Compact Vision #2: Manufacturing: Where and How?
Alright!
After the first article on the Compact Vision Project, it turns out that 90% of you are interested in a mini-velo with track bike geometry. Truth be told, we’ve already started working on some technical drawings and even sent a few emails to explore how we might take our first real steps.
But among the many questions surrounding this frame, one sits pretty much at the center of everything: How are we going to manufacture it?
That’s right! To bring this idea to life, we’ll need to make prototypes and figure out the how, when, and where of producing this frame. There are quite a few factors to consider, so let’s break them down:
Cost and Place of production
Quantities and distribution
As you might expect, cost and place of production are closely linked, and we essentially have two main routes we could take.
Option 1: The Traditional Route: Manufacturing in Asia
One option is to have the frames produced by a trusted factory in China. The pricing is relatively affordable. Once we include paint, shipping, taxes, and everything else, our calculations show that we could keep the retail price of the frameset under €800. Now, yes, €800 may still feel like a big number, but our philosophy is to underpromise and overdeliver, not the other way around.
Option 2: Made in France… But at What Cost?
The second option was to approach a well-known French frame manufacturer, known for doing both custom and small-batch production. We came prepared, technical drawings ready, and asked what it would cost.
After a few emails back and forth, here’s what we learned: Not only would we be paying for the frames themselves, but also for: A mandatory 3D model, a production setup fee, and extra for powder coating. All of that seems pretty reasonable but then came the twist: even if the frame is built in France, the fork would still be outsourced to Asia, according to the manufacturer. That makes the idea of a fully Made in France steel frameset feel… a bit less authentic. On the upside, producing locally means we could pick up fully boxed and ready-to-ship frames right from the factory, saving us the import taxes from Asia. But with all the added costs, the final price of a single frameset would nearly double, landing around €1500 per unit.
Now let’s talk about the next big challenge: quantities and distribution. Our goal here isn’t to make a profit, it’s more of a community experiment than a business move. That’s why we’ll most likely go with a pre-order system.
And before you start typing in the (nonexistent) comment section of this article, yes, we know pre-orders can be scary. Delays in manufacturing, shipping hiccups, and other unfortunate surprises are the daily bread of small-batch production. But on this, you’ll just have to trust our word: we simply can’t afford to produce 50 frames and end up selling only 10.
Finally, we still need to figure out the packaging and boxing situation for both production options, as well as set up shipping rates for different parts of the world. Both manufacturing options do offer stocking and shipping services, which would technically allow us to have the frames shipped directly from the factory. But… that would prevent us from inspecting each frame ourselves, and from adding a few personal touches (read: goodies) to each box. We’re still working through all of that, and we’ll keep you in the loop as it comes together.
But as promised, here’s this month’s Compact Vision vote:
What manufacturing option sounds better to you?
