We Bike to Work

A Fresh Start

2011-06-19T20:59:00.004+08:00

Well, we've gone off and started our own new company. It's been really tiring the past few months, but we all think we're off on the right track now. Check out the vid and see what we're about. I think you'll like what you see.

From the Front Fork

2011-05-31T11:29:00.001+08:00

I'm in bike mounted video mode now. Here's another vid of biking, this time from the front fork.

Taipei Cruising

2011-05-30T14:31:00.001+08:00

Though technically this isn't a ride to work video, I wanted to share it with everyone to get people inspired to ride to work! Enjoy!

One Small Bike

2011-05-19T10:37:00.007+08:00

And I thought I thought the wheels on my bike were small. Check out the wheels on this guy's road machine!

From my experience, riding anything with a wheel smaller than 12" in diameter is pretty tiring due to ride geometry and the smaller degree of angular momentum stabilization from the smaller wheels. I asked this guy if it was tiring riding this bike and he said not at all. He said it was in fact great exercise. I couldn't agree more.

Rain!

2011-05-12T18:54:00.000+08:00

It started raining a bit on the way in to work this morning. About time. Taiwan is facing a pretty bad water shortage if it doesn't rain like pronto. Most water reservoirs are at only 30% capacity now, which means huge water rationing will start in a couple of months if the heavens don't open up and spill forth a ton of water. Let it rain!!!

Biking to Work Redux

2011-05-05T10:43:00.004+08:00

My ride to work as seen 4cm from the ground. Sped up so as not to be too boring. Filmed using a GoPro HD cam.

Going Pro

2011-04-27T09:32:00.003+08:00

Playing around with the GoPro HD recently. It takes some pretty nice video. Just have to figure out the somewhat complex menu system. Here, I've attached it to the chain stay of my bike to get a slightly different perspective on my ride to work.

Lots of Protos . . .

2011-04-21T18:43:00.003+08:00

One good thing about my job is I get to test some cool new things. Got a bunch of prototype goodies recently -- new bike frame and a phone case. Both are holding up pretty well. Since you basically are a guinea pig when testing any new item, you can't but help wonder just how well something is going to hold up. So far, so good!

It Can Fit

2011-01-23T19:34:00.003+08:00

I'm bringing a Vitesse P18 back with me on a trip to the US this week. If you take the tires off, pull the seatpost out, and pull apart the telescopic handlepost, the whole package fits nicely inside a large suitcase with room left to spare for your clothes and whatnot. Pretty cool way to ensure you'll get some good riding in when you travel.

Biking to the Camera Street of Taipei

2011-01-03T17:32:00.003+08:00

I biked to the "camera shop street" of Taipei (Boai Rd. 博愛路) with some coworkers after work one day a month or two ago. I was testing out my GoPro Hero HD cam by filming the trip and I found the footage on my hard drive the other night. The cam is a great piece of hardware, though the user interface can use a lot of work. Here's the 20 minute trip as seen in 5 minutes. It's not in HD since I hadn't figured out how to switch the modes at that time.

Never Give Up: The Movie - Part 1

2010-12-30T10:29:00.006+08:00

Part 1 of the movie version of the Never Give Up 200km Challenge a friend an I rode on December 18, 2010 using our 20" Dahon folding bikes.

Biking Paradise

2010-12-28T17:08:00.004+08:00

Saw this in an advert last night, it looks like a really cool addition to the new mall in Taipei.

It seems that they are encouraging people to cycle to the mall. Firstly, they let you pedal straight up to the lifts, then you can hang your bike in the parking space and even take a 30minute shower in a private suite for 300NT (about 10USD). Considering it costs about 150~300NT to park a car per hour, this is a pretty good rate.

However, I asked my colleagues about this and one has already been, she didn't know about the shower, but rode her bike to catch a movie. After the movie had ended she went to collect her bike, but the area was shuttered and locked down. Poor show. All she and her date could do was take a cab home and collect their bikes the next morning!

Also, I would like to see the same benefits car owners get, where their parking is validated by purchases made in the mall, which still encourages car use. The shower should be free if you spend a reasonable sum, such as 2000NT (about 70USD).

However, it's still a good addition and shows how forward thinking this city is. In recent conversations with friends we actually put bicycles as the second fastest method of transport in the city, our full (subjective) rankings follow.

1. Scooter (motorbike) Also the cheapest as taxes are about 2000NT a year and fuel costs only 100NT for a week

2. Bicycle, although this may need to be combined with public transport (MRT) for some longer trips, if you can fold and carry, you can literally fly over and under the traffic jams. The riverside bike paths also follow MRT routes to most areas of the city so you needn't fight for space with mechanised vehicles, although weekends are much slower. But hey, you are guaranteed a seat and fresh air.

3. MRT (metro/subway/underground), this can beat the bike, but only for locations close to the line you are on, if you have to change then it is often slower. Also, the cost is driven up by additional taxi/bus fees and time by walking to get to those locations.

4. Car is still faster than the buses most of the time, but the parking fees, fuel costs and taxes are ten times more than scooter, and you'll find yourself stationary between 6 and 9pm. Also, the longer the journey, the faster the car gets, but it cannot compete with the MRT for popular destinations or when you need to park

5. Bus, although the new express bus lanes and MRT lines have sped up bus travel, it's still slower than the car. Used in combination with the MRT it is still useful and also the cheapest option (other than scooters), half the price or more than the MRT (15~30NT a ride compared to 20NT min~100NT for MRT).

6. Walk, well, it's slow, but free... except you end up eating too many street snacks and almost spend more than the car driver!

Never Give Up

2010-12-24T10:24:00.011+08:00

Last Saturday (12/19) a friend and I rode in a 200km bike ride called the Never Give Up 200km Challenge. The longest distance I had ever ridden in a day before was only 70km, so this was really quite a challenge. Friday night, we packed up our folding bikes, got on a plane to Hualien and headed to the start line at 5 a.m. Saturday morning.

The route was a 200km loop through some very picturesque areas of eastern Taiwan and for the most part was fairly flat. I heard that around 1,600 people participated in the ride and my friend and I were literally like one of the last 20 people to leave the start gate. We didn't see any other riders until half an hour later and then we started to pass people about an hour into the ride when the terrain started to slope upwards.

The ride was well organized with plenty of staff manning all major intersections to wave people in the right direction. There were two rest areas where you could stop for drink and food and boy those sure were life savers! By the 83km mark, just before the first rest area, I started feeling really tired and from then on my goal was just to make it to the next rest stop. Tons of M&Ms and Snicker bars kept me fueled between rest stops.

Near the end of the ride my pace dropped considerably, but I kept plugging away. The killer part was the last 7km, which was mostly all uphill. I made it though. 200km in 11 hours and 11 minutes. And the only part of my body that was sore was my knee. Not bad for my first 124 mile ride!

Bike on Bike

2010-12-07T17:08:00.009+08:00

Ahh, I had the easiest ride up the mountain last week.

Had to do some OT at work and then stayed out late for the Mrs' birthday in our home town. Still managed to get a good 20k or so ride; however, after sitting down for so long relaxing in this nice Italian pasta place by the river, my legs refused to move.

So we got the bungees out of the scooter, folded the bicycle and;

Bravo!

There is even room for my helmet to clip onto the bike, all I needed to do was make sure the saddle was rotated so that the bike rack also aligned with the bike without bashing the pillion passenger (it was her birthday after all)!

There was good ground clearance and the exhaust was not aimed at any bike parts so all went smoothly.

I am pretty certain that it would invalidate a warranty mind - if you do try this make sure that the bungees are tied really tight. I used 4 bungees to make sure the bicycle was secured and didn't bounce. Then checked the extremes did not protrude width-ways more then normal.

Also, I recommend an old inner tube be put around the rear luggage rack of the scooter to prevent damage to the paint work of the bicycle.

Err, and check local laws regarding carrying wide loads, covering number plates and ...

Beautiful Morning

2010-12-07T16:54:00.005+08:00

During the ride in yesterday, I took a few shots of the ethereal mountain atmosphere.

The first is taken with the sun hidden behind the mountain just at sunrise as I emerge from my community and hit the main (mountain) road.

The second is taken once at the bottom, the feeling of the photo really changes and things appear more industrial, maybe dirty. (But, that might just be the bus in front!)

The final was taken while I was still climbing the mountain outside a school I ride past, it's the first time/temp check I get.

Ahh, 18 degrees, the perfect riding temperature on a winter's morning.

Carbon Footprinting

2010-11-29T08:50:00.005+08:00

Cycled in under incredible cumulous clouds this morning. The sun rose highlighting each fluffy pillow in red against the crisp winter sky.

Incredible, but sadly I forgot my camera so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the weather holds and I can take a few snapshots to share and today I’ll talk about “carbon”.

I never ride with a bike computer so never know how far I go, or how fast. But last week I borrowed a pedelec and it has a speedo so found out three fascinating facts. My house is exactly 32 km from the office. The last 3 kilometers to my house include a 9% climb up to 140m. The current battery has a 29km range when cruising at 25km. That is another story though.

Having had a great thanksgiving feed at the weekend signaling the end of the year and with these new facts in mind this morning I worked out that 32km four times a week (2in 2out) for 52 weeks is a total of about 6000km a year. That’s quite a way so I began pondering my annual carbon savings so decided to work it out.

First thing I had to do was convert km into miles, which was almost a perfect 20m.

Then , using an “average family car” having 20.3mpg as comparison, I plugged 80 in to get my weekly carbon saving of 77 pounds of CO2. For 80x50, which is a conservative estimate of my annual bike km (in miles) it popped out as a whopping 3855 pounds of CO2. Then, I changed the mpg to a realistic “old banger stuck in stop start rush hour traffic” of 15mpg to get 5217 pounds of CO2. Now, all I gotta do is find out what a pound of CO2 is, but before I do, any one else care to post up their carbon pounds?

Km-Miles Convertor : http://www.metric-conversions.org/length/kilometers-to-miles.htm

Carbon Calculator : http://www.fta.dot.gov/planning/planning_environment_8523.html

Admittedly, this isn’t real savings because,

1. I don’t have a car, not even a banger, only a 125cc scooter; and

2. would normally ride the metro anyway; and

3. would never sit in rush hour traffic in Taipei!

Double Exercise

2010-11-26T18:22:00.003+08:00

On my ride this morning I saw this guy who had cycled down to the riverside to do his morning exercises!

That's hardcore

I know which side I want to be on!

2010-11-19T17:04:00.002+08:00

Had a great week of riding the office and it seemed like many others couldn't resist.

The first shot is from the bike path in Bali, they are rebuilding this section now so it's a little grotty, but they have planted mangroves on the left which should clean up the river and make the ride even more interesting.

I mean, at the end of the day, this next picture really sums up which side of the road I would rather be on.

Light and Shadow

2010-11-15T10:37:00.005+08:00

Winter is the best time for photography. It's a great time to play with contrast, light and shadow. Here are the photos I took on my way in last Thursday. Great winter's day for riding.

Here is the boardwalk, the effect of the shadow is even more striking when you are moving.

This is me going along the bike path, nice to have my face in nature.

Last one is stopped at a red light.

Recycle Dude

2010-11-08T18:32:00.003+08:00

You see a lot of elderly folk in Taiwan going around gathering up recyclable materials that they usually then sell to recycling centers. Someone driving a motor-powered trike like this one picking up cardboard and plastics is a fairly common sight.

Mountain Photos

2010-11-08T13:36:00.007+08:00

Coming to work this morning, there was a beautiful sky. I took these two photos on my way in, the first is high up in the mountains, which are part of Yangmingshan National Park. Just to the left is a mountain called Datuon Mountain. Where the slope hits the horizon is where I'm heading, Danshui River.

This photo is taken as I'm crossing the Danshui using Guandu bridge, the mountain on the left is called Guanyinshan (reclining Bhuda mountain, so named since the bumps correspond to the curves of a reclined body).

I hiked Datuon Mountain a few weeks ago and found out that over 200 million years ago these two mountains used to be part of the same volcano, then a super eruption blew out the middle. Since it took me about 40 minutes to cycle between the two, that must've been one huge explosion!

Time Pressure

2010-11-05T14:12:00.001+08:00

Since I was sick last week and the weather was abysmal I rode the bus to work. I have recovered this week, the weather is fantastic (cool and sunny or just some slight drizzle) and I really get to feel the benefits of riding to work again. One thing that I am thankful for avoiding is the hustle and bustle.

One of my favorite comics, Eddie Izzard, makes a funny joke about residents of San Fransisco, who turn into monkeys on the city trams. They hang lifeless and gormless from the rail until their stop, when they drop off their branch and onto the street. Last week I had to develop pointy elbows and a blank face. The first to be able to get on or off the metro, bus or even walk on the street, the second since public transport puts you within other people’s “personal bubble”. It seems that commuters not only cut other people out of their morning and evening transit time, but also bash through anyone who gets in the way. It’s like a sisiphean race with an unclear winner.

This week was totally different though. I rode the metro from out in the boonies, resting my folded-bike against a spare wall and perching on the saddle to read in the morning sunshine. At my stop, I walked slowly outside, unfolded my bike and cantered along the pavement until the riverside park, where I was free to chug along at a slow pace. The biggest difference was when I saw another runner, rider or walker. All of them would smile, nod and say good morning. None of us was in a rush. We knew we would get there in the end so could spare the time to be polite and nice to others.

Now I sit in my coffee shop watching the same commuters rush by; wanting to be first out of the door, first to buy coffee and first to get a seat. I wonder why they are in such a rush. I know modern life is stressful, but at the same time, people make it stressful on themselves. I think that all of them would be happier riding the bike path, saying hi to other people and moving at their own pace. I know that once other bike-commuters and I finish our rides home, we will be relaxed and ready for the weekend; have a good one.

Office Attire

2010-11-04T15:17:00.003+08:00

Looks like this woman is ready to dive into work as soon as she gets to her office. I usually bike to work in athletic shorts and a dry-wick t-shirt and then take a shower after getting to the office. Before we got shower facilities, though, I'd do a quick wipe down with a small damp cloth towel, which proved sufficient for the most part even in the stifling humid summer heat of Taipei.

100 Mountain Challenge

2010-11-03T09:13:00.004+08:00

A few weeks ago I helped a friend who was organizing a charity cycle around the island of Taiwan. On the first day, the “big send off” I just set up the bikes for the cyclists, adjusting saddle height, handlebar reach, showing them how to use the helmet and making sure they understood the gears and other issues.

Yesterday one of the cyclists, who returned to Taipei last week, visited my friend with a gift for me. As pictured, this is a map of Taiwan with the 100 highest mountains, all listed from the highest, Yushan (Jade Mountain – 3952m) and Xueshan (Snow mountain – 3886m), to the smallest Liushuanshan (Six Smooth Mountain(!) – 2999m) and Lushan (Deer Mountain – 2981).

That means there are 98 mountains in Taiwan over 3000m. I am not sure if the present is informative or a challenge, but I know my weekends are starting to look busy ;)

Over Crowded Subway

2010-10-29T00:24:00.003+08:00

I took the subway to work the other day and boy, it was sure packed. The subway is usually crowded, but not like this. Apparently, there was some malfunction on one of the lines which caused all transfers to be delayed leading to overcrowded stations with no trains to ferry the people away.

Fixie Dude

2010-10-26T10:20:00.003+08:00

Came across a guy on a fixie this morning on the ride to work. Though there aren't a ton of fixies in Taipei, you still occasionally see one or two plying the streets at night.

Unexpected bonus

2010-10-22T11:45:00.005+08:00

As I sat in the café across from my office this morning, hypnotized by the pounding rain I began to drift into thought. I wondered how our city architecture would have looked without the invention of the car and how our daily schedule would have differed.

Our office is in an industrial park with a central tower block ringed by black tarmac that separates the other high rises. Although there are covered walkways around the buildings, since lorries use this road, there is no cover over the road or from the entrance to the main site.

I watched a guy step off the bus, his coat-shoulders darken from the raindrops before a brolly burst from his hand to provide flimsy cover. Although stepping cautiously, soon the water had breached his shoes and began leeching up both trouser legs. In my periphery, hoards of pedestrians darted across the road leaping from shelter to shelter, yet all faces arrived in drips and drabs.

The lights changed and a stream of scooters enters. Each rider clad from head to toe in hot, sweaty plastic-suits, their visors clouded and eyes squinting. This park is clearly not designed for any of these people. It shows when a car pulls in and sweeps unimpeded into the basement. A clear path for him to park, step down from his chariot and be separated from the lift by the briefest of walks. He may be sheltered, but he never touches the city around him.

I, however, cycled in, felt the wind in my sails and water on my back. Although I was also drenched and the same commuters thought I was worse off than them, I knew a lovely, warm shower and dry clothes would greet me at the end of my ride.

That's how I found myself staring at this scene, wondering if those other people would have preferred to start their day of work with a warm shower and hot coffee instead of cold puddles and impermeable clothing. Had the car not been invented, would there be a walkway from bus and train stops to the nearest building and the protection of a stoa, or would we all have run, cycled and walked to work knowing a shower was waiting.

Now, as I sit at my desk, listening to shoes squelching by, brushing past damp jackets and watching the patches of rain dissolve from my colleagues' clothes, I feel lucky to receive yet another unexpected bonus of the commuting by bike.

Double Ten Day

2010-10-08T15:15:00.003+08:00

The streets of Taipei are being lined with the national flag of the Republic of China (ROC) in preparation of Double Ten day on October 10, which celebrates the founding of the ROC way back in 1911. Major boulevards and bridges usually get bedecked with flags a week before 10/10.

Interbike Goodies!

2010-10-01T10:07:00.005+08:00

I picked up a pair of spoke lights at Interbike from the fine folks at Monkey Electric, who had a booth at the tradeshow. I managed to get the lights at a discount and attached them this morning to the spokes on my front tire. These things are so cool. If you haven't seen these in action, check out this video. With these lights I think I've solved my issue of not being visible enough from the side but my bike just became two pounds heavier.

Packing a Ton of Stuff

2010-09-18T16:32:00.002+08:00

This is what I was packing on my ride home Friday evening. A bunch of us are heading to Interbike in Las Vegas on Saturday and I had to haul my share of the fun back home to pack. I think it's pretty neat just how much stuff you can cram on a 20" folder. I'd say I had about 30 pounds of stuff on the the bike. The steering, surprisingly, isn't affected too much by all the stuff, though you can't do tight turns quickly. I had no problems navigating the challenging Taipei traffic on the way home.

Full Bike to Work Support

2010-09-10T12:20:00.004+08:00

We are very fortunate to have an employer that fully supports and encourages its employees to bike to work. We have a place to park our bikes and a place to shower and hang our sweaty clothes. We even can even get discounts on spare parts and accessories. I personally love the chance to test cool new products. Ah, it's nice to work for a innovative bike company!

Another Building Bites the Dust

2010-09-08T11:33:00.004+08:00

A group of old buildings were torn down along a stretch of road that I pass by on the ride to work and yet another huge apartment complex is going up in their place. Notice the old building way back in the center with ceramic roof tiling. That's the type of buildings that used to be in the now cleared work space.

You can still see small clusters of buildings that were built near the beginning of the century interspersed throughout Taipei, but they are becoming more of a scarcity as land prices skyrocket and developers snatch up lots to turn into huge high-rise condos.

BioLogic Brand Launched

2010-09-03T19:25:00.005+08:00

We've been busy at the office this past week. A bunch of us are now at the Eurobike bicycle trade show showing off our newest coolest products. One big thing we pulled off at the show was the launch of our cycling accessory brand BioLogic.

For those interested, the BioLogic website can be found here. Those on Facebook might want to fan us here. If you really want to constantly keep up with what we're doing you can follow us on Twitter. There is also our YouTube channel with some pretty niffty videos of our new products.

We're all very excited about this new brand so please tune in regularly for news of some cool new stuff that will be coming down the pipes soon.

Two Kids and Mom on an Electric Bike

2010-09-03T19:22:00.005+08:00

I saw this mom and her two kids riding a Giant electric bike. I imagine it would be very hard to move all that mass if the bike wasn't an electric assist.

Brick Planting

2010-08-02T00:49:00.003+08:00

It's brick planting season in Taipei. They plant these two different varieties next to one another so that they can cross-pollenate. This particular brick garden is being planted near the Hsimenting area.

Another Route

2010-07-16T19:02:00.003+08:00

I tried a new route to work today. Basically, I tried not to be stopped by any traffic lights. Ended up going on too many sidewalks and being held up by pedestrians. Next time, I'll shy away from the sidewalk route.

Covering Up

2010-07-15T19:08:00.004+08:00

It's summer and boy it's getting hot. I saw this woman covered head to toe on the ride to work. Many women in Asia protect themselves from getting tanned because a lot of value is placed on fair skin color. You can often see them wearing sleeves that cover the arms and visors or bonnets that totally cover the head.

Mu EX Surgery: Amputation

2010-07-14T07:07:00.004+08:00

In my attempt to transplant bike parts from my Mu EX to a new bike frame, I kind of messed up in trying to remove the FSA SL-K hollow carbon crank arm, rendering it totally stuck on the crankarm spindle. Basically, the fine folks in our tech department had to step in and do some drastic surgery . . . cutting through the crank to extract it. Painful to watch, given the fact that this crankset cost something like US$400.

Canvassing the Streets

2010-07-02T09:10:00.003+08:00

Some sort of local elections coming up here in Taipei. How do I know? I saw this particular candidate canvassing the streets yesterday on the ride in to work. A candidate typically will stalk out the corner of a busy intersection and stand there on a podium while his/her supporters stand around waving banners. It gets interesting when opposing camps stalk out opposite corners of the same intersection.

Riding in Phuket

2010-06-07T00:23:00.006+08:00

We held a big conference with our global distributors in Phuket, Thailand a little more than week ago so I got to test ride bikes in a wonderful location.

Friday Bike Ride

2010-04-29T11:03:00.005+08:00

The picture above is from a Friday bike ride with co-workers a little over a week ago. When we have time, we try to hit the local bike paths on Friday afternoons to unwind from a week of hard work and to give the product team a chance to test out any new gizmos or ideas for bikes. There is no better way to get familiar with the product you're selling and to see what needs to be improved than to actually ride it. So these Friday rides are marked by people trying out different bikes or new accessories and swapping them with one another every couple kilometers. It's pretty cool to work at a place that lets you go out and ride bikes on Friday afternoons.

Feeding the Birds

2010-04-21T23:30:00.004+08:00

On my way to work, I came across this flock of pigeons attacking a pile of bread crumbs apparently left by some passerby. After all the concern over avian flu came out, people have been discouraged from feeding birds here in Taiwan and since then I've rarely seen people giving birdies handouts, so I found this scene a little unusual.

Biking to Taichung HSR Station

2010-04-16T00:03:00.004+08:00

This past weekend I was in Taichung in central Taiwan and had to make my way back to Taipei early Monday morning. I was up and out the door by 6:30 a.m. and cycling my way to the High Speed Rail station about 10 km away. At this time in the morning, most of the streets were devoid of cars, a great blessing to those on bikes.

On the way to the station, I passed by many rice fields alongside the road. Kind of nice to see so much green so close to a big city. Sad though that many of these fields are being developed into housing or commercial areas.

Wireless Cycle Computer on a Dahon

2010-04-02T00:27:00.006+08:00

People have questions as to whether wireless cycle computers can work on Dahon folding bikes. I personally haven't had any problems with using a wireless computer on my Mu EX. I have a Cateye Strada wireless cycle computer set up nicely in the middle of the VRO stem of my bike and have been using it without any issues. As long as the computer has a fairly clear line-of-sight to the sensor on the fork, there shouldn't be any problems.

Gas Mask Filters Out Clean Air

2010-03-30T19:44:00.006+08:00

The gas mask that I use when riding is so effective, it actually filters out the smell of good clean fresh air. The clean fresh smell of the air in a nice park, for example, is not noticeable at all when I have the mask on. Now, when I pass by a park, I try to take the mask off and breath in what fresh air I can get in the city.

Air is Cleanest on Bridges

2010-03-28T20:56:00.006+08:00

I came across this video I filmed nearly a year ago. What I said still holds true to this day. The air on bridges crossing rivers is the cleanest along my entire bike commute to work since the breeze off the water constantly blows the pollution away.

Helmet Woman

2010-03-12T19:53:00.004+08:00

Came across this female cyclist wearing a motorcycle helmet on my way in to work this morning. Most cyclists here in Taiwan who ride bikes like this one usually don't even bother wearing a helmet, much less a full-face motorcycle helmet. Then again, she was going pretty fast. I actually had a hard time catching up with her to get a photo. I guess in terms of safety it's better to err on the side of being safer.

Movie Making in Hsimenting

2010-03-11T11:59:00.003+08:00

Gorgeous day today. Sun shining, warming weather. It was 11C (~53F) in Taipei yesterday. Came across this crew setting up to film something in Hsimenting on the ride to work this morning. This is the 4th or 5th time I've come across a film crew in this area during the past few months. Most likely filming for a soap opera show or something like that.

Orderly Lines

2010-03-10T11:49:00.002+08:00

Been doing a lot of overtime prepping for the Taipei Cycle next week. We're gonna have a great looking booth! Because of the late hours, I've been a bit too tired to ride in to work and have been taking the subway and bus instead. Every time I'm in the subway, I'm amazed at despite how crowded things get, order is always maintained and you hardly really bump into people. Unless you're in a jammed packed subway car, you really don't make physical contact with those around you. Kind of interesting how the emergence of nice and neat orderly groups and flows form naturally.

Smoked

2010-03-08T12:26:00.002+08:00

I was getting smoked by this lady on a clunker bike the other day. She was easily maintaining my speed of ~23km/hr (~14mph) without even shifting, not that she could because it looked like her derailleur was stuck in the highest gear. I thought that I could easily overtake her, but she kept plugging away without too much exertion. Hummm . . . maybe I'm just out of shape . . .

Folding Bike Ban on Shanghai Metro

2010-03-02T10:10:00.005+08:00

I just read a news report saying that all types of bicycles, including folding bikes, are now banned from the Shanghai Metro. Too bad. Though I haven't been on the Shanghai Metro (I can imagine that it is very crowded), it seems a bit short-sighted to ban folders.

Granted large wheeled folding bikes still do take up quite a bit space, but 20" and 16" one are roughly only the size of a small piece of luggage. But then again, China is a very crowded place, perhaps more so that one can imagine. I just hope that more people in China realize that they had it right so many years ago when most people were riding bikes to get around.

Company Ride

2010-02-06T18:48:00.002+08:00

Every Friday afternoon, time permitting, everyone in the office will go out for a group ride during lunchtime. We had to come in to work this Saturday but ended up going for a ride instead. The group rides is a great time for everyone to become familiar with the bikes we make and to test new components. Unfortunately, it started raining on our way back from this particular ride.

Accident

2010-02-02T09:35:00.004+08:00

Every so often I'm reminded that when there are tons of metal and plastic moving and jostling together to get somewhere along a hard asphalt surface, somewhere at sometime someone is bound to get hurt. I came across this accident that involved two motor scooters this morning. One older guy was put into the ambulance on a gurney. The front of his scooter was totaled. He apparently hit a younger couple on their scooter. This scene didn't apparently didn't deter the idiot scooter riders who still buzzed by me at ridiculous speeds.

Gort on the Road

2009-12-25T09:45:00.003+08:00

Since motor scooters and motorcycles are so commonly used here in Taiwan, most intersections have a special area marked out for them where cars are not supposed to stop. Above is the symbol used to demark such an area. Reminds me more of the robot Gort from the movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still."

2009-12-12T19:58:00.001+08:00

We biked "The Strip" in Las Vegas during Interbike 2009 back in September on a Mobile Social Bike Ride organized by Bikehugger.com. Here's a brief clip of the ride.

Bike in a Shopping Cart

2009-12-06T20:10:00.005+08:00

I went to an IKEA store near our office one day after work and when I didn't see any bike racks to park my bike, I just grabbed a shopping cart, folded my bike and tossed it in. No worries about theft or vandalism at all this way!

Bike Cam

2009-11-27T16:05:00.004+08:00

I picked up a new toy while at Interbike this year and today was the first time I tried it out. The GoPro sports cam is a solidly built device. The housing is sturdy and all the parts feel that they'll take a lot of abuse. I was a bit disappointed at the image quality, though, when I checked the video at the office. It's standard def, but the video seems to be a bit fuzzy. I'll be playing with it some more and see what kind of footage I can come up with. Below is a test clip.

Police Scooter

2009-11-17T09:51:00.003+08:00

Besides using patrol cars, the police here in Taiwan use scooters as a means of transportation and as patrol vehicles. More than five years ago they were also using motorcycles, but most of those have been phased out of use leaving just these scooters.

Recycle Trike

2009-11-13T00:45:00.003+08:00

Came across this old woman pedaling a pedicab like vehicle carrying a bunch of materials for recycling. You can often see carts like this around Taiwan being used to haul stuff to be recycled.

More Graffiti

2009-11-05T18:28:00.004+08:00

Seeing more graffiti in the Hsimenting area. Most of it is pretty cool looking, even cute. As far as I know, none of it has gang meaning. I stood here a while watching the cat in the upper left hand corner of the photo make his way along that ledge.

Looking for Potholes

2009-11-01T11:08:00.003+08:00

I've been test riding one of our suspension bikes for the last week and it has been fun just running over potholes and bumps and grates that I would have normally avoided on my usual bike. In fact, I was seeking out any rough terrain to ride over to get a feel how the shock we're testing performs. It's kind of nice not having to worry as much about road hazards while you ride. I gave the bike, however, back to our product development team and now have to unlearn riding over holes, bumps, grates, utility covers with impunity and actually pay attention to these things again.

Cushy Ride

2009-10-21T10:34:00.007+08:00

I test rode a bike that uses a new shock we're considering using. I haven't ridden many full-suspension bikes but I do like the cushy rides they give. It was great being able to roll directly over potholes and protruding utility covers and not feel much at all. I should take this thing off road to get a feel of what it can really do.

The sun came out again today, which was very nice to see. The weather has been pretty gloomy and wet of late. Another typhoon is expected to brush on by and bring tons of rain. Great.

Rain?!

2009-10-08T10:20:00.002+08:00

After coming back last week from Interbike in Las Vegas where the sun shines every day and the air is dry, I was in a gloomy mood when it started raining on my ride to work yesterday. There were two typhoons churning out at sea near Taiwan which brought about the wet weather. I sure miss the sunshine of Las Vegas.

2009-09-28T02:42:00.010+08:00

Here's a video of our bike ride to Interbike 2009 at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Biking to Interbike 2009

2009-09-27T11:57:00.002+08:00

We had a good showing at Interbike 2009 held in Las Vegas, Nevada from September 21-25, 2009. We rented a house about seven miles off "The Strip" from the convention hall and biked to and from the venue.

Most of the roads in Vegas are wide with some having bike lanes along the side. For the most part, we had no problems riding to and from the convention hall, though one day we had the misfortune of running into a very rude and inconsiderate driver who screamed expletives at us.

Biking to Eurobike

2009-09-05T18:36:00.003+08:00

We've been biking to the Eurobike convention hall from the place we are staying at, which is a farm that has been converted into a bed and breakfast place on the outskirts Friedrichschafen. Here is a brief video of our 20 minute ride from the farm to the convention hall.

Dahon Pango Folding Helmet

2009-09-05T18:22:00.002+08:00

We recently announced the launch of the Dahon Pango folding cycling helmet at Eurobike 2009. The helmet folds to half the size of regular helmets.

I've been using a prototype sample of the helmet for almost a year now and it just works great. It folds down in seconds and easily fits into my backpack. Above is a video showing just how convenient and compact the Pango is.

Eurobike Outdoor Demo Day 2009

2009-09-04T16:38:00.002+08:00

A brief look around Outdoor Demo Day at Eurobike 2009.

Eurobike 2010

2009-09-03T17:01:00.003+08:00

We're in Friedrichshafen, German attending Eurobike 2010. We're staying at a farm that has been converted into a hotel on the outskirts of town and we ride in to the convention hall that's about 20 minutes away. Beautiful scenery, great clean air, and wonderful infrastructure and support for cycling!

Delivery by Trike

2009-07-30T09:34:00.007+08:00

I saw someone delivering a package by trike this morning, which was a fairly new sight to me in Taipei. This particular delivery service (宅急便) is used fairly frequently in Taiwan. Judging from the looks of this trike, it has been in service for quite some time. I dig the frilled tarp covering over the driver's seat and the disc brakes on the rear wheels. This thing is decked out!

More Pollution

2009-07-01T07:44:00.004+08:00

One thing that really annoys me on my ride to work is smelling the smoke of people puffing on a cigarette. Hey, there's enough air pollution around as is, why make more? Why smoke? Just breath in the exhuast from your fellow motorists!

The President?

2009-06-23T18:50:00.004+08:00

The motorcade of an important state official when by me at an intersection this morning. Given that the president's residence and office are close to this intersection, it most likely was president Ma on his way to work.

What's Your Highest Score?

2009-06-22T14:18:00.005+08:00

I see the police here fiddling with these PDA-like devices on street corners every so often. They seem to be entering license plate numbers of scooters and cars stopped at intersections, ostensibly to check if any of these vehicles are stolen or not. Sometimes, though, these officers will be reading the screen for a long time without lookup up at the traffic around them. I wonder if they are actually playing a suped-up version of Tetris.

Summer Evening Light

2009-06-17T07:29:00.003+08:00

I usually don't take any pictures when I'm riding home from work because it's so dark out by the time I leave. The longer days of summer, though, afford some nice lighting like in this shot of a bridge under construction that I took yesterday evening. When you're on a bike, it's so cool how you can just pull over and stop just about anywhere to take in an interesting sight.

Carrying Heavy Things on the Handlebar

2009-06-15T15:20:00.005+08:00

Earlier, I wrote about placing my backpack on the handlebar of my Mu EX to avoid getting a sweaty back. My only concern was that any heavy load would negatively affect the steering. Well, that concern was for naught. Today, I hauled a heavy power drill in to work and hardly noticed any effect on the ride. Looks like this is a pretty effective way to carry things on a folder with a long handlepost and without a rack!

Love Them DoubleTaps

2009-06-12T13:49:00.007+08:00

The more I ride my Mu EX, the more I love the SRAM DoubleTap shifters that are on the bike. At first I wasn't used just having one shift lever to control shifting up and down -- one light push (a light "tap") shifts to higher gears and a longer push shifts down. After a week though, I got used to the concept and was shifting merrily away. You can get up to a pretty high speed very quickly with just a series of quick taps. I think a more suitable name would have been "RapidTap".

The "Plum Rains"

2009-06-11T12:27:00.009+08:00

Them thunderheads seem mighty heavy. Caught this picture of some fairly moisture laden clouds on the way to work this morning. This time of the year you see the onset of the "Plum Rains," heavy thundershowers that spew forth a huge torrent of rain like clockwork every afternoon. It's pretty nice afterwards, since the temperature and humidity drops considerably after the downpours. Luckily, I didn't catch any rain on the way in this morning.

Getting a Bricklift

2009-06-10T12:06:00.005+08:00

The "Little South Gate" as well as the other remaining historical city gates in Taipei, are getting a face, or should I say bricklift, as part of efforts to renovate historical sites. It's interesting to note that the restoration has induced some controversy in the highly charged political landscape that is Taiwan.

Cool Trike

2009-06-09T14:55:00.004+08:00

You'd figure that being confined to a wheelchair would greatly limit your mobility. This chap apparently isn't letting any wheelchair hamper him. This wheelchair transporting "trike" seems to be part motor scooter part ice cream cart. And since he's got shade from his awning, he's probably more comfortable then those around him!

Electric Bikes All the Way!

2009-06-08T11:40:00.006+08:00

I saw this mom shuttling her two kids and a violin and some pillows on a blue electric Giant bicycle on my ride in to work this morning. She even passed me on a straightaway and I was going something like 20 km/hr! Here's to electric bikes!

Faith

2009-06-06T11:07:00.014+08:00

I pass by a church on my ride to work every day. I didn't consider myself a very religious person, until I thought about what it actually means to be religious. If you consider having extreme faith in something as being religious, then I am indeed a very religious person.

What do I have faith in? I have faith that every bus driver that is sneaking up on me from behind will slow down a bit to allow me time to scurry out of the way before they pull up alongside the curb to pick up passengers. I have faith that taxi drivers will stop at red lights as I'm going through an intersection. I have faith that every car will give me adequate space to ride when I'm on the road pedaling alongside them.

Every so often, though, someone will let me down and I deeply question my faith. A near miss from a bus with an oblivious driver at the helm. A taxi driver doing an unexpected U-turn. A car suddenly pulling out from a side alley. But as I keep riding, I realize that most people are usually kind and courteous, and my faith in my other human beings not turning me into a pancake of mangled flesh and twisted aluminum tubes is restored.

Every day that I take to the road and traverse the urban jungle alongside hundreds of thousands of tons of moving metal, rubber, plastic, and petro, it seems like a miracle that I can even make it safely to my destination. But yet, I ride and I get to where I need to go all in one piece. I have faith that people, all total strangers, will watch out for me and not run me over. Yes, I am indeed very religious.

Cool Crosswalk Signal

2009-06-05T14:13:00.006+08:00

I get a kick out of the pedestrian crosswalk signals here in Taipei, they are nothing like the boring static ones I grew up seeing as a kid. The crosswalks here have an green-colored animated figure walking with a countdown timer above showing the remaining time you have to cross to street. At 10 seconds, the little green dude starts walking faster and begins to blink. When the light is red, a little red dude standing still shows up. Pretty cool.

No More Sweaty Back!

2009-06-03T09:44:00.005+08:00

My Mu EX has no rack so I'm usually wearing a backpack when on this bike. While waiting at a stop light this morning, I took off my backpack to let my sweaty back air out a bit and suddenly thought of attaching my pack to the handlebars. It turns out to be not such a bad idea. The long handlepost on my bike allows the pack to hang freely without hitting the top tube.

The bike did seem a bit slower since I basically added a little sail to the front of my bike, kind of like a spinnaker on a sailboat, except in reverse, and the steering is a little hampered by the extra mass but I enjoyed a nice cool and less sweaty ride the rest of the way to the office. This works only because I didn't have a fully-loaded backpack and was able to cinch the straps to their shortest length. So, if you have a fairly empty backpack, don't have a rack, and don't want a sweaty back, you might want to give this a try.

Slippery Utility Covers

2009-06-02T13:58:00.007+08:00

In my last post I showed a video of a morning rain shower I got caught in. After I had filmed that particular segment, I had to gingerly pick my way through the numerous utility covers that have been strategically placed on the bike path along the sidewalks. These things are dangerous as heck when wet, especially with the thin slick tires I have on my Mu SL. I think Taipei City needs a dedicated bike path construction consultant to avoid creating hazards like this.

漁人碼頭半日遊

2009-06-01T10:52:00.008+08:00

05/28~05/31 美麗的連休假期，05/30 與熱愛運動的老爸騎車到漁人碼頭...從早上八點就出門啦~~騎了約二個小時才到漁人碼頭....我們這次騎的路線都是省道....而不是自行車道，有上、下坡的路段，所以有點小累....但是看到美麗的漁人碼頭、美麗的海景...又覺得一切都是值得了...

很棒的地標..... 再靠近一點瞧瞧..

走上去的景觀會是啥呢～～

哇～～哇～～看到遊艇開進碼頭．．．

好興奮呀，趕快照像留念~

嗯~~遠觀也很美喔~~要是有夕陽...一定更有意境吧...

從漁人碼頭回到家已經接近12點啦，騎了一整個上午，可愛的腳ㄚ子也曬成三色腳啦~~~

Warm Summer Rain

2009-05-26T21:08:00.006+08:00

Got caught in a downpour this morning on my way to work. Had to stop put my camera away before it got soaked. This a brief video clip of the rain.

Magic Power ~

2009-05-20T09:27:00.008+08:00

2009月5月20日
時間:上午8點10分
溫度: 28%

「啊~ 今天，真不想上班…」出門時很想大喊這句話
相信很多人都有過這樣的心情吧!

「厚…太陽怎麼這麼大，怎麼騎車呀?」
把車抬到1樓時…心情有些煩悶
不過，剛交完稅的破產我，就乖乖騎車節省交通費吧! ><

因為太陽很大，所以只想躲在騎樓、樹陰之下…
所以創造了夏日不流汗之上班路線 ~ ^^v

一路慢慢地騎到西門町，心情開始平靜下來
經過了錢櫃KTV ~
「WOW........」(倒退回來)
就是這裡 ↓

「涼 ~ 」
休息一下~ 心情居然變得很好了
騎車真的有不可思議的魔力呀!
請大家也試試看吧!

Add a "Bike There" Feature to Google Maps

2009-05-19T10:33:00.004+08:00

I love to use Google Maps. It's intuitive and easy to use. There is one thing that I would like to see on it, though, and that is a "Bike There" feature. There is an online petition for Google to add such a function to Google Maps. For more information about the petition, there is a website dedicated to the cause: http://googlemapsbikethere.org/.

On the Right Path

2009-05-18T16:24:00.001+08:00

Hummm . . . looks like I'm on the right path to work . . .

32分鐘

2009-05-18T12:08:00.005+08:00

出發時間:8:50
到達時間:9:22
永康街 --->三重湯城
天晴 : 氣朗有雲

騎單上班的花費時間:約半小時
搭公車會花費多久呢?
明天解答 ~

敬請期待!!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
今天在路上，我遇到了「車友」…

猜猜他是誰↓

他騎得真快
完全追不上
^^;

劈腿。。。

2009-05-15T13:42:00.009+08:00

美不美?
白色的Fender真是好看
最近的我很花心
流輪騎著SilverTip & Ciao D5

終於了解
為何有些人
家裡為何會有五、六台單車
我很幸福
可以常常騎著不同的車上班
流點汗也是應該的 ^^

↑ 小白放在我家陽台的樣子

Cool Helmet

2009-05-14T11:48:00.004+08:00

On the streets here you'll occasionally see a helmet with a cool design on it like this one. I've heard of some people here actually making pretty good money painting motorcycle helmets with artwork.

EXCUSE_Part I

2009-05-13T11:08:00.012+08:00

“I’ll get all sweaty”

↑ 是我最常用的藉口 ^^;

不過…
看了Bike to Work Book 之後，覺得其中的一段話，說得很好 ↓
“Cycling from A to B doesn’t have to mean you arrive dishevelled at your destination. Cycling doesn’t have to be a race – you can take it at your own pace without having to work up a sweat or don Lycra cycling wear.” by Emma Osborne

所以
今天我用了很慢的速度，前往辦公室
感受吹著微風不流汗的方式去上班
Hmmm....

也許…我可以克服這個藉口! ^^v

--------------------------------------------------------------------
有趣的書 ↓
http://biketoworkbook.com/
(可以download下來慢慢閱讀 ~ )

Scooter (Bike) Turn Area

2009-05-11T09:38:00.005+08:00

If you're riding a bike in Taipei, or in Taiwan in general, you should know about the scooter turn zones at the intersections of major roads. When making left-hand turns, scooters (and bikes) usually can't turn from the left-hand turning lane but instead must do a "L-shaped" turn and first stop on the cross street they want to turn on to in demarcated areas like the one above and wait for the light to turn green. Usually these waiting areas are too small and the scooters are forced to wait on the cross walk areas. Luckily, most people are used to such crowded situations and are usually considerate of pedestrians and other drivers.

Hsimenting Bike Lane

2009-05-07T11:39:00.004+08:00

My bike ride to work takes me along a bike lane that runs through the Hsimenting area of Taipei.

音樂、香水…還有單車

2009-05-05T10:33:00.008+08:00

聽到小野麗莎的 Bossa Nova時
會想起夏威夷的沙灘和夕陽

聞到美體小舖的白麝香時
會想起在森林散步的夏天

今天騎著Caio時候
感覺自己回到了學生時代
悠閒騎車四處閒晃的日子

新歡

2009-05-04T11:05:00.013+08:00

連休三天…
帶著新歡 SilverTip…
穿梭台北的大街小巷

從公館到動物園
從大安森林公園到迎風河濱公園

我想我是變心了…

十個理由:
01) 外型帥氣 - 買甜甜圈時店員主動說可以放到店裡
02) 18段變速-上山下海輕鬆自如
03) 折疊容易
04) 輕巧方便 - 搬到六樓也不累
05) 車把手軟硬適中
06) 立管調整容易 - 前後上下隨意變化
07) 打氣管座管隨身攜帶
08) 座墊舒服
09) 小型跑車車架 - 再也不用騎勾不到地的大型公路車了
10) 松田翔太最近騎了一台類似的車…^^;

(報告完畢)

bye bye ~

My mu p8

V-V~

Little Tire Gone

2009-04-30T18:15:00.005+08:00

The little tire that was chained all by its lonesome self to the bike rack on the Bike Corner of Death is gone. Fresh new victims are now all nicely lined up.

A Sunny Day

2009-04-29T18:52:00.001+08:00

It was a sunny day yesterday and today after a week of some very weird and wet weather. I hope it stays like this through the weekend.

Tailpipe Pollution

2009-04-27T10:39:00.005+08:00

This is why I need to wear a gas mask to work! Every so often I'll be in the very unfortunate position of riding behind some very inconsiderate moron like this one whose motorcycle or scooter belches a noxious smoke cloud. The police here should be impounding such vehicles. I think people who ride such monstrosities should be forced to breath in their own exhaust fumes.