Asia - Taiwan?

Is anyone here living in Taiwan?

yes...?

yes...?

Just curious. This coming January it will be 3 years for me; the first year and a hlaf in Tainan and the rest in Taichung.

At the bottom, it says Ritchey BreakAway. I bought it specifically so I could take my bike with me while in Taiwan 2 or 3 months at a time and back in the US for 2 weeks.

So, where are you and do you ride your bike in Taiwan?

Feel free to PM me if you like.

sorry for my late response~
And It's nice to meet you

I live and work in Taipei, and begin to ride bikes for entertainment about three years ago
My boyfriend assembled a mountain cycle for me, and recently, I just bought a road bike frame

Actually, I'm still a beginner... So I don't have much experience of traveling around Taiwan
But here are indeed many beautiful places for a biker to look round
such as Hualien, Taitung, and any countryside of any county

Hope you have fun and enjoy the life here~

It's interesting that in spite of Giant being the largest manufacturer in the world, recreational riding here isn't that popular. It's a shame, really.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the time that I have spent in Taiwan. When I finally do go back home for good, it will be a sad time. How can anyone not like a place where you can ride all year round, typhoons excluded?

Good move to get a road bike. Mountain bikes, particularly most of the ones here, are much heavier and you definitely can't go as fast. I assume the thought process is that road bikes are much more fragile. I get asked all the time if I get flats. So far in a about 18 months with the BreakAway, I've had one flat and that was at home in the US. The trick is to keep them pumped up. Mine are rated for 110psi and I try to keep them at that.

When I was in Tainan I rode with a group from the only medium and high end bike shop in the city. I also did a couple of time trails with another group there. Recently I have gotten linked up with a group from my plant. We did a loop around Sun Moon Lake a few weeks ago. There is a high end shop about 3 blocks away from where I live. I rode with them for the first time this past Saturday. Out of 16 or 17 people, only the shop owner, me and a guy on a mountain bike were the only ones NOT running a carbon bike. Fully half of the group was on Colnagos. Amazing.

Anyway, good to hear from you and Keep Pedalling!!

there is a decent scene here in taipei, look at http://taipeiycc.blogspot.com/ for a gropup of expats based in tien mu who ride around YangMingShan, our local hill. rides from 50-150km, often 1000 metres climbing or more if you are keen. unfortunately for me the weekday training rides start about 5:30 or 6 which is just stupid really, i work late nights mostly...

racing many weekends: look at cycling.org.tw and bikemen.net (if you read chinese!)

a bit of mountain biking as well, but not usually our group's preferred ride.


if you want to cycle at an easier pace, there are many km of flat riverside trails, go to Bali or to Danshuei for a sunny sunday, eat some great seafood, and have a few beers in the sun... great.

I too am in Taiwan, but someone stole my Fuji so I cannot ride in proper Taiwanese style. right now I'm having trouble adjusting to the time change, but maybe we could ride this weekend if you like to see Taichung?

pwuff

Just curious. This coming January it will be 3 years for me; the first year and a hlaf in Tainan and the rest in Taichung.

At the bottom, it says Ritchey BreakAway. I bought it specifically so I could take my bike with me while in Taiwan 2 or 3 months at a time and back in the US for 2 weeks.

So, where are you and do you ride your bike in Taiwan?
I used to live in Taiwan, and rode for a year. How do you find the pollution? I'm quite sure I did semi-permanent damage to my lungs, though the clean Canadian air is helping to revive them.

How would you compare Tainan and Taichung? I quite like both cities, though somehow I always found Tainan a bit more appealing (not speaking specifically of cycling). But Taichung is a lot closer to the mountains, isn't it?

I used to live in Taiwan, and rode for a year. How do you find the pollution? I'm quite sure I did semi-permanent damage to my lungs, though the clean Canadian air is helping to revive them.

How would you compare Tainan and Taichung? I quite like both cities, though somehow I always found Tainan a bit more appealing (not speaking specifically of cycling). But Taichung is a lot closer to the mountains, isn't it?

The pollution is what it is. I think how my rides are timed helps, though. I live about 5.5 miles from where I work. The mornings (8am +/- 30 min.) are not too bad as the bad air from the previous day has dissipated. This works because about 30% of the ride is uphill. As long as I stay away from big trucks, cranes, concrete pumps, etc. it is not too bad. Coming home in the evenings is also not too bad as there is the downhill part. If I ride to dinner, it usually less than 15 minutes. I do longer rides on the weekends, but they are usually in the morning and I'm done by noon. I do prefer to ride directly from the apartment rather than put the bike in the car and take it someplace.

Yes, Taichung is much closer to the mountains. I can ride to the foothills in 45 minutes or so. Tainan is much further, but it is on the ocean. I probably couldn't get to the ocean in less than an hour and a half from my apartment.

The two cities have very different characters. I'm pretty divided. There are things I like about both places. Taichung is more cosmopolitan than Tainan. Tainan and its people are somewhat more hospitable; more old worldish. There are more things to do in Taichung and you are closer to Taipei. Percentage wise, more of the streets in Tainan have english street signs; something that surprised me. The Science Park where I work in Taichung is much closer than where I worked in Tainan (5.5 versus 17 or 18 miles). You usually don't have to ride very far in Tainan before you are out of the more densely populated areas. Like I said, I'm pretty divided. My wife, on the other hand, favors Tainan by quite a margin. Go figure...

It's true what you say about timing your rides. And very smart, on your part. When I was in Taiwan I was teaching ESL, so the one year I rode a bicycle I was basically sucking tailpipes at various hours of the day in between classes. What I found that was interesting, however, was that the "first sweat" directly following a shower didn't really "count." I would take a quick shower after lunch, hop on my bike and ride for a half hour through the 35-degree heat and humidity to a school, arrive soaking in perspiration, and spend the next ten minutes reposing in air conditioned comfort, drying off, and feeling (and, erm, smelling) as fresh as when I had originally jumped out of the shower. Funny, that. Of course, after classes were finished and I needed to ride a subsequent 1/2 hour to another school, all bets were off with the freshness thing!

I agree with your characterization of Taichung and Tainan. I felt the same way. I recall meeting a number of expats in each place who favoured their respective locations due to their proximity to Taipei, as in the case of Taichung, and Kenting, if they lived in Tainan.

I myself lived in Chiayi, which is pretty much right in the middle of everything. I recall an older Swedish guy there, an ESL teacher who was married with kids, who didn't mix much with the expat crowd. He was a devoted and very fit cyclist, which made him something of an eccentric among the drink-sodden Canucks and Ozzies. A group to which I belonged, more or less. Every Chinese New Year this Swedish guy would do round-the-island trips on his road bike with a couple of buddies living in other parts of Taiwan. This amazed me. In fact, one year I did a round-the-island motorcycle trip of my own, and at one point came upon him and a couple other cyclists way up near Hohuanshan! Very impressive.

My wife (Taiwanese) and I haven't been back to the ROC for a few years, but during our next trip I'm going to try to fit in a 1-day or 2-day ride in the mountains somewhere. Check out this video: In mountains tired - part 1 of 4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwFck_47MpQ). It's inspiring. The guy who does these videos is a bit creepy and often annoying, but he rides his motorcycles through traffic and through the mountains like I used to ride, so watching his trips makes me very nostalgic.

Rousseau,

This from the second half of the Ritchie Breakaway, and I ride an Orbea. I wear a mask filter most of the time when I'm on the street, whether walking or riding. I ride as transport as well as sport, when I'm here in Taiwan, which is only in the winter. In desperation during my first winter here I searched the internet and found the IcanBreathe.com site, which sells a mask with carbon filter. I put a drop of essential oil in it every few days, using eucalyptus or lavender, and this mask works wonders. My own lungs are vunerable since a bout of pneumonia 10 years ago, but I find this set up allows me to do anything. I have noticed no carryover when I return to the US. In fact, I sometimes use the mask in the US, which draws stares. Nice to be in Taiwan where half the population uses them, but I haven't seen anything truly effective here like the carbon filters I get from US.

I go now, practice asian english.

Coyote

Funny you mention the pneumonia thing. I spent a couple of years in my mid-twenties in construction, working outside in the winters, and got pneumonia once. That was 15 years ago. I've had bronchitis three or four times since then, as well, though the last bout was almost a decade ago. And last year I rode my bike right into October, but found I would get sore in my one lung, the one that had had the pneumonia, whenever temperatures dropped under 15 degrees. Which is kind of a problem when you cycle and you live in Canada.

Then I quit smoking.

Ha! I've ridden all fall this year, and indeed right up to now, the end of December, in single digit temps and even below zero, with no discomfort at all. I used to pooh-pooh my wife's constant whining about the smoking, saying that I didn't smoke that much so it wasn't a big deal, but it actually was, and over the past year my lungs have reaped the benefits.

Living in Taiwan is like smoking two packs of cigarettes per day. Add on the humidity, the lack of hygiene and the crowded conditions, and a simple cold that would call for chicken soup and maybe a day in front of the television on this side of the Pacific can turn into a month of suffering in Asia, if not worse. I certainly understand the desire to use some kind of mask when in Taiwan. I think I'm fortunate to be living in a smaller city in southern Ontario where it takes just five minutes to get to the countryside. Aside from pig and chicken manure, and the odd time that I get caught downwind from a chemical sprayer in a field (which is probably kinda nasty, but I don't want to know about it), the air here is pristine.

P.S. Were you going to post a photo in your previous post?

Glad you quite smoking. I did about 18 years ago after having been a smoker for 21 years. Makes a difference, but I also doubt if I could afford it these days!

Yes, I know where Chiayi is. I've been through it, but not to visit.

When I first got back into riding about 5 years ago, I did ride in the winter. Occasionally down to just below freezing. However, I know when I go back to the US it will take a while to build up to that. My temperature sensitivity is now somewhere between NYS and Taiwan.

Picture? Actually there is one that I posted in another thread here recently. You can find it here:

Sun Moon Lake (http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=3269833&postcount=113)

Sun Moon Lake is nice. Great pic.

Sun Moon Lake is nice. Great pic.

Thanks!

Actually the plant group is going again on Monday, but they don't get back in time for me to make another appiontment. Bummer! When we rode before, we went clockwise around the lake. This is easier than the opposite way. There is only one L-O-N-G climb before you descend into the village.

You guys make me homesick (sort of) for Taiwan. I lived there in 84-85, then again in 89, and rode a bike everywhere, except long distance stuff. I lived in Beitou, Neihu, Taipei, Syindyan (Taipei Basin), and a short time in Ilan. I'm a full time secondary social studies and ESL teacher and have thought about going back to Taiwan to work for maybe 2-3 years. But I still have 3 kids in middle and high school. I don't know how they'd fare. What's the job scene like for middle agers like me (age42)?

I can't say as I'm an engineer. I came here to help build 2 factories for my company. We are in the LCD glass business.

hey, the air in the cities may suck but it's just that much more incentive to get climbing.

from my apartment in the very centre of flatland taipei (SOGO), the mountains are no more than half an hour in any direction, and the air is so much cleaner there. if you live in tienmu, like many of the expat cyclists here, you are basically in the mountains already...

as i remember, the air in chiayi and taichung is normally worse than taipei, though, and you're pretty much stuck in it.

always treaching work here for qualified teachers, especially with high-school experience. taiwan school system is seeking foreign english teachers (with better pay than normal) for semi-permanent positions. also try some of the expat schools like the american school, european school, or the japanese schools.

Kaohsiung has a pretty fascinating cycling scene. Can't read Chinese, but I talk with this guy every so often when I'm in his shop. If you can read it, enjoy.

F-Serow (http://fserow.blogspot.com/index.html)

Kaohsiung has a pretty fascinating cycling scene. Can't read Chinese, but I talk with this guy every so often when I'm in his shop. If you can read it, enjoy.

F-Serow (http://fserow.blogspot.com/index.html)

Virtually all mountain bikes. There seems to be some sort of odd attraction for them in the country. I believe folks think they are better suited to the riding. I was asked many times about getting flat tires with my road bike. I had my current bike there for a year and a half and had one flat in that time (in the US!). Keep the tires pumped to the manufacturer's specs and avoid pot holes and curbs and it should be OK.

You can see the folks I rode with in Taichung on:
Team Mosaic Bike Shop (http://tmosaic.blogspot.com)
My wife and I are in a few of the photos, but I couldn't find them.

By the way, my Taiwan Saga is temporarily over for now. My last work day there was 1/15. Following a 10 trip to Australia, we're now back in the US. There is a possibility that I may return to Taiwan at the end of this year or the beginning of next year. We'll see. Sure beats NYS winters!!

I wear a mask filter most of the time when I'm on the street, whether walking or riding.

Sorry for dropping in from the SE US, but I noticed this thread and find it very sad that masks are necessary to breathe in Taipei.

What is the cause of this extreme pollution?

-Jason

Sorry for dropping in from the SE US, but I noticed this thread and find it very sad that masks are necessary to breathe in Taipei.

What is the cause of this extreme pollution?

-Jason

My wife posted that message. She may also respond to your question, but I thought I would take a shot at it.

A lot of people in Taiwan do wear masks of one sort or another, but many do not. I would guess that at least 70% of the people I see outside do not wear masks. The thing that is interesting is that the masks that probably 98% of the people wear really don't do much. The stuff that that masks have a chance at removing you can almost see; it's that big. However, it's the stuff that you can't see that makes a difference. If you are riding along a street with a lot of diesel truck traffic, there will be harmful things in the air. The cheap masks, and even my wife's expensive one for that matter if you wear it too long and don't change, won't remove what's bad about those fumes. Her's is good for about 75% removal of the harmful stuff at the beginning, but degrades after a couple of hours.

In general, the poor air quality appears to be due to diesel trucks and 2-stroke scooters. As far as I know, there is little (if any) in the way of exhaust gas emissions regulations. The government has been fixin' ta do something about air quality for several years but not much has happened.

Sorry for dropping in from the SE US, but I noticed this thread and find it very sad that masks are necessary to breathe in Taipei.

What is the cause of this extreme pollution?

-Jason

The main kinds of masks you would need to wear would be active carbon filter masks. The ones you see on the street remove particulate matter (such as dust), but a carbon mask is necessary to block gaseous matter (such as exhaust). A carbon mask usually runs in excess of $100 U.S. and, as far as I know, none are available here. So, in essence, the ones they use are useless.

I have a carbon mask, and even that has a difficult time straining much of the pollution.

A large part of the cause is 2-stroke scooters and general traffic. However, there are emission regulations, but they are pretty lax, and its nearly impossible to reduce any 2-stroke engine, as the oil is added directly to the engine (think lawnmower). Another massive addition would be oil refineries (which are plentiful due to relaxed industrial emissions laws) and coal-fired power plants. All of these in a small area.

Finally, if you look at the geography of Taiwan you see why the air remains that way. Much like Mexico City and Los Angeles, a low-lying area surrounding by mountains (or with mountains on the side farthest from the direction of the prevailing wind) tends to trap pollution. What happens is that as the pollution rises from the city, the colder air coming off the top of the mountain traps the air in the lower part of the valley. Then, because the mountains act as a wall, the air cannot be pushed away from the city, so its doubly trapped and builds up.

This can easily be seen by cresting the mountains, or riding along the east coast. The densely populated west coast has filthy air, but on the east, protected by mountains and underpopulated, the air is clean and fresh.

When a typhoon or other storm comes through, it brings winds from an easterly direction, pushing the pollution northeast, and clearing the sky. On those days, you can easily see the difference, with blue skies and breathable air. In large part, the length of time since a storm (or change in prevailing wind direction) is directly visible by the quality of the air.

Hope that explains it for you.

Jason,

Saw that you were from Asheville. Nice to see a fellow Carolinian around in the Asian forums. I grew up in Fayettenam. I'm really missing some good ole barbecue and baked beans. I loved Asheville the couple of times I visited. Beautiful area, though the price of living there seemed a bit steep.

A large part of the cause is 2-stroke scooters and general traffic. However, there are emission regulations, but they are pretty lax, and its nearly impossible to reduce any 2-stroke engine, as the oil is added directly to the engine (think lawnmower). Another massive addition would be oil refineries (which are plentiful due to relaxed industrial emissions laws) and coal-fired power plants. All of these in a small area.

Yes, it can be very difficult unless you use a catalytic converter like cars have. I worked on a project several years ago (late 90's) for manufacturing small converters suitable for scooters and motorcycles. We did have a workable product, but the company decided to abandon the business before taking it to market. One of the reoccuring problems was the incremental cost for the scooter. In Taiwan (at least) people are very cost conscious. Scooters retail for maybe $25,000NT to $45,000NT (about $780US to $1,400US).Going from memory, a converter would have added maybe $1,600NT (about $50US) to the price of the scooter. They also didn't have a sufficient supply of unleaded gas at that time. Even if the scooter was sold with a converter, it would have been easy enough to saw it out of the exhaust system and replace it with an empty tube. Given how many laws are enforced (helmets are required, but at any time you see maybe 20% of the people without them) in Taiwan, I don't think anyone would notice if your converter had been removed.

Yes, it can be very difficult unless you use a catalytic converter like cars have. I worked on a project several years ago (late 90's) for manufacturing small converters suitable for scooters and motorcycles. We did have a workable product, but the company decided to abandon the business before taking it to market. One of the reoccuring problems was the incremental cost for the scooter. In Taiwan (at least) people are very cost conscious. Scooters retail for maybe $25,000NT to $45,000NT (about $780US to $1,400US).Going from memory, a converter would have added maybe $1,600NT (about $50US) to the price of the scooter. They also didn't have a sufficient supply of unleaded gas at that time. Even if the scooter was sold with a converter, it would have been easy enough to saw it out of the exhaust system and replace it with an empty tube. Given how many laws are enforced (helmets are required, but at any time you see maybe 20% of the people without them) in Taiwan, I don't think anyone would notice if your converter had been removed.

Hey there,

I' m taking a trip to Taiwan in a few weeks. i'm looking to build/buy a touring/expedition bike while i am there. can anyone point me in the right direction for factories/stores/shops etc etc?

any info would be extremely greatful

Collie

Jason,

Saw that you were from Asheville. Nice to see a fellow Carolinian around in the Asian forums. I grew up in Fayettenam. I'm really missing some good ole barbecue and baked beans. I loved Asheville the couple of times I visited. Beautiful area, though the price of living there seemed a bit steep.

Thanks for explaining the problems with the air on the island. I guess when I think of tropical/sub-tropical islands, I think of the breezy, carefree (and largely industry-free) Caribbean islands. I have heard Manila has pollution problems as well, though.

I've been in NC for 12 years now, mostly in Asheville. The cost of living is continuing to increase, despite the real estate slowdown in many other parts of the country. It's just a nice place to live, and people are taking notice.

Come on home and get some BBQ now!!

more than half the pollutants in the air over taiwan at any one time come straight from our lovely neighbour across the sea. you know, the most polluted country in the world, the one that denies that pollution control is a global problem and tells us to butt out of internal affairs. the unique geography of taiwan relative to the prevailing westerly winds compounds the problem by trapping the air over cities, as mentioned above, where much local pollution is added to the mix, especially over religious holidays where paper money and firecrackers are burned...

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Oct2003/China_OSE2003295.jpg

http://www.space.com/images/ig184_05_02.jpg

and the gas mask thing is a furphy too... almost every gas mask you see worn on the streets in taiwan is cosmetic, psychological protection at best. an active carbon half-face gas mask of the kind you need to control the kind of crap that you find in this pollution haze is going to restrict your breathing far too much to use for cycling, anyway. your air intake may rise ten times or more when you cycle hard.

2 stroke emissions that are of interest here would be particulate, ie smoke, and unburnt fuel and oil emissions rather than the incomplete nitrogen and other oxides (like CO) that catalytic converters are designed to reduce. one possible solution is better vapourisation of the fuel/air mixture, another is better scavenging and exhaust design, such as is possible with exhaust valves and effieient loop scavenging. and timing of exhaust pressure pulses.... something most taiwanese 2 stroke scooters can't do with their primitive exhausts.

collie: about your new bike frame: if you are much larger than a medium or a 58cm size, finding just a road bike will be tricky and finding a touring/hybrid bike for any serious use, next to impossible locally in taiwan. there are stores that can probably special order such a frame for you but you must wait a while then for delivery, and your bargaining options would be much smaller then too. practically no local store here stocks anything bigger than medium. one possibility is the Giant bike store in TienMu Taipei who has a large expat clientale. he does carry brands other than Giant, and does high-end road and mountain and also some family bikes.

Will be dropping into Taipei for a trip soon. Can people comment on the value of buying a road frame there? How are the prices like there compared with US or HK? Would you buy anything related to bikes there? Thanks.

Most masks I see on the streets in Taipei are just made out of cloth, which might do some good in filtering out dust, but not in filtering out fumes. I found a local dealer who has Respro cycling masks made with neoprene linings and an activated charcoal filter inside... but they were pricey since they were imported from the U - 3,500 NT for mask and two sets of filter replacements. Unfortunately for me... instantly after finding the Respro online... an taiwanese engineer friend of mine found a generic cycling mask with a charcoal filter inside for just 300 NT.

It seems that with the amount of nasty fumes in the air, even if we decrease our intake by a small percentage... say, 30%, it would be good for us in the long run.

Bump!

I'm flying to Taipei end of this week for a business trip. Can anyone recommend a shop where I could rent a bike (preferably a road bike) for a day?

thanks in advance!

Bump!

I'm flying to Taipei end of this week for a business trip. Can anyone recommend a shop where I could rent a bike (preferably a road bike) for a day?

thanks in advance!

I'm back in Taiwan, but I'm sorry that I can't help you with Taipei. I've only ridden in Taichung and Tainan. Next time you replace your current bike, consider something you can travel with like a Ritchey BreakAway or one equipped with S & S BTC's...

Oh yeah, I'm shopping for a folding bike, but won't have one before my trip. Thanks!

Any global recommendations on bike shops in Taipei? What are prices like? Is there anything used? Can one find track bikes? (Many questions ..)

Thanks all!

I live in Nan Kan, riding around this area and up in the hills. I do not really comute so ride for fun and exersise. I seem to ride mostly very early in the morning due to scheduleing as much as anything else, as was pointed out earlier the air is much cleaner then.

How was your Taiwan trip? I live in Okinawa which is about 250 miles to the NE of Taiwan.

Thanks for explaining the problems with the air on the island. I guess when I think of tropical/sub-tropical islands, I think of the breezy, carefree (and largely industry-free) Caribbean islands. I have heard Manila has pollution problems as well, though.

I was in Manila a few years ago and did some running in the city. Wow - incredibly polluted air. Not nearly as bad as Beijing, but still bad.

Okinawa isn't too bad though. The dump trucks do put out a lot of particulate exhaust but overall the air is pretty good.

Hi,
I've been looking for this book for months "Let's Bike: Carefree Tour Biking" Northern Taiwan. Does anyone have an idea where I can find it?
I usually ride in Hshinchu County, Guanshi Township because my in-laws live there. It is nice if you adjust your cycle time to the temperature and off peak traffic times.
The bummer in Taiwan is you can't buy parts like you can in the US. The OEM laws prevent companies from selling things at a discount. I ride a Bianchi Volpe that was made here but isn't sold here. So I imported it from the US. (I'm probably the only one this year.:) I love the WTB Terrainasaurs tires because the roads are not smooth. I wouldn't want to ride a regular road bike here. Too much road vibration. The Brooks B67 makes a difference as well.

Were you able to build a bike in Taiwan? Last year I tried the shops in Taipei and came out empty. Ended up buying a Bianchi in CA and importing it to Taiwan.

hello meyers66 where did you get the bike in CA. You order it online or local shop.I plan to get one in CA. if you order it online might be useful for me before purchasing.

Were you able to build a bike in Taiwan? Last year I tried the shops in Taipei and came out empty. Ended up buying a Bianchi in CA and importing it to Taiwan.

How do you mean "build"? Buy a frame and fork and have a shop add the other hardware? I know of a shop here in Taichung and one in Tainan that can do that. The one in Taichung does a lot of mid to high end stuff: Colnago, DeRosa, Pinarello, Garneau. The one in Tainan is a dealer for Giant, but also does Cannondale and Salsa (and perhaps a few others). Basically they should be able to get whatever parts that you can get in the US. While both have done repairs and maintenance for me, I have not purchased much hardware from either.

Were you able to build a bike in Taiwan? Last year I tried the shops in Taipei and came out empty. Ended up buying a Bianchi in CA and importing it to Taiwan.


Jimmy at Jimmy's bike shop on Jien Guo Rd. in Taipei (close to Xin Yi Rd.) builds road bikes from the frame up. He is a fan of Shimano groups, but seems to have access to many and varied frames and other components.

His prices are variable. Sometimes he is super expensive and sometimes reasonable.

You can also try Yahoo! auctions in Taiwan. Many gray (black) market OEM products end up there. Be wary of the sellers however, some are truly dodgy. Oh and its all in Chinese of course.

For building mountain bikes there are several choices.

Our own shop cannot help you build a complete bike yet, but we are working hard on building up the range. Maybe one day, soon... :love:

Cheers,

V.

hello meyers66 where did you get the bike in CA. You order it online or local shop.I plan to get one in CA. if you order it online might be useful for me before purchasing. Hi,
I bought my '07 Bianchi Volpe in San Francisco at American Cyclery on Stanyon St. There is a Bianchi distributor in Hayward, CA. I tried getting info online and through the mail from both of them and they didn't respond. I'm not a big fan of their customer service. I received good customer service from the Bianchi dealer in Sausalito on Bridgeway. They didn't have the right size so I went with American Cyclery. If I were to do it again I'd go with the Bianchi dealer in Sausalito on Bridgeway. I'm a fan of supporting businesses that care about customer service. They also gave me a free bike box.

Hello All,
I'll be visiting Taiwan for a short trip, and am excited about bringing my Brompton with me for the first time. With that said, if anyone knows of a shop or person willing to rent/loan out a road bike in Kaohsiung, I'd greatly appreciate some pointers as I certainly wouldn't mind taking that up for a few climbs. If not, anyone interested in riding with me and my foldie around in Taipei, Taidong, or Kaohsiung (the three places I'll be visiting)?

Hello All,
I'll be visiting Taiwan for a short trip, and am excited about bringing my Brompton with me for the first time. With that said, if anyone knows of a shop or person willing to rent/loan out a road bike in Kaohsiung, I'd greatly appreciate some pointers as I certainly wouldn't mind taking that up for a few climbs. If not, anyone interested in riding with me and my foldie around in Taipei, Taidong, or Kaohsiung (the three places I'll be visiting)?

Missed me. I'm in Taichung...

Taichung is only a HSR ride away, isn't it? :lol:

I did hear Taichung has some good climbing.

Grrrrgh, need to find someone to rent a bike from!:twitchy:

I've been in Tainan for 10 years. I've ridden and/or raced in every county on the island.

Never been to this forum before.

Howdy to all those here!

I've been in Tainan for 10 years. I've ridden and/or raced in every county on the island.

Never been to this forum before.

Howdy to all those here!

Starting in January 2004, I spent about 18 months in Tainan. In some ways, I liked it better than Taichung, where I am now.

Are you familiar with SS Knife (Shao Shiung, I think)? There is one shop out on Golden Beach and another near the Train Station downtown.

Yesterday, Sunday, I went for a ride in the late morning. I decided to head home prematurely as I didn't feel that energetic and it was beginning to look like rain. Anyway, I was sitting at a busy intersection of 2 four-lane streets. When the light changed I started to pedal away and was promptly hit from the rear! I guy on a scooter wacked me in the rear tire. Seems that he wasn't paying attention or thought that I could accelerate as fast as he could. Anyway, it punctured the inner tube but I think the wheel and tire are OK.

Didn't need to happen...