Japanese Cyclist Travels Taiwan: Follow His Progress

The Japanese cyclist and blogger, Taka, has just started posting on his epic journey around Taiwan using his KHS folding bike.

Here are his posts.

Not One Shilling! Taiwan In Cycles Policy For Product Placement

Much of the information we receive about bikes and components comes from either the manufacturers themselves or from media such as magazines, websites or blogs.

It is often very difficult to come across a good product review as the reviewer is cautious not to say anything negative about the product. In the ecosystem of product reviews, the reviewer relies on a stream of new products to review and risks alienation from the big manufacturers (and alienation from their products) if a review doesn't lay on the superlatives. This can make it really difficult to find good, reliable information on bikes and the sum or their parts. Once the streams of media become monetized, the relationship between the product supplier and media becomes a classic patronage network.

Taiwan In Cycles was started, in part, to provide all types of information that is free from the pressure of having to please sponsors or ensure a steady supply of products to shill for.

On occasion, Taiwan In Cycles will feature or recommend bikes, products, companies and businesses. This is done completely free from any form of patronage.

I will only use this media space to promote products or businesses that I feel are deserving of any exposure I may provide, and only if I feel I can stand 100% behind these people and their businesses.

At no time am I ever pressured or enticed to provide positive media exposure for any particular individual, business, company or corporation. Any media exposure I provide is completely based on my own subjectivities as a blogger and as a rider. My reviews, likes and dislikes are entirely based upon my own experience.

Moreover, I am often happy to provide deserving products and businesses with exposure on this site and this exposure is entirely unpaid in any way including: discounts, favors, samples, gifts, money or sex.

• Taiwan In Cycles does not receive sponsorship for reviews or product placement.
• If Taiwan In Cycles receives a free sample of a product or service for review, the terms will be publicized on this site.
• Taiwan In Cycles is a non-profit and private blog.
• Taiwan In Cycles is happy to highlight only those deserving of free exposure.
• All opinions are entirely my own.

In the coming weeks I will be reviewing a few products that I have purchased for my own use, and I hope these reviews will be useful for others out there considering similar purchases.

I don't feel I can be truly objective, but my subjectivities will likely come from feeling I have made an informed purchase.

Basically... if it is seen here... I feel it deserves to be here.

Velo-Hounds: Links and More

Taiwanese Cycling Goes To The... Dogs (sorry!)

Links:

• A reader sends along his link to a site dedicated to the great, and under appreciated German champion at the dawn of modern cycling, Walter Rutt. The site includes a video clip of the great fire that engulfed the stadium of its namesake. A Google translation makes the German site a good read.
• UK cyclist records road rage.
• Netherlands Cycling in the 50's.
• The Professional Cycling season has just commenced, and there is plenty of action from Paris-Nice and other early season races.

Bicycle Flea Market At Caffe Terry: Sunday, March 27--12:00pm to 9:00pm

On Sunday, March 27, Caffe Terry in Taichung will be hosting their semi-regular Bicycle Flea Market.

Bring any used bicycle gear you wish to sell a day in advance, set your price, and Terry will manage the sale for a 10% fee.

Come and browse, sell, or just relax with a cup of Illy coffee that Terry will be selling 15% off.

Terry's Caffe:

422 Da Ying St. Nantun Dist. Taichung City

Phone: 0423207243

Regular Business Hours: Tues-Sun. 10:00am-12:00am --

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Bicycle and flea market

三月的單車跳蚤市集要開始了喔~~~

時間是27號12:00開始~~

要拍賣的商品可前一天拿至咖啡店寄放~(並標售價錢~)

當天不代保管商品~

商品已售出者店裡會收10%的費用~

當天咖啡飲品85折

台中市南屯區大英街422號

0423207243

http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/t136scott/profile

The Perfect Bike For A Great Pair Of L'eggs!!!

For a design that is well over 100 years old, we sure hear a lot about making it better. Taipei Cycle is just weeks away and bicycle designers already have a whole slew of new technologies and concepts they would like to showcase.

For a while now, bike makers and their marketing departments have been selling us on new materials to make us better cyclists. We have heard plenty about the weight of steel, the harshness of aluminum, the expense of titanium, and the brittleness of carbon fiber. Then there are the fringe materials like magnesium, bamboo and various alloying elements.

The fact of the matter is, they can all be used effectively to make fantastic bikes with some amazing abilities. Each material has its strengths and weaknesses. They each have certain design limitations specific to the material. There is no magic material, no matter how much the marketers would like to lead us to believe it is true.

Now, from the land of Harry Potter magic, comes an amazing new frame material developed by Du Pont in 1935.... Nylon!

Engineers in the UK have designed a new manufacturing process using powdered materials, using it to “grow” a weird ivory-colored bicycle made of nylon. They say it is as strong as steel. The designers hope the growth process, a type of 3-D laser printing, could revolutionize manufacturing, according to the BBC.

The process is called Additive Layer Manufacturing, and it works somewhat like a 3-D printer. Guided by a computer-aided design program, a laser fuses together several layers of finely powdered metal, nylon or plastic. The laser melts the powder, which solidifies according to a chosen pattern. Then more powder is added, melting and solidifying to add layer upon layer until the object is fully formed.

Being able to employ 3-D printing technology to create bike frames could do a lot to reduce costs and allow for unlimited forms of customization.

But will it be laterally stiff, yet vertically compliant?

Monday Grab Bag: More On Train Travel With Bikes

Bike Parking at MRT Station

Some more information has been added to the Guide to Bike Travel By Train post that I think may be useful.

New English Reservation System:http://railway.hinet.net/etkind1.htm

It appears all you need is a passport number to make a reservation online.

MRT Bike Elevator

There is also some new information about ordering tickets over the phone. This system requires a Taiwan ID Card Number, so it is not ideal for visitors.

Ordering Tickets Over The Phone:http://www.railway.gov.tw/en/CP.aspx?sn=3538&n=6794

Here is a map of the Taipei MRT bike stations. It makes visualizing the opportunities for bike travel easier. Be sure to read the rules posted in the main post.

MRT Map

Also:

I was notified by a good friend that he was being prosecuted for possession of stolen merchandise and theft after buying, what he thought was, a "second-hand" bike.

According to my friend, he was looking for a cheap, second-hand bike to commute to and from National Taiwan University. He was offered a good deal on a typical clunker that was later recognized by the owner and identified as stolen.

The police got involved and my friend was notified that he would be prosecuted and receive a "mark" on his record, even if he is exonerated.

The moral of this story is to be very careful when buying a second-hand bike. Be sure to ask for some type of proof of ownership... receipts, maintenance records or something. Although they are inexpensive, the low-end bikes are more frequently stolen and can put you in some hot water.

In Other News:

I tried to visit a few bike shops over the weekend, but they were all closed on a Sunday afternoon. Typically, bike shops in Taiwan close on Monday after working on weekends when people have time to bike and shop.

My knee is 80% and I should be on the new bike by this weekend.

Taiwan Links:

• Terry goes to Hsi Luo with Team Neko.
• Biking Taiwan shows off the Distance Calculator.

Parts Arrive TODAY

Pass Out The Cigars... A New SEVEN has Arrived!

Sister-in-Law and The New Seven

For the past couple months I have been drawing out the process of buying a new bike to replace the poor Las Cruces that has been sidelined with a fractured Head Tube.

Sad as it is to lose such a good friend, I also seized the opportunity to embark on a new set of adventures with a new steed. The process of choosing was not easy and I spent a lot of time weighing my choices and options.

In the end I decided to go with the option that could deliver an experience that would appeal to all of the reasons I love cycling.

I bought the Axiom SL from Seven Cycles in Watertown Massachusetts, USA.

About the company:

Seven is a smallish builder of custom bicycles that, like a story so often repeated in the bicycle business, was established in 1997 by Merlin's former head of R&D and Design, Rob Vandermark, and a loyal group of employees, who were eager to leave Merlin Metalworks following its titanic corporate acquisition by Saucony Inc.

Vandermark, who majored in sculpture at the Massachusetts College of Art, sought to push the envelope of customization as well as ideas of functional design in his bicycles as opposed to the more watered-down mainstream approach.

Vandermark is quoted in an interview with Bike Rader as saying:

I decided to leave Merlin at the close of 1996 because the company began focusing on the mainstream market at the same time that I was becoming more interested in pushing the limits of bike customisation, technology transfer and the Toyota Production System of manufacturing. I really wanted to see how these three ideas could converge in a new and successful way. Four of us started Seven in January 1997. The business has grown steadily over the years.

In the years since Seven first started producing titanium bicycles, the company has continued to focus on R&D, by innovating new techniques for externally butting their Argen and Cirrus tubes for increased strength and reliability.

Furthermore, over the past several years Seven has developed a patented system for creating custom composite frames as well.

Seven has helped sponsor cyclists, including cyclocross champions, Maureen Bruno-Roy and Mary McConneloug. Seven has used the feedback from its competitive riders to refine and tune their designs to offer the ultimate experience.

Wow!

A major part of buying a Seven is the company's philosophy for providing a bike fit. Seven uses a combination of ergonomics, bio-mechanics and kinesiology to break down bike fit into quantifiable math. On the other end of the spectrum, a fit technician goes over your measurements, your age, weight and numbers from a previous bike, to provide a guide for a one of one telephone interview for some of the more qualitative expressions in bike fit.

You are grilled on handling, stiffness, weight, and how greatly you value certain aspects of your ride. It takes a very honest assessment of what kind of rider you are and what your achievable goals are for your new bike.

My fit technician was Neil, and he did a great job. It seemed I was able to imagine what I wanted and express most of it through the application, but the interview made sure nothing was left to chance.

During my interview it was all I could do to refrain from requesting a bike that was, "laterally stiff, yet vertically compliant."

I simply outlined the type of rider I am and the types of rides I do. I talked about my old bike and the characteristics I hoped to keep and those I thought could change.

My measurements were taken by a man named "Elephant" at the 7 Park Bicycle Shop in Taipei, and the order was handled through Shen Yang.

WCS Pedigree

The actual fabrication of my new frame was done by Jon, Stef and Lauren. Jon Henig did the machining to custom butt the tubing to match my precise specifications. Argen tubing allows for the greatest amount of flexibility in tuning the bike and I opted for a feeling on the racier side.

Stef Adams handled the welding, which looks exquisite. Seven uses a method of drop welding that was developed at Merlin and makes for a strong, but clean looking weld. With titanium, the weakest point is usually in the weld.

The finishing work was done by Lauren Trout, who is also a fine welder and experienced cyclist.

The combined effort from Neil, Jon, Stef and Lauren resulted in a frame that is a piece of functional art. The craftsmanship (or... craftwomanship in this case) is exquisite.

My Builders

Pabiah!! A Gentle Reminder To Myself

The Welds

I also picked up a custom Seven carbon fork. Seven will not only choose the best degree of rake for your bike, but also custom tune the fork for the desired performance.

Custom Fork

The Bottom Bracket

Sculpure

Full Frame

Here is what I chose:

I wanted a frame that would have a bit more snap to it for responsiveness and control when I am out on my hard rides. I was not concerned with lightness as I don't think the measure of bicycle performance is really in the weight as much as how the weight is used.

The rear triangle is built to be stiff, but the stays are a little long for better descent. I also wanted to be able to do long, hard rides in comfort. I bet on the wheels handling a lot of the comfort and thus felt confident I could keep the frame pretty stiff.

When I am fighting through traffic I need to be agile and thus I chose a racier feel. I am accustomed to jockeying through traffic and thus I am confident I can handle an agile bike.

The entire set up is like a well balanced stage racer. It should be like a more comfortable version of the Axom Race Seven used to sell a couple years ago.

Titanium is perfect for me as I can be hard on bikes. I also get nervous about pain chips, dents and imperfections. Titanium should be perfect.

To be honest, I have been stalking Seven Cycles since 2007, when I was looking for cyclocross bikes available in Taiwan. I was impressed with their fit system, philosophy, commitment to technology and the degree of customization they offered. I also felt the bikes were produced with a sense of artistry as well. Every detail is deliberate.

So far, I am completely blown away by the frame. It feels like an a crafted instrument.

This should be a bike that will last me the rest of my riding days and vanquish any bike lust that was ever in my heart.

I am also glad I did this now, while I am young enough to enjoy all the benefits of a custom frame.

Hopefully it will be fast enough to get me to my mid-life crisis and back before lunch.

Thanks to 7 Park, Shen Yang, Seven...

Most of all, I need to thank my wife for being so supportive of my sport. She has been a big help in allowing me to feel I can take this bold step into getting the bike I always wanted.

I'll post more when I build it all up.

See:

Seven Axiom Customer Reviews