Wondering how I would go about finding out what year my Kestrel 200SCI was made…is there somewhere on the bike I can find a serial number that would tell me?
As a long time guy…and I love you man, I mean I love you dude - in a really non gay way.
Why do you care where it is made?
There is nothing wrong with a Monday night football guy like kinda love Chip. Not so much with the WHERE it was made but rather with the WHEN it was made. It is nice to be loved though…kinda gives me a warm fuzzy feeling all over. I had someone ask me what year my Kestrel was made (apparently certain years had a slightly different version of the seat tube…who knew) and I couldn’t give them an answer. Would be nice to know for sure.
Oh yeah…and I love you too man.
Serial # will help which is located under the bottom bracket.
I would bet 200sci was made state side - that was pre-bankruptsy if I recall properly. The new Kestrals are all imported, low cost mould (Martec) frames. That being said, Martec also makes some framesets that are VERY popular on ST and the second coming of the gods if you ask them.
Serial number is 44046 and she was made in the good ole US of A.
And Chip…dude…I know you’re with the pink and all…but a guy in your profession should know a thing or two about mould…making bike frame in it…can’t be pretty. Sometimes mould can be pink…it’s okay…I get that.
I used to have a 200EMS that was actually made in Japan back when Schwinn had majority control of Kestrel. Then Preston took control again and moved production to Watsonville area. I recall talking to some Kestrel guys years ago that said they actually had fewer problems with the Japanese built Kestrels than the US ones. Wish I still had that bike actually…
That is the common theme with Carbon. Fact is that they do carbon better over the pacific than they do it here. Take Cervelo for instance - they went from a US built P3 (Alu) to an imported P3C and now a C4. In either case the cost is down, the quality is up and they can offer a frame with a ton for tech than the locals such as Aegis. You can take Elite that is really just Al lugs and carbon tubes or Parlee that has SUPER high quality…but alas allot of imported carbon.
If I was Cervelo, sure as hell I would rather import it than get carbon at any price…Kestral…same deal
Thanks for talking at Tri Fest. It was nice meeting you.
BTW - That new Kestrel bike is nice!!
Did they show the new Kestrel at TriFest? No pictures out yet?
Chris
Now lookit…stop hijacking my thread you guys. Hard enough to corner a guy like Steve when he is as busy as he is. (shakes his finger reprimandingly)
Yep…they had just built it up for the show.
Was it the new Airfoil Pro, or the even newer prototype that Steven has mentioned here and there?
Chris
It was the new Airfoil Pro.
Has there been any mention of the price tag on the airfoil pro frameset? I asked the local retailer and he says the rep is mum while waiting for the manufacturing issues in China to end.
Since I just bought a new bike, I didn’t need to ask : )
.
My local retailers mentioned the same “manufacturing issues” in China. As a long-time Kestrel rider, a quick call to ASI in Philly was in order - it’s a redesign after all. That call however led me away from Kestrel for the first time since 2002 - I’ll be on a Felt shortly. Bit of a knee-jerk reaction on my part perhaps - as I’m sure the new Airfoil will be fine once any redesign challenges are worked out - but man the ASI folks that I talked to that day need some customer communications training…
All,
NOT sure the “manufacturing issues” my inside guys are speaking of. I will educate them on communicating correctly. We have no issues, we changed everything on the bike from last year so it took the factory some time to re-tool and get things going. We have a few hundred bikes and frames on the water that will arrive this month and more coming next month. Trisports.com received the first shipment while we were @ Trifest and others will receive their orders shortly.
Hope that helps.
Gimme another day to find it. Son is home sick so Dad gets a day to work from home with him.