Taichung Indy Bike Store: Sam Bike

Sam Bike CLOSED (Another one bites the dust)

Manager: Sam Huang

No. 611 Mei-tsuen Rd. Sec.1

Taichung, Taiwan

Tel: 04-2375-3905

Cell: 0937-218-055

email: sam23753905@gmail.com

blog: http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/sambike-0423753905

I have been bast this little shop a number of times, but never found a reason to stop. I finally figured I should take a look if I am going to keep working on my Indy-shop catalogue, and I am glad I did.

Sam Bike is an unforgettable name in its quirkiness to the English ear and they really don't have much stock on display. They could easily be dismissed as by a passer-by as a fly by night bike store that was built to make a quick buck on the growing trend toward road bikes.

It is not.

When I stopped in I asked Sam, the owner, what kinds of bikes he sold as I could see a small assortment of bikes lined up on the sales floor. He replied, "I'll get you anything you want. I sell all kinds and I can get all kinds."

Hmmmm... that left me searching for more conversation.

I then asked what made his shop different among the other shops in the area and I was surprised by his reply.

Sam told me that it was all about the proper fit. His philosophy, which I can totally agree with, is that when a customer comes in looking for a bike, he will spend up to two hours doing a fitting to then find the right frame and components for the rider. He also will make adjustments to a rider's current bike to achieve better performance or resolve issues with pain or discomfort.

If you are looking for a bike that will fit or need to solve a pain problem, have a discussion with Sam.

Contractor In A Hole Lot Of Trouble For Tour of Taiwan Mess

In Taiwan, we are used to our public roadways being regularly ripped apart, usually two or three times a year, as the local governments are owned by Taiwan's construction industrial complex and the shady characters who lurk in the grey areas between the "black and white" sides of the law.

Many of these contractors engage in racketeering, bid rigging and more threatening schemes that eliminate competition to ensure any public project will be several times the rate if it had been competitively bid on.

These projects are lucrative to several of the major players in politics, business and organized crime as they allow for overlapping interests to converge and various debts to be paid.

Now, the Taiwan Construction Industrial State threatens to disrupt the Tour of Taiwan.

It is being reported in the CNA and Taiwan Focus that a construction contractor has dug a massive hole in one of the routes scheduled to be used in the sixth stage of the Tour of Taiwan.

The hole is in the middle of the Highway 74-A, which has been in a regular state of construction for well over a year.

According to the article:

"Even if the contractor fills it up soon, the uneven road probably will cause injuries to cyclists," Fang told the Central News Agency.

Police officers who inspected the road conditions for the 136.05 km Tour de Taiwan race said a Taiwan Power Co. contractor had erected a 1-km long barricade on the road and dug a big hole, leaving only half of the road for traffic.

Chang Chueh-fen, a Changua County government official, said local workers had been asked to fill the hole quickly and race organizers were at the scene trying to determine what should be done next.

Well, if anything, the competitors can see what the cycling environment in Taiwan is really like.

The View From Pingtung: Michael Goes South

Be sure you check out Michael Turton's excellent ride report on his trip through Pingtung at The View From Taiwan.

It looks awesome and I have to say, Michael is looking pretty good too.

Low Budget: Another Great Taichung Bike Shop

Here is another addition to my list of Taichung bike shops.

Hong Shiang - Irland GT

Manager: Chen Bing-hong

No. 527 Taiyuan Rd. Sec-3

Beitun Dist. Taichung City, Taiwan

Tel: (04) 2437-0663

Cell: 0923-234544

email: d0923234544@yahoo.com.tw

I am not simply interested in the high end, but I also feel there is plenty of room for the lowest end. These are the work horses of Taiwan. The Irlands, The Top keys and the Jelums. These are the bikes of students and foreign workers. This shop sells low-end Irland alloy bikes and just about everything under the sun. I am sure you can find a cheap set of wheels and parts to boot. The atmosphere was relaxed and I didn't see a hint of carbon fiber. Excellent! Check it out if you are simply looking for wheels.

Bryton GPS Loses Way And Finds Lawsuit With Garmin

The clip above comes from the Steve Martin/Eddie Murphy film, Bowfinger, and depicts a trailer for the fictitious movie, Fake Purse Ninjas. When I saw this movie at the theater in Taichung, either the government or a patriotic distributor scratched out the sound when the on-screen duo declare in unison, "We're going to Tai-Wan!"

Film censorship and speech freedoms wax and wane in Taiwan (waning now), but some things are more constant... like ripping off the competition.

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According to the Kansas City Star, Bryton, the Taiwanese Cycling GPS manufacturer is being accused by Garmin of patent infringement for its line of Rider-30 cycling GPS cycling computers.

The story states:

Andrew Etkind, Garmin's vice president and general counsel, said the company is "proud of the intellectual property rights awarded to our innovative products and we have little tolerance for companies that attempt to trade unfairly on those rights."

The company is seeking a preliminary injunction to bar the sale of Bryton's Rider 30 product in the United States.

In a related development, a district court in Germany has issued a preliminary injunction against Bryton and several of its German distributors banning the sale of the Rider 30 in Germany.

Trade Shows, Prologues and Weekend Links

Iced Latte at Warehouse 185

My weekend riding was pretty much a wash. I rode the La Cruz "The Moose" for a little bit on Saturday, and took the Seven up to Dakeng on Sunday. The leg issue is still a rehab assignment in progress, where I can ride for several kilometers without issue and then things get painful. When the pain sets in I'll so dome stretching and I'll be fine for a while longer... and repeat. So, I climbed two-thirds the way up to the CKS Campground and enjoyed a descent nice enough to put a smile on my face. I then cooled my knee at the 185 Warehouse cafe with James Murray, the sales manager there.

In other Taiwan related bike news...

• The Taipei International Cycle Show wrapped up with mixed reviews. I guess it depends upon which end of cycling you're from. Sabinna from Cycling Satin Cesena and Primavera Cycles loved the colors, lights and the collection of the entire supply chain under one roof. OzSoapbox was a little less excited by a show that is more geared toward industry wonks rather than the consumer. Still, I think I could get excited about bamboo bikes.
• The Tour of Taiwan is now well underway with the South Korean, Park Sung-baek, taking the first stage (I'm sure he cheated *wink!*), after the prologue was taken by the Aussie, Adam Phelan. It appears Taiwan's government is shilling for TOEIC standardized testing by requiring a TOEIC certificate to serve as an official translator for the Tour of Taiwan.

The Bicycle Officially Becomes "Traffic": Amendments Seek To Protect Riders

In a major step to better incorporate the bicycle into Taiwan's traffic grid, the Director of Highways and Transportation, Chen Yan-bo, has proposed amending the current laws with the aim of bringing accidents between bicycles and cars within the jurisdiction of the police and prosecutor's office.

According to a report from the Liberty Times, an average of 140 Taiwanese cyclists are killed annually. With the growing number of bicycles entering the roadways, the rights of cyclists can not be ignored.

Under the current laws, accidents between bicycles and automobiles are considered to be strictly a civil matter outside the jurisdiction of Taiwan's criminal code.

In the past, the difficulty with implementing and enforcing laws to regulate and protect cyclists has stymied efforts to include the bicycle into the transportation grid.

The changes still must undergo a 3 month review process before they can be implemented, but it appears positive change is in the works. Enforcement of these laws will be key to helping integrate the bike into the urban environment.