Spinergy has been making wheels for bicycles (and wheelchairs) in Mexico for at least three decades; other companies, like Yakima, also made products there but have since shifted production elsewhere. But there hasn't been significant bicycle production in the country for decades; its best-known brand--Windsor--is now made in Asia and sold via eBay and direct-to-consumer outlets.  Most of Canada's sales in the US come from companies that operate on both sides of the border; thus, a bike coming crossing the northern border is likely to have come from elsewhere.

There are rumors that Trump will target the European Union next, but that--and retaliatory tariffs, if the EU decides to impose them--would be attached mainly to automotive and agricultural products, two categories in which the US is running a trade defecit.

Does all of this mean that you should run out and buy a new bike or helmet or stock up on parts you might need?  I don't know.  And what is the Fake Tan Fuhrer's rationale for the tariffs?  Fentanyl imports and illegal immigration.  How those things will be affected, I also don't know.  Nor do better minds than mine.

Two Speeds, Two Chains

 Most of you, I suspect, ride or have ridden a bike with two chainrings.  I would imagine, however, that none of you have ridden a bicycle with two chains that isn’t a tandem.

Some folks are about to have that experience. They’re not Grand Tour riders or triathletes; none (as far as I know, anyway) plan on embarking upon a cross-country or round-the-world tour.

Rather, they are folks who use their bicycles as taxis, pickup trucks and cargo vans. I encountered such riders in Cambodia and Laos and even rode bicycles like the ones they use.  Those bikes, however, didn’t have the unique feature I mentioned at the beginning of this post.

So why, you ask, are some people about to ride a bike with two chains? And, where are they?

I’ll answer the second question first:  Africa.  I’ve never been there, but I imagine that parts of it are like the Southeast Asian countryside I saw:  unpaved roads and paths with few, if any bike shops.  And the shops that exist can’t order a part you need for your SRAM Red 13 speed shifter and have it delivered by Fed Ex the next day.

In such an environment, a bike that would need such a part would be all but useless.  And it would be worse than impractical for hauling a 15 liter metal jug of milk from farm to village.

World Bicycle Relief has been working to address people’s needs in rural Africa and other parts of the world.  It developed the Buffalo bicycle: a “tank” with wide tires, steel rims and a coaster brake. This was believed to be the bike with lowest possible maintenance. Also, because the bike has a coaster brake, it can be ridden with wheels that are significantly out-of true.  Oh, and it has a rear rack that can support up to 200 pounds.

As you can imagine, the bike is heavy. But its users didn’t mind:  Reliability is more important to them. That weight, however, combined with its coaster brake hub—which has only one gear—meant that most people couldn’t ride it up a hill, especially if it was loaded.

A new version of the Buffalo bike is designed to deal with that problem.  So why two chains?, you might ask.

Well, each chain runs on one of the two chainwheels—and one of the two sprockets on the rear.  Those sprockets are part of a freewheel that looks like a wider version of the ones found on BMX bikes. One chain wraps around the smaller sprocket and chainwheel while the other winds around the larger sprocket and chainring.

This arrangement results in a two-speed bike without a derailleur, internally-geared hub or coaster brake. So how does the bike “shift?”

Well, the freewheel contains a mechanism that disengages one gear while the other is being used. So, if you are pedaling in one gear, the chain still spins on the other.  And the “shift” is made by pedaling backwards, just as you would on a coaster brake.

Achieving that, of course, meant giving up that coaster brake.  Instead, a pair of dual pivot brakes binds on robust alloy rims to stop or slow down. As the developers explain, some strength may be sacrificed but, apparently, there’s still enough to support a 200 pound load in addition to the rider. And it’s also easier to true an alloy rim.

Oh, and everything on the bike—including the freewheel mechanism—can be fixed with a tool that looks like an oversized version of the old Raleigh spanner—or an adjustable wrench.

I, for one, would be interested to try such a bike, if for no other reason than to experience the two-speed, two-chain system.  And I am always happy when a practical bike—whatever that means for a particular place or kind of user—is designed.

What Did He See?

 Today is Groundhog Day.

According to ancient folklore, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, six more weeks of winter will follow. If he doesn’t, spring is imminent.

Drumroll…

Six more weeks.  Well, that is more or less when Spring Equinox, a.k.a. the “official “ first day of Spring arrives.

Sometimes I think Andy Warhol had Phil in mind when he said that everyone will have 15 minutes of fame.

I wonder what he does during the rest of the year.

Update:  Staten Island Chuck, out local “colleague “ of Phil, didn’t see his shadow.