Posts tagged “taipei”  

Nabiis goods. Bike parts, DVDs, from the fixie scene in Taiwan. We missed this crew during our trips to Taipei -- won't do so again.

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Last year in Taipei, we along with everyone else, were amazed by the increase in ridership and cyclists. Following that up, Taipei is testing a Bike Share program. They've already got Bike Parking. Eric Mah, Marketing Specialist from Dahon demonstrates how it works in this video

Bike Share aside, I dig that Giant bike with its funky-fender, dynamo hub, and all.

Eric is blogging about biking to work with his co-workers, including the gas masks they wear.

1/2 links seem in these days (3 posts and counting from us); especially on a Vintage Dahons. This bike was spotted by Steve Gluckman, Brand Manager Novara, during a trip to Taipei for the bike show.

Read more about Steve in a MTBR forum from 2002: Bike jockey by design.

Riding in the rain requires skill. You don’t want to ride through puddles and prolly shouldn’t do it while holding an umbrella.

This photo reminded me of all the craziness we’ve seen while riding in various Asian countries. Like this scooter-assist in Shanghai or this guy cooking a shoe or shiny human sculptures.

Noticed on RabatJoie a mostly NSFW site.

While we’re here in Austin for the MoSo SXSW, the Bike Expo is kicking off back in Seattle and there’s the Taipei Bike Show in Taiwan.

Metrofiets is bringing their flavor of cargo bikes to the Expo and that’s one of the bikes we’d want to see. We’d give them the thumbs up right back.

Readers,

Tell us how the Expo goes in the comments.

While in Taipei, we spotted a bike parking attendant. This was between the hotel and the trade center.

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Don’t know how we missed this crew during our last trip to Taipei, but we’re looking them up next time …

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Iris and I went to visit her aunt who lives in the apartment where Iris lived until she was 11. Just a couple blocks from the address, tucked in on a small alley, was a little bike shop with a showroom smaller than a American SUV. Despite its size and rather low key shop face, it was chock-a-block full with cool bikes.

One day while in Taiwan, Iris and I saw this robot re-directing traffic. Powered by a car battery, it waved its arms constantly and neither pissed in the street nor made lewd suggestions to my girlfriend.

We had gone to visit her aunt and uncle who live just outside Taipei proper. After stuffing ourselves on a Taiwan feast of stinky tufo, shrimp, greens, and tropical fruit, they invited us for a walk outside.

What often seems to happen when Asian countries become more prosperous is that cycling takes on a negative aura in the eyes of the public as they rush headlong into the trappings wealth and consumerism. Seduced by petrol drenched dreams of success, people leave behind the bicycle as if its humble drivetrain chained them to old ways and poverty. And while the heavy industries, upon which their hopes rise to the top of world commerce, choke the air foul and the now swarming cars fill the gaps between with rivers of emissions, the bicycles are further pushed to the margins of the road and sidewalks. But the Taiwan government seems to be aware that the quaint bicycle, together with improved public transportation, can be a terrific foil to the issues of air quality, traffic congestion, and infrastructure of a society overly dependent on automobiles.

A couple times while we were in Taipei, Iris and I went to the Ximending shopping district, sometimes called the Harajuku of Taiwan, a place where youth, consumerism, and culture collide in corridors of bright lights and gaudy colours. We walked through the many shops and arcades, amongst street performers, shoppers, and shopkeepers. We saw these tricycles, apparently advertising escort services with internally lit panels.

Apparently bookstores are the new hangout in Taiwan. The Eslite booksellers franchise has a huge flagship store about 6 blocks from Taiepi 101. They have 5 floors topped by a fancy restaurant floor. The basement level is a food court.

On our way, I spotted this bike labelled “Rollo”. What’s so unusual about it? It’s model that Bianchi sold in the states, basically a downgraded version of the Bianchi Milano with green metal-flake paint and a stupid clown head horn. I don’t think that Bianchi had a Taiwan presence when this model was produced, let alone sold it Taiwan. How did you get here, you little ugly bike?

Iris took me to a couple of the night markets in Taipei. These are spectacles that shouldn’t be missed. For one reason, there’s the food, which is both really good and really cheap. Another is the atmosphere of the Taiwanese passing the time, leisurely winding their way through narrow passageways, and the shop people in their semi-busy routine that must have been formed through countless nights just like this one.

In between eating treats of squid legs and yam fries and shopping for handbags, I spotted this work bike. It’s a longtail trike, single speed with what appears to be a frame mounted brake lever. I would see these trikes here and there but never in the new Taipei core around the 101 tower. As the city is almost pancake flat, nestled amongst mountains and dressed with good pavement, the trikes need only be sturdy and simple. Chances are that these trikes were manufactured long ago, and yet despite the onslaught of motorscooters and autos, they live on because of their economy and durability.

I’m in Asia on vacation, and one of my amusements is finding interesting mini velo and folding bikes. Here’s my current object of obsession, the Gios Panto. I saw one parked outside a bike shop while in Taiwan.

So we were rolling down the rover path in Taipei when we came upon a Birdy bicycle at a rest stop. Half the bikes out there were mini-wheeled folders, but this one had tiny HED aero wheels on it.

…and I’ll raise you taxicab mounted bike racks.

Seattle’s buses all have bicycle racks mounted on them, but I have never heard of nor seen racks on taxis before seeing this one in Taipei.

On one hand, it seems like an excuse to burn petrol in order to transport an emissions-less vehicle. On the other, I can state from personal experience that there are times that putting a bike on a taxi can be really handy. The only other time I’ve been to Taipei, I got absolutely lost. I had to go to a police kiosk and ask for help back like a moron. They called a taxi to take me back to the hotel, since I was miles from there.

Walking around Taipei at night, Iris and I saw this billboard for some sort of HD product.

We talked Taipei, technology, and bikes at the Taipei Blogger Party.

Here’s an idea: get some Thule roof racks, bolt them to the ground, and you’ve got bike parking!

We walk by this rack each day outside of the Taipei Convention Center. They’re not locked because of the guards nearby. I presume the bikes are convention center employees.

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Honda is about to launch the FIT in Taiwan and setup this street demo. You stand between the F & T, a sensor detects you, lights up, plays some weird music, and then you take a picture to later upload it to their blog.

I thought it made for a good way to demonstrate the Bright Pockets (and heels) of Cordarounds Bike to Work Pants. I also noted that it was an engaging use of Social Media. For some reason, I also wanted to salute my colleagues when standing on the platform.