Welcoming A New Member To The Stable: It's A Nag!

My wife and I would like to share our joy in welcoming a new member to our stable at home. Yes, my wife brought home her new bundle of joy last night and I thought I would post the pictures of her brand new Colnago Prima.

For the past two years my wife, Joyce, has been completely devoted to her graduate studies in Translation at Fu Jen University, and for the past year she has spent countless hours hammering away on her all consuming thesis paper on the effects of patronage in the publishing of Taiwanese literature. A magnificent and provocative paper, which will greatly contribute to the field. Unfortunately, to finish in minimum time as the top student of her class for four semesters, she hardly had much time for anything else. I am very proud of her accomplishment.

Now she has time again to devote to her physical and mental well-being and wanted to buy a bicycle, so she could get out and exercise without having to renew her membership and Taichung's World Gym, which is not much more than a self serving shithole of deceit and ignorance. Vincent Chen, the manager, is (rumored to be) a real asshole and she would rather not go there again. A bike made a great alternative. And so... and much as I protested (not)... we went bike shopping.

I tried not to be too pushy or go shopping for myself and so I first had her identify what she wanted to do with a bike if she were to buy one. She wanted to do regular rides for fitness and recreation. Mainly road riding and group rides. She wanted a road bike with drop bars and something light enough to carry up stairs and most of all, she didn't want a bike that would have frequent mechanical problems or need for costly upgrades.

After a fit session and some geometry gazing, we started shopping around to see which bikes were available and not just for viewing in brochures, we narrowed things down. In each case we tried to find WSD bikes. Unfortunately, many of the women's bikes are poorly equipped.

The final choices came down to: Specialized Dolce with Sora Triple, Colnago Prima with Shimano 105, Kuota Korsa Lite with Campy Veloce or Sram Force and a Giant Avail with Sora/Tiagra mix.

The liability for most of the bikes we were looking at was the reliance on Sora shifters and Alex rims. It can be argued that Sora takes too much hand action to shift up and down the cassette. The Alex wheelset is a staple for bringing a price point down, but they are not the most reliable wheels. Most of the bikes had too few spokes as well. 2o ft and 24-28 rear. The Sora triple crank can be quickly rendered unreliable and is known for frequent derailleur adjustment,

My wife chose the Colnago Prima, their entry level road bike, as the one she wanted and Rocky at T-Mosaic made us a pretty good offer on it.

The Colnago was the only bike we saw that came with a complete Shimano 105 gruppo and FSA chainrings. It was the only 10spd and therefore offered a little more breadth in the rear cassette. My wife got a wide ranging 11-28 cassette to get her started off to go with the 34/50 FSA compact crank. The chainrings seem sturdy. The rims are contracted out to a Taiwanese company that does other alloy rims of quality and this bike and the most spokes (28ft 30r).

The frame is double butted alloy (Made in Taiwan) and I guess the fact that Colnago is willing to put their name on the bike may be a vote of confidence. Most of all... my wife loved the fit and feel. She felt good on the bike and it made her smile. That is the most important thing. It helps that it is a pretty bike. The Kuota was just a bit on the ugly side for my wife.

Some of the other factors that led my wife to this decision was that Rocky is a highly respected builder and fitter with some scruples and opinions on proper fit and gear. Many industry people come in for builds and fitting.

There is also T-Mosaic's weekend rides where there are several women who ride and the instant support of other "sisters" is an attractive proposition. She can always join a group ride.

So, my wife got everything she needed to get started: gloves, cyclometer, clipless pedals, front and rear lights, seat bag, bottle and cage, fitting and everything for NT58,000.

That may sound like a lot, but when buying a bike you should always go a little over budget to fight off the "shoulda's". "I shoulda' got this and that."

My wife feels that as long as she is investing in herself, it is worth it. Now she can't wait to get out there and get her money's worth.

My GIANT Night Out

Last night I had to pick up some replacement cleats for my Crank Brothers pedals. I love how the pedals function. They are easy to clip in and out of and I can clip-in from two directions. The mechanism doesn't get clogged with dirt. They're great... except for the cleat mounts.

The aluminum bolts are just too soft and mine started to strip the first week I owned them. The mounts would come loose and I would torque them down pretty hard and strip them out even more.

I finally found my "spot" and they haven't moved, but they've certainly worn down from me walking around on them and it was time to change them out. That is... if I could get them unseated from my shoes. The hex holes were too stripped to take a wrench and no amount of hammering could do it, so I headed around the corner to the Giant shop to see if they had more tools in their arsenal to deploy against my cleat. I think I may have made it more difficult by forgetting to lube a bolt or two when replacing them in a hurry. ALWAYS LUBE THE MOUNTS!

The Giant guys kindly took a hacksaw to the cleat and it was off in about 30 min. During my time in the store I stood there with a bemused look on my face as I watched the sales staff sell bikes.

A tall young woman nervously walked in an grabbed a big mountain bike with full shocks and disc brakes. She rode in a few circles around the store and then picked up a micro-bike with flat-bar and 20" wheels. She did a loop on that. By then a sales rep went over to assist and mainly stood there talking to the woman about the "feel" of the bike. The customer was riding bikes with seats that were 4-5cm too short and then being asked how it felt. At no time was the customer ever asked what purpose she intended for her bike; leisure, exercise, commuting, errands, group rides...etc. She was never sized. The sales staff just let the woman randomly guess what might be a good bike. After that they took her over to look at mountain bike helmets and biking jackets. Lots of people really don't know what options are available to them and what characteristics they should be looking for in a bike. A knowledgeable sales staff can guide a customer to make better choices. The bottom line is that only the rider knows what they want... but the sales staff can help the customer focus on what might better suit their needs and at least size them for a proper fit.

Choosing Your Taiwan Bike

Which Bike To Buy For Taiwan Riding?

Sometimes when I am out riding or talking to friends and coworkers about my rides, I get a lot of questions from people who are interested in doing something similar. A lot of people want to explore the pretty pictures on a bicycle, have adventures with friends or just get into better shape when the creaks of creeping middle age start making a descent night’s sleep an impossibility.

A lot of folks just hop on down to the Giant shop and the sales clerk sticks them on any moderately priced mountain bike that is clogging the stock room and off they go (fitted or not). At some time in the 90’s someone decided that fat tired mountain bikes were the cure-all for the average. This is great for a weekend duffer and going around town, but for serious riding there is a lot to think about that can seriously affect whether the rider will ever reach their goals. Getting the right bike is like selecting the right tool for the job.

For Taiwan riding here are some common bikes and things to think about. I hope this post will help those of you on the fence thinking about biking Taiwan better understand your options and choose the best weapon.

The Mountain Bike:

Many people who first start riding in Taiwan often reach for a flat-bar mountain bike as their initial choice. Giant sells them by the truckload. They look sturdy, have fat tires for rough surfaces. They often come with an assortment of shock absorbers which many people feel will add to comfort, and the stable looking flat-bar looks simple and easy. Some have disc brakes and feel like a tank.

The Pros: Mountain bikes are rugged, sturdy and cheap. They often use 26” tires, which are easy to spin up to speed. They are great climbers and often have a wide range of gears designed to spin across loose dirt without torquing out and sliding. Mountain bike geometry is more upright for added visibility and the quick steering makes negotiating obstacles much easier. Mountain bikes can descend with confidence due to their center of gravity being shifted to the rear. They are great for slow speed balancing as well. The fast spinning crank and finesse can improve a rider's pedal stroke, making it smooth, fluid and even. There are many mountain bike trails in the hills above Taipei, Taoyuan and Miaoli where a mountain bike enthusiast can have a lot of fun.

The Cons: Unless you really have the opportunity to ride on singletrack and rough trails and have convenient transportation to those trails, a mountain bike is not the ideal choice. Mountain bikes are designed for off road where they excel, but on road they can be extremely uncomfortable over long periods. The geometry is not designed for long road rides and the tiny cranks mean that a lot of energy is wasted spinning a crank without as much forward motion. The gearing is not practical for the road. Mountain bikes are made to withstand abuse, but that means they are unnecessarily heavy for most road riding in Taiwan. The knobby tires take about 3-5 mph off road speed and the soft tires combined with the shock absorbers sap energy from the rider that could be better used for forward motion. This demand for effort can actually reduce comfort. The flat-bar is great for negotiating roots and stones, but it puts a lot of stress on the wrists and may be painful after a couple hours. Even with additional bullhorn bar-ends, the number of hand positions is greatly reduced when compared to a drop bar.

The Standard Road Bike:

There are all kinds of road bikes from race bikes to relaxed bikes. They all serve a different purpose. These bikes are usually rigid framed bikes with skinny tires and drop handlebars. In Taiwan, road bikes have taken off and have an air of exclusivity and sex appeal. Road bikes are designed for mainly road riding and Taiwan has some wonderful roads. I used to scoff at Taiwan's roadways, until I actually went out and discovered how much smooth pavement there actually is.

The Pros: Since road bikes are designed for road riding, they obviously are better for… the road. If you ride mainly on pavement then a road bike is truly worth a hard look. Although the novice may assume a road bike will naturally be unstable and uncomfortable, with the proper fitting the opposite may be true. A road bike better balances the rider for putting down distance on the roads and they are generally geared to achieve greater speeds. The standard 53/39 crank may be fine for flats, but for mixed conditions the compact 50/34 has replaced the road triple. Road bikes are usually between 9 and 11 cogs on the rear cassette (speeds) and so a 10 speed with two cranks has “20 speeds”, but it is called a 10-speed because of the number of cogs. The drop handlebars offer a wider range of hand positions to relieve stress on the wrists and avoid numbness. Road bikes come with many add-ons, including: rack mounts, fender eyelets, bottle mounts and other options. A road bike may weigh between 16 and 23lbs depending on the material and construction. I like to imagine one lb as a can of coke. There gets to be a point that it just doesn’t matter… especially when the rider is carrying 30 extra cokes around the middle. It is not uncommon for a road rider to log 8-12 hours in the saddle. The 700c wheels have a more gradual angle of attack, so the bumps don’t feel as rough. With so much of Taiwan accessible by paved roadway, a road bike is an excellent choice for exploring Taiwan.

The Cons: Road bikes are generally more expensive than mountain bikes. In my opinion, a “good” road bike should be between $1500 and $3000, but in Taiwan a descent Giant or Merida road bike can be found for half that. For a lot of beginners the road gearing may be difficult for a beginner, especially for hill climbing. A road triple may be a better choice or the SRAM Apex http://www.sram.com/news/sram-apex-wherever-road-takes-you , which gives the rider a road double with a wider rage of gears. Some bumpy roads may be harsh and a road bike really shouldn’t be abused on harsh terrain like a mountain bike. The smaller frame limits the width of tires you can use. My wife, a novice, spent NT50,000 on a very good road bike that she should be happy with for a long time. In her case she chose the Shimano 105 group with a compact crank and 11-28 cog cassette. She has not needed a triple crank thus far to tackle the local hills.

The Cross Country Bike:

An XC (Cross Country) bike is generally a term used to describe a larger framed rigid mountain bike, often with larger 29” wheels. They often have a wide range of gearing between mountain and road bikes. An XC bike has flat bars and an upright position. They are often designed with rack and fender mounts. The term “Cross Country” refers to the type of long rides over dirt trails.

The Pros: XC bikes are often used by travelers and Mormon missionaries in Taiwan for their versatility and durability in a variety of conditions. They make a pretty good all rounder and they can be loaded for touring. XC bikes are often inexpensive and not a theft risk. They can use wider tires for mixed conditions and the 26” and 29” tires can be found all over the globe. The XC bike geometry favors climbing over a stable descent. XC bikes also boast longer chainstays which can allow for frame-mounted rear racks that sit far enough back to avoid heel-strike during the pedal stroke.

The Cons: XC bikes are not as fast as road bikes. They are heavier and are often geared with mountain triple cranks, which are not ideal for road use. The flat bars can lead to fatigue over long hours of touring and the upright position is less aerodynamic. With much of the rider's weight shifted to the rear, the sit bones must bear much of the weight rather than dividing the load between the front, rear and torso as with road geometry.

The Touring Bike:

A touring bike is a road bike that is specifically designed for long, loaded touring. When asking about touring bikes in some Taiwanese shops, I was routinely pointed toward the Cross Country bikes. While an XC bike can be a great light tourer, it is defiantly not a touring bike. Touring bikes should have drop-bars for the superior had positions for long riding. The geometry should be upright with longer chainstays and a longer wheelbase. A true touring bike should use 650c wheels for their versatility around the world, but many have switched to the more comfortable 700c wheels. Touring bikes use cantilever or V-brakes to better accommodate fenders and fatter road tires. The geometry of most touring bikes is optimized for riding loaded with gear and thus may actually perform better under load. They are extremely stable bikes and offer a wide range of gears for heavy pushing up mountain passes.

The Pros: For long, long distances day in and day out over all kinds of roads, a touring bike can’t be beat. Both front and read panniers can be loaded for months on the move and the tough frame can handle all kinds of abuse. The rider can pedal for hours at a time in total comfort. The components are durable and readily available in all parts of the world.

The Cons: These are hard to find in Taiwan, though I do know a few places. If you are not planning long trips involving plenty of camping, then a touring bike may be overkill and impractical for daily or weekly day-rides. Basically, if you are not planning to cross the Gobi desert, then there may be better options.

The Cyclocross Bike

A cyclocross bike is a special kind of drop-bar road bike designed for racing semi-off road races in often muddy conditions. Cyclocross was traditionally used as Fall training for road riders. A typical cyclocross bike has slightly more relaxed geometry than a road bike and greater tire clearance for knobby tires. They tend to have longer wheelbases for stability and comfort over rough courses and they are slightly more robust than a typical road bike. Cyclocross bikes primarily use cantilever or V- brakes like mountain bikes (though some use disc brakes). The forward geometry lends itself to climbing and they often have higher bottom brackets for greater clearance.

The Pros: Despite being designed around a particular racing discipline, cyclocross bikes have become a favorite as a do-all bike for the person who wants to have it all. They can be stripped down with skinny tires for speed or beefed up for dirt. Some can be loaded with panniers and racks. They use drop bars for better hand position and more upright geometry for better visibility in traffic. Their robustness and design makes them comfortable like a tourer, but nimble like a race bike: A good bike for Taiwan… if you can only have one bike.

The Cons: Cyclocross bikes have a higher center of gravity and may not feel as stable descending. The upright position catches wind and, depending on the geometry, they can be twitchy at times. The long chainstays reduce some of the bike's agility in comparison with a true road bike. Although cyclocross bikes can be loaded with racks, they are not as stable as a touring bike nor do they have the descending chops of a mountain bike. A jack of all trades… master of none.

The Folding Bike:

Folding bikes are small, lightweight bikes, designed with a hinge in the middle to carry in the trunks of cars or on train cars. They use unconventionally small wheels and standard cranks. Some use drop bars and others use flat bars.

The Pros: They are portable and great for getting from the train to the office.

The Cons: Folding bikes are less stable with smaller wheels and thus less able to roll through bumps and ruts. The hinge can act to absorb energy that could go into forward motion. Folding bikes sit lower and drivers are less able to spot them.

Summary: Taiwan has a variety of conditions to ride and it is up to the individual rider to determine which bike is right for their needs. Think about the rider you are and will likely become within the life of your bike. In general most road bikes would be the best option for the type of riding most people do. A cyclocross bike or XC bike would be a close second if there is a possibility of dirt and back road cycling. Heavy mountain bikes should only be considered if you are seriously considering the mountain trails. Forget folding bikes unless you don't intend to travel beyond the train and the office. Most importantly, for whichever bike you choose... be sure you get a proper fitting and don't buy unless you can ride for an hour.

Spend just a little bit more than you intended to keep the "shoulda' syndrome" in check. It is all too common to deny yourself the extras and then spend two years kicking yourself for being too cheap.

Happy riding!!!