[some_guy282]

This may be a bit of an obscure and OT question, but I'd like to ask it anyway. How many companies here in the US are manufacturing bicycle tires in factories located here? Are there any at all, or do most/all of our tires come from factories overseas?

 

[dirtpaws]

None that I have ridden

Most of the tires I've ridden have been made overseas.

Just my educated guess... Rubber is a huge crop in tropical countries in Asia so they may have choosen to keep manufacturing over there since it grows there and cost of labor is a fraction of what it would be here. Also the French are known for their tires too and they once colonized and ruled most of Southeast Asia, so the economies have been built around rubber.

 

[shiggy]

This may be a bit of an obscure and OT question, but I'd like to ask it anyway. How many companies here in the US are manufacturing bicycle tires in factories located here? Are there any at all, or do most/all of our tires come from factories overseas?

None that you would want to ride. Some of the solid/foam airless "flatproof" tires might be made here.

 

[shiggy]

I thought rubber is all synthetic now, sourced from petroleum?

Natural rubber and blends of natural and synthetic rubber are used in many high-end tires.