Fake Britain

[GrumpyGregry]

Day time BBC yday...

Fake Brommies and fake Stridas.

Anyone encountered one of these demonstrably pos machines in the flesh?

 

[TheDoctor]

I've seen a Merc, which was IIRC a fake Brommie. Made of aluminium but still managed to be heavier, and had a derailleur with many microns of ground clearance.
But a fake Strida? Have you ever ridden a Strida? I mean, why not copy something better?

 

[Drago]

That's like faking a Lada.

 

[TheDoctor]

I don't see how an A-bike copy could be worse than the original, in all honesty.

 

[John the Monkey]

But a fake Strida? Have you ever ridden a Strida? I mean, why not copy something better?

In another of my areas of interest, the Hero 616 (a Chinese copy of the Parker 51 fountain pen, which sells for not much money) is frequently copied too, despite the price differential between those made by the Hero company, and those by the fakers being negligible. Some would argue that lack of differential for the quality control too, although the three (genuine) Hero 616s I have are nice, if unexciting, pens. I've seen commentary on some pen blogs saying that even the fakes are being faked.

Which is a roundabout way of saying that if they can sell it, they'll copy it, I guess.

 

[Pale Rider]

There is a genuine copy Brompton, if there can be such a thing.

Years ago, the founder signed a licensing deal with, I think, a Chinese company.

A court case followed in which Brompton tried to revoke the licence, but they lost and the licensed Brompton is still made.

 

[ufkacbln]

Slightly OT.....

Mark Sanders (Strida) worked with Clive Sinclair on the X Bike project

He also designed a full size folding bike which was taken up by Pacific Cycles and their "IF" range is his design