"Blue Collar" bikes are production level bikes from some of the bigger companies. These bikes used many of the exact same components that were found on the high dollar custom bikes. Some are also designed by "famous makers" and produced overseas as opposed to the USA.
We've been moving some bikes around and taking some pictures of bikes that we have had for a LONG time. Most of these have been around at least 8 or 10 years and go back to our earlier days of collecting. These are bikes that are much more common but also are bikes that many of us rode or even wished we could afford while we rode the lesser-priced cousins of these bike.
Going back through old magazines, I wonder how much Diamond Back spend on ads for this bike:
More pics and details @ http://www.mombat.org/1987_Diamond_Back_Arrival.htm
The Alien was the working mans version of the Mantis bikes. Neat looking bike with the chrome rear and chrome fork:
More pics and details @ http://www.mombat.org/1990_Nishiki_Alien.htm
Another bolt-on rear end on the Fisher CR-7. I think MBA called this the best handling bike ever?
More pics and details @ http://www.mombat.org/1989_Fisher_CR7.htm
And for the Bridgestone fans, the MB-1 that has unfortunately lost its original fork:
More pics and details @ http://www.mombat.org/1993_Bridgestone_MB1.htm
And I guess this one is questionably "blue-collar" but it is Taiwanese. Some day I wouldn't mind finding a little better example.
More pics and details @ http://www.mombat.org/1991_Bridgestone_MB0.htm