On your bike Giant

ON YOUR BIKE

World-class cyclists ride to win on Giant bicycles – and millions of ordinary cyclists around the world choose them too. Industry Europe finds out what makes Giant different from its competitors.

Taiwan-based Giant builds more than six million bicycles a year. Some are madeto-measure performance bikes for professionals, with price tags to match. Millions more are made to measure in a rather different way – they are designed to meet the very different needs of cyclists, depending on whether they are cycling on the safe, level cycle paths of the Netherlands, battling up and down hills and through the rain in Wales, or cruising along in the Californian sunshine.

A key part of Giant’s global success is its ‘local’ focus. Founded in 1972, Giant started as a local company in Taiwan. It has always been a company with a manufacturing philosophy and it is now the largest bicycle manufacturer in the world. It is also the only bicycle company covering the full value chain, and one of only very few Taiwanese companies with a worldwide recognised brand name.

“We describe ourselves as a one-stop provider of high-end products,” says a company representative. “We were the first to mass produce bicycles using carbon fibre composite materials, in 1987. We also supply over two million bikes to other brands – bikes that are built to their designs. With our full manufacturing facilities we are able to make bikes – or sometimes just the tubing – for our customers very cost effectively and with better quality.”

Total solution

“Giant was founded by business people. In Taiwan bikes are the most favoured mode of transport, more out of necessity – not so much for leisure,” says Mr Davies. “This background has made a difference. The owners understand manufacturing very well so they look at a problem from the engineering side as opposed to the more emotional side. They see the bicycle as a total solution for transportation.

“So if you live in the urban sprawl of Taiwan, or the rural pastures of Wales, you understand that the topography means different types of bikes. There is, for example, the space issue – you might need a compact bike in order to store it. Or you might need big tyres because of the local conditions. We have a global range, but developed and adapted for different usages.”

And the country or regional preferences do vary hugely. In the Netherlands, despite wind and rain, it would not be unusual to see

a 70-year-old woman on a bike, or a parent with two children on the back. In Spain and Italy, the focus is much more on elite, highperformance cycling – fast bikes and flashy colours. “People there don’t cycle to work – cycling is more for recreation, whether for touring or getting fit,” says Mr Davies. “The bicycle has lots of different usages, so we apply our knowledge to that.”

To keep close to the market and its needs, Giant has experienced design-oriented teams based in each region. Design is also done by category, whether performance, road racing, mountain biking or city biking – when people often want folding bikes.

“Each region involves a whole different mindset and the designer has to think that way,” says Mr Davies. “We pick people who understand their category and markets very well. The materials used are very complex. In the high-end performance sector, composites technology is continually improving, so you can use more and more complicated materials. A lot of computer analysis is involved and high-tech research and development. It is a case of how little material you can get away with and keep it safe.

Manufacturing sites

In general, Giant is working in a highly competitive market where products are constantly being updated. It has more than 150 research and development professionals based in Taiwan, China, the Netherlands and the USA. Designers must keep up with the latest preferences when it comes to the shape of wheels

on children’s bikes, or the type of saddle preferred by riders in a particular country.

Giant has two manufacturing sites in China and manufacturing sites in Taiwan and Vietnam. In order to serve the European market, it has an assembly plant in the Netherlands. Bicycle frames arrive here ‘raw’ and unpainted. They are painted, built and assembled, all in-house to serve the whole European region. Bicycles for the general market are built as standard for stock, to be sold by bicycle shops and dealers, although there is an option for a customer to buy just the frame set, and then the shop will build up a customised bike with their choice of components.

Turning point

When Giant first became involved in sponsoring professional cyclists, in 1998, it was a turning point for the company. Today it sponsors world-class riders across all the different disciplines – track, road, mountain, triathlon, both men and women. “It is our way of saying we have competence across the board,” say the company spokesperson. “These professionals only ride a bike if it is good – they would never ride a bike just for the money, because the bike is their tool.”

Giant broke onto the professional scene in February 1998, when Laurent Jalabert and his teammates started the Ruta del

Sol race with shiny new yellow bikes that seemed three sizes too small and had a sloping top tube. Five hours later, they emerged victorious and Giant’s Total Compact Road (TCR) concept began its reign. Since then, Giant has had winners across the board, including the Tour de France.

Over the years, the TCR has evolved from TCR Alu to TCR Comp to TCR Advanced. Among the new performance models that Giant will be launching are the new 2014 CX bikes – an and all-new range of cyclocross bikes aimed at breaking performance barriers in the current market of cross bikes.

Electric bikes

“Cycling is a green and healthy activity and we want to promote that. We want to sell more bikes but the cycling environment needs to be improved,” continues the company spokesperson. “It is not all like the dedicated cycle tracks in Holland – in other countries you follow cycle lanes which are just painted on the main roads and often lead you straight onto a dual carriageway. Holland is unique for its huge number of bicycles. America has good pockets, but in other areas – forget it. We need to do more together to promote cycling, especially with the obesity problem, but really it is local governments that need to do more.”

Giant believes that the steady increase in sales of its electric bikes could be an important step in the right direction. Electric bikes are cheaper than cars and today’s models can cover large distances before the battery needs charging. Giant produces bikes that range in price from €350 to €7000. From region to region they will continue to differ considerably; Giant Europe and Giant USA have the ability to sell a totally different selection of bicycles. As Giant says, in Australia, Japanese consumer preferences are not taken into consideration when designing bicycles and marketing for the local market. This regional focus enables the global group to react quickly to changing trends and fashions. n