High-end pedals to the metal

By Marco R. della Cava, USA TODAY
SAN FRANCISCO

Bicycles represent a $5.8-billion-a-year business; an estimated 43 million Americans ride with some frequency, according to the National Bicycle Association. Today, 99.3% of bicycles sold in the USA are imported, largely from factories in China and Taiwan.
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For many, a super-light bike is the holy grail. You get an instant appreciation for Parlee's feathery frames when you consider that a light bike hovers around 17 pounds. Tour de France bikes (by regulation) weigh in at just over 14 pounds; some Parlees have rung in at just over 9 pounds.
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You might pay $6,000 for our bikes when all is said and done, but we're a cheap date compared to a Harley-Davidson" motorcycle, which can easily top $20,000, Schwinn says. "We keep stretching in what we can build, and the customers just keep coming with us."
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<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2007-07-15-bikes_N.htm">http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2007-07-15-bikes_N.htm</a>;