December News Cycles: Laterally Stiff... Yet Vertically Compliant

At Alishan

*photo courtesy of Michael Turton

Local News:

• Primavera does Yangming Shan.
• Terry does Taichung Bike Week.
• The Talented Steven Ripley tours the Giant Factory for the Winnipeg Sun. Despite the regurgitation of prepackaged government tropes and the repeated and imaginary construct of China's history, which has apparently grown to 8000 years and may soon reach the pliocene before the decade is out, Ripley gives us a nice little blurb on the Giant production line.
• Taiwan Focus gives us an update on the well financed Taiwanese couple circling the globe and spreading ROC mythologies.
• Mark Blacknell descends Taroko. One of my favorite biking locations.
• Bev Cycles through Taiwanese bike factories.
• Taiwanese company produces the first carbon fiber roof rack for bicycles that promises to be laterally stiff... yet vertically compliant.

International News (I wish I still had the I.N.sweatshirt)

• Beijing's Town Bike: Chinese forsake their bikes for four wheeled representations of status and wealth... leading to clogged cities and even more air pollution in Beijing. What happened to the bicycle infrastructure? The government is now offering up public bicycles.
• John Roberts writes his decision on choosing a bike. That would be John C. Roberts and he makes a lot of good points. Having just sent a few people out looking for bikes I want to underscore a couple points. If the salesperson doesn't seem interested in listening... leave. A salesperson should be like a good doctor by listening to the customer and then finding a suitable solution. Many salespeople simply want to move the stock they are being asked to move. Others simply want to move customers to higher ticket items, but often a lower-end starter leads to endless upgrades. Purpose and fit do not seem to matter to many on the sales floor. If they don't want to listen... don't stay.
• The UCI, the governing body for professional cycling, have announced their intended reach beyond the bike to govern clothing and products. This has major implications as amateur cyclists (and marketers) often follow the pros and this decision may impact many clothing and product manufacturers as average consumers rush to get (look) "certified". Anyone remember the rush to get "ISO 9002... Certifahhhd"?
• Say it loud... I bike and I'm proud! College students defy authority in protest against cyclist crackdown.
• Team Schleck of Luxembourg will follow Apple naming protocol to become "Team Leopard", also known as build ASFS2011.
• Commute Racing: When you just need to put the smack-down on somebody before going to the office and jockeying to hold the hat for your boss.