Ever wonder why you are paying so much for your tubular tires? Turns out, it’s a little more difficult than just cutting up some rubber. Vittoria takes us inside their factory to see how tubular tires are made, from raw material to finished product.
Wow,
real Italian craftsmanship. Is this the same factory where they needed to set-up nets to keep the workers from killing themselves….oh wait, that was the Foxconn factory where Apple IPods and IPhones were manufactured.
Does this woman make enough to even be able to afford a set of Vittoria tubulars?
funny thing, they never said the tires were made in italy. the tires are very clearly labelled as made in Thailand. and a number of tire companies contract them out to make their tires.
the environment seems very clean, air-conditioned, with employees wearing jeans and shirts, not rags. i’m sure it’s a decent blue-collar job there.
Apparently, the implication is that “craftsmanship” can’t happen any where outside of the likes of Italy or whatever other fabled mecca of something that people have their hearts wrapped around. Of course, such ignorance precludes actually evaluating the tire in terms of construction and performance. Seems to me that there are a lot of damned fine tires coming out of Thailand and other places that aren’t Italy.
@ColoradoGoat
So if something bad happens in Guadalajara, should I assume it’s the situation in Colorado? Same continent after all..
I’m with Robin, the product should be assessed on its own merits. I’ve had euro-made stuff crap out on me, and it’s no more romantic or evocative of the “old country” than when something made in the far east doesn’t work right.
Conditions are fin in that factory, the wages are fair, they are usually provided lodging in dormitories, all meals provided, and health care as well. Most factories are not climate controlled so summer and winter months are rough, the only time it is heated or cooled is if the manufacturing process requires a tight temperature tolerance. The labor force here is pretty skilled, if they are not treated well, they would leave and find work elsewhere. Why not made in Europe or the USA….well we demand low retail prices. If you complain, be willing to pay more.
