The Politics of Cycling in Taiwan

I predicted a while back that it wouldn't take long for the bicycle to enter the political arena in stump speeches, campaign ads and policy propositions.

The Taiwan News reports that the DPP candidate for Xinbei City, Su Tseng-chang, ( chong, chong, chong!!!)

has dragged out a proposal for improving bicycle lanes in Taipei, taking a pot shot at his KMT rivals and their disaster of a Dun Hua Rd. bike lane. The article states:

Su, a former Taipei County magistrate, also reiterated a series of policy on the promotion of bicycle industry as a local governor, including a long-distance trail linking the Yingge Ceramics Museum and the Shihsanhang Museum of Archaeology in Bali Township, both of which are popular attractions.

I am all for promoting cycling, but I strongly feel that most politicians are having a difficult time wrapping their minds around the bicycle as something other than casual entertainment. The local governments need to start concentrating on safe, bicycle viaducts and bicycle corridors through urban areas to encourage people to leave their cars at home.

Unfortunately, all we ever hear about are projects to drive tourism. It really feels like Taiwan is seeking to become another Okinawa or Hainan Island; a tourism Mecca for visitors from a wealthy metropole.

Bike Walker: Ad from Seattle Craig's List

Emerald City Bicycle Walking Service

Reply to: sale-d9ps4-1135168401@craigslist.org

Hi there! My name is Brad and I am the founder and CEO of Emerald City Bike Walkers. Our team here at ECBW provides the best bicycle walking in the greater Seattle area. In case you haven't noticed there is a lot of bicycle walking happening in our city. Especially with the weather improving a lot of people are taking their bicycles out of the garage, dusting them off, and walking them through our beautiful city. If you have been on Capital Hill, Downtown or in the University District lately I bet you have seen a number of fixed gears, track bikes, 10-12 speeds and even race bikes being walked around. The committed staff at ECBW understands that you live a busy life and may not always have time to walk your beloved bicycle as much as it deserves. For a surprising low $15 ECBW will walk your bike up and down Broadway, pass the messengers Downtown and up the Ave in the Univesity or anywhere else you would like. This frees up valuable time for you to shop at American Apparel, see a show at Neumos or the new Crocodile, grab a drink or six at the Cha Cha, sit at Bauhaus, browse the Stranger personals or listen to Pitchfork's newest top rated artists. On top of adding additional time to your day, ECBW also allows your flashy fixie or tricked out track bike, race ready road machine or otherwise to be seen around town building your street cred! Don't delay, book your next bicycle walk with Emerald City Bicycle Walkers today!

• Location: Seattle
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Original URL:http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bik/1135168401.html

A Few Seattle Pics

Free Drink

Beer at the Buckaroo

Riding For Beer

The Bellevue Bike Store

Vivace Macciato

Don Katsu from Hana

Bike Parking

Learning to be Urbane

These Bikes Should Be Ridden Well, Not Well Hung

Are We Not Men?

Pancakes

Pigs in Blankets

Heading For Town

High End Bike Store

Although I was raised in a suburb of Seattle, I spent my formative years in the city and I have lived in urban Taichung for the past 12 years, so my taste in lifestyle reflects the urban qualities over those of suburbia.

Yesterday I ventured out of the city for a little culture shock in the city of Bellevue. Bellevue is where I grew up and went to school. It is, to steal a phrase from Davy Jones and the Monkees, "status symbol land."I remember growing up with rich kids who would vacation in Mazatlan or Maui. Their dads fought the battles of the mid-life crisis in war machines with names like Alfa Romeo, Berlinetta, or Corvette. Dads were test pilots, CEOs, Boeing executives, and later Microsoft millionaires. A person's value was often measured by how much lakefront one's family had for their sailboat or where the summer "cabin" was located. Being the son of a Reagan era high school teacher, I lost a lot of friends when it was determined that I had nothing of any real "value" that classmates could use me for. Sad but true. This is the Bellevue I have always known.

We went to the mall to see all the white people and feel out of place. I couldn't believe how many children looked just as frumpy and middle aged as their parents. It is a good thing the weather is so cold or half the people might melt into puddles of botox and silicone... and the meat; the fleshiness of everyone... anyways...

So I noticed they had a bike store that is a branch from one of the Seattle chains. I walked in and looked around at Trek, Specialized and Cervelo. I knew pretty well where the bikes are coming from. Lots of bikes for sale and lots of guys in their 50's and 60's looking to purchase their first bikes-- Trek Madone or Cervelo S3... the perfect choice for the novice.

As I stood around waiting for my wife to buy a drink I thought I would chat up a guy who was testing bikes. Here's how the conversation went:

Salesman to customer:

Yeah, once you get into the $5000 range, you get into the danger zone. The bikes are so nice you don't want to come back down. That's where the big difference is.

(Salesman leaves)

Me: Eh, that guy's full of shit. Just get what feels right. The price isn't going to make much performance difference.

Customer: Yeah, but I want to go fast.

Me: Oh, do you race?

Customer: (surprised look) No, but I want to keep up with my friends.

Me: What's fast?

Customer: (Funny look unsure of what to say)

Me: The bike won't make you go much faster. Work on the fit and the engine.

Customer: Yeah, but the components...

Me: If you are not racing then the difference between SRAM Force and SRAM Red are minute. There are lots of good bikes at different prices, make sure you have good wheels. I can go pretty fast on an alloy CX bike and it doesn't make that much difference.

Customer: I was thinking about one of those too.

Me: Well... I am sure you know what you want to use it for, so just be sure you get the right bike for your intended use.

Customer: I tried the Roubaix, but it was too relaxed, the Tarmac was more aggressive.

Me: Ummm... yeah.. they're all good bikes here.

First off...yes, I am probably a dick.

Second, the salesman totally had this guy figured out and was playing him along. The customer sooooooo wanted to believe the sales pitch and marketing hype and was just as eager to be "had". The guy is going to get the bike he wants. He wants a bike he can show off to his friends to gain the acceptance and envy of others for the price of his purchase. He needs their affirmation and really isn't interested in the bike so much as his prestige of owning it. I should have talked to him about Crumpton or some other high zoot frame. This was the perfect picture of Bellevue. I hope the salesman made his sale and many more like it. These fools drive the industry and keep the manufacturers pushing technology along.

Early Impressions

I have been in Seattle for a couple of days, but not riding, and I have some early bike related observations.

The first is that Seattle is a very bike friendly city, with bike lanes and wider shoulders for cyclists. Riders use them and drivers don't.

There are lots of people on bikes. In the city I am seeing a lot of urban hybrid bikes, cyclocross bikes and... oh help us... the fixie. If there was ever a city that should discourage fixed gear bicycles it should be Seattle... ok... San Francisco and then Seattle. These hipsters seem to be doing more walking than riding up and down the hills. Lots of waterproof pannier bags.

People ride with a little more aggression, purpose and authority on the street as if they belong there. Predictable traffic gives riders confidence.

Lots of Kona, Masi, Jamis, Trek, Specialized... and oh so much Bianchi celeste colored paint. More alloy and steel over carbon fiber. I haven't seen a CF bike yet. Lots of places to lock a bike too.

Bikes are everywhere.

Gear Tables

For anyone interested in getting a handle on gearing and gear ratios, I found a wealth of great information: HERE

Chinese Students Conduct Ethnographic Bike Trip of Taiwan

A group of fifteen Chinese students from Beijing University just embarked on an exciting tour of Taiwan, where they will seek to learn more about this exotic and alien world. They will learn about strange Taiwanese customs, see Taiwanese culture in its native environment, and participate in some of the strange coming of age rituals:

"I've heard that in Taiwan you have to complete a 1,000 km cycling route as part of a coming-of-age ritual at 20, " he said. "Although the route on this tour is less than that, I will make up for it on my next trip to Taiwan."

This trip should provide the departments of the social sciences at Beijing University with a huge codex of ethnographic material on this mysterious island and its strange, exotic people.