Poland’s Kross Bikes has created several videos giving us an inside look at their factory and R&D teams in action. Mostly unheard of in the United States, Kross is a full-line brand primarily sold in Europe.
A large percentage of their products are made right in Poland, giving them greater control over their manufacturing, but also the ability to tell the story in depth since they own the process. The third video tells the deepest story, and it has English subtitles.
So many talented designers and engineer (s) ? But no real manufacturing. I got sucked in thinking I would see machining centre’s and welders with glowing torches etc but it is obvious from 3 videos that Kross has followed in the footsteps of Pinarello, Focus, Colnago and many other Euro brands that confuse the assembly of a bicycle with foreign i.e. Asian frames and domestic (paint ha) with ‘manufacturing’. Hey, at least the built the wheels in house!
Hey EM2 Yes, Specialized and Trek and Santa Cruz and and and all went east years ago, but they have the balls, or is it US law? to put Made in China or Taiwan or Vietnam on the frames. They do not hide it and we all buy it. No problem. But I have watched the Euros with their sawing steering tubes and complete bike assembly as ‘made in Italy’ or where ever. A few years ago I was in a LBS with Focus and they were labeled Made In Germany. Not sure they still do that, but the dealer really believed it!
all Foes and some alloy Intense frames are made in USA as well.
The clou is in translation. Manufacturer in polish “wytwórca” means someone who create final product no matter if all pieces (but some have to be) of it are manufactured by him. Words “manufacturer” and “producer” has the same meaning in polish. On the other side, assembler is someone who just assembly the final product from a set of parts sent from the manufacturer or producer ( none of parts are manufactured by assembler). But I definitely agree it would be honest to say in english that Kross bikes are “Engineered in Poland” rather than “Made in Poland”.
