TRUE TEMPER, one of the famous bike tube steelmaker based in Memphis - Tenesee is also a major actor in the golf shaft industries since 1900. According to a brief news in Bicycle Retailers And Industry News magazine, the American steelmaker has decided to stop the production of its famous steel tubes for the bicycle industry. It will mainly affect steel bikes handcrafter.
The main reason is that the bicycle frame tubing program does not fit anymore in their core strategy due to the fact that it is a too small market compare to their core business (golf, hockey and lacrosse that they run till the 1800's). At least, investing capital and also producing specific batch of steel tubes on their current equipment (machines) without any efficiently in a so small market does not make any sense to the company, a position that is fully understandable. Numbers, strategy and business logic have spoken, if you want to see True Temper again, you ll have to start, if no yet, playing golf.
Orders are still accepted till the end of the year 2016, all production and shipments will end March 31, 2017. No new development projects are being accepted.
It's website does not refer anymore to bikes. http://www.truetemper.com
Please find the entire news here : http://www.bicycleretailer.com/product-tech/2016/05/20/true-temper-exit-bike-tubing-market-next-year#.V0dMHpMwiho
