Comments on: From the show floor of the Taipei Cycle show…. http://bicycledesign.net/2009/03/from-the-show-floor-of-the-taipei-cycle-show/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=from-the-show-floor-of-the-taipei-cycle-show The blog about industrial design in the bike industry Wed, 22 May 2013 12:29:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: IBDC entries and a few other links | Bicycle Design http://bicycledesign.net/2009/03/from-the-show-floor-of-the-taipei-cycle-show/comment-page-1/#comment-3694 IBDC entries and a few other links | Bicycle Design Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:48:38 +0000 http://bicycledesign.net/2009/03/from-the-show-floor-of-the-taipei-cycle-show/#comment-3694 [...] Cycle Show, which takes place March 17th -20th. The design pictured here is AutoVelo, by Eric Stoddard of Speed Studio Design. You may remember Eric from his excellent coverage of the Taipei Cycle Show [...]

]]> By: James http://bicycledesign.net/2009/03/from-the-show-floor-of-the-taipei-cycle-show/comment-page-1/#comment-2866 James Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:26:00 +0000 http://bicycledesign.net/2009/03/from-the-show-floor-of-the-taipei-cycle-show/#comment-2866 Anon 11:43, yeah there have been a few posts about folders (including Mark’s folders). That is a big part of what is shown at the Taipei show. As you probably know, I cover all kinds of bikes on the blog and I often hear from people who don’t like one type or another. Last year during the US Pro races, a few people told me that I was too focused on road racing bikes and that I should move on. I guess you can’t please everyone all the time, but the blog will continue to be about ALL types of bikes.

Anon 12:09, you are right. Bikes designed for the Asian market don’t always translate to the US market. That is exactly why I think that it is important to discuss what does work in this market. I really do believe that electric assist bikes could be viable here if they could overcome the image problem that they suffer from in the US. They are kind of viewed the same as mopeds- not exactly considered “cool”. Vespas, on the other hand, do have a positive brand image in the minds of a lot of people. I think that is a good example of products that are functionally similar but are viewed completely different because of design and branding. I think bicycle designers and marketers need to think along those lines.

Eric, thanks again for this great commentary from the show. By the way, I did have a beer cooler strapped to my rear rack of my fixie over the weekend, so you won’t hear me laughing at that idea at all.

]]> By: Eric http://bicycledesign.net/2009/03/from-the-show-floor-of-the-taipei-cycle-show/comment-page-1/#comment-2864 Eric Tue, 24 Mar 2009 04:31:00 +0000 http://bicycledesign.net/2009/03/from-the-show-floor-of-the-taipei-cycle-show/#comment-2864 I read a website a few years ago where they were marketing electric bikes to people with a suspended drivers license because of a DUI. I can’t remember the site…Laugh all you want, but sometimes it’s stupid ideas like these that make the big bucks!

]]> By: Eric http://bicycledesign.net/2009/03/from-the-show-floor-of-the-taipei-cycle-show/comment-page-1/#comment-2863 Eric Tue, 24 Mar 2009 04:24:00 +0000 http://bicycledesign.net/2009/03/from-the-show-floor-of-the-taipei-cycle-show/#comment-2863 A beer cooler and cupholders…now there’s an idea!

]]> By: Anonymous http://bicycledesign.net/2009/03/from-the-show-floor-of-the-taipei-cycle-show/comment-page-1/#comment-2862 Anonymous Tue, 24 Mar 2009 04:09:00 +0000 http://bicycledesign.net/2009/03/from-the-show-floor-of-the-taipei-cycle-show/#comment-2862 These are great photos and first hand reports and opinions of some very interesting concepts. But bicycles developed for the Asian market will not translate well to the U.S. market. Americans in general have much lower population density, have much less access to mass transit, and are much fatter than Asians. What will Joe Six-Pack want in a bicycle? Electric assist to help make it to the closest convenience store 3 miles away and a cooler for the beer – maybe a cup holder too. And definitely a kickstand. If the bike industry really wants to talk “blue ocean,” they need to challenge their own preconceptions and assumptions. Less than 30 years ago they thought mountain bikes were just a fad.

]]> By: Anonymous http://bicycledesign.net/2009/03/from-the-show-floor-of-the-taipei-cycle-show/comment-page-1/#comment-2861 Anonymous Tue, 24 Mar 2009 03:43:00 +0000 http://bicycledesign.net/2009/03/from-the-show-floor-of-the-taipei-cycle-show/#comment-2861 i have a feeling this blog should be renamed from bicycle design to ‘mark sanders design.’ we’re overwhelmed with posts on folders. lets move on now.

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