LEVELNINE: high-quality bicycle components at a great price
A brand known for its high-quality, fair priced cycling components, now available exclusively at bc!
Taipei, Taiwan. A wave of hot tropical air hit us as we left the airport. It’s 30° C and the Taiwanese fall is in the air. A comfortable temperature to begin our journey. But we are not here for vacation. Instead, we are here to find a reliable manufacture who meets our high standards to add the right products to our line-up.
After a little searching, we found who we were looking for. We jumped on a train to Taichung, the bike capital of Taiwan, to meet with PMG (Precision Manufacturing Group). They happened to also be searching, but for a distributor in Europe for their brand, LEVELNINE.
I really took the bars and stem for a spin.
In the factory
We had already heard of LEVELNINE before heading to Taiwan. The brand stands for high-quality products at fair prices and they are especially attractive because of their clean design and guaranteed high standards. When we decided to meet with PMG we knew we wanted to see the factory ourselves. As we got out of the train in Taichung, we hailed a Taxi that took us through the pulsing inner city.
We had to see the factory in Taiwan for ourselves, to see the high-quality manufacturing first-hand.
It's always interesting to watch as the products are being developed.
Testing testing testing...
and more testing on the trail!
The large production facilities are located on the edge of the city. Jimmy, the Head of Sales at PMG met us at the door. After exchanging pleasantries, he took us straight on the production floor. He showed us all the machines and let Phillip bend a set of Team Road handlebars to form. Their level of transparency when it comes to the manufacturing process really impressed us. What makes PMG special, is that they work hard to ensure their products stay in house, keeping the parts from being handled through multiple channels. They produce all their products in two places. Their aluminium seatposts, stems and handlebars are made in Taiwan and their carbon parts in China. We really like this because we can directly affect how products are produced, especially in accordance with customer’s feedback.
Eliminating the risks
Moving on from the machines, we were taken into their test lab. We watched as a testing stand simulated a Downhill ride on Pro Team Carbon bars. One of the employees was busy testing a box full of stems. Every step in the quality control process is checked multiple times and the products are even analysed by computer for material weakness. This way, PMG can be sure that all of their components are ready to ride.
Handlebars are put through some tough stuff.
Every product is checked for accuracy.
Fair prices, top quality
One thing was clear, PMG manufactures and tests their products on an extremely high level. Everything they do is of the highest technical standards. As an online shop, one of our biggest challenges is offering great, quality bicycle components at a fair price.
I'm a huge fan of LEVELNINE.
We wanted all of this as well as direct communication with the manufacturer to finally cut out the middleman. However, our cooperation with PMG is much more than that. We now have the ability to directly affect the components that are produced. That means, we can take your feedback and put it right back into the products. Of course, we can also offer great prices now that we get everything straight from the manufacturer. With this deal, we hope to make cycling an affordable hobby for everyone.
Our goal: make cycling more affordable for every rider!
Working with PMG is all about short development cycles, fair prices and high-end products. That’s why we have now offer LEVELNINE exclusively in our shop.
