One link in the chain: Vancouver's independent bicycle dealers in the context of the globalized bicycle production network

In this research project I explore the role of Vancouver's independent bicycle dealers (IBDs) in the context of a globalized bicycle production network. I consider how IBDs in Vancouver fit within the global network using frameworks developed in the Global Commodity Chain, Global Value Chain, and Global Production Network literature. I identify network actors at the local scale and the relationships between these actors, I suggest that embeddedness is an important feature of the local IBD sector, and I consider the foundations on which IBDs base their independence in this globalized industry. My research findings suggest that while the shift to global production in the bicycle industry has resulted in a greater number IBDs in Vancouver, there is cause to take a cautionary stance looking forward.