From Taiwan: A Work Bike

taiwan%20workbike.jpg 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.

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