We're going into Day 3 of the Taipei Bike Show and we've seen some pretty interesting sights so far. Inside you can check out some of things that caught out eye:
• Amara helmet from Kali Protection with built-in GoPro mount
• Kore's new crankset and aluminum railed saddles
• A thin and nearly axle-less pedal that weighs 112 grams per set
• Limar's colorful new lids
• ComeBest energy drink and KLG Chicken
• A visit to one of the tallest buildings in the world, Taipei 101
Taiwan is a lot of concrete and steel, and the first few days we saw very little of anything else, so on Tuesday when we road tripped from Taichung to Taipei for the Bike Show we were surprised by some of the terrain. It was a welcome sight to see mountains and forest - no doubt all of us were scoping lines from the freeway.
We stopped along the way at the Pacific Cycles factory where Banshee Bikes are made. The museum made for an interesting retrospective into bikes over the last couple decades.
This was one of many bikes in the museum that caught our eye.
This is what the show looks like. This is in the middle of the floor on top of the Hayes booth. Now imagine that much in the opposite direction and then multiply that by 4 floors. Gives you an idea of just how much there is to see here.
There isn't much info to be had on these neat looking pedals, but one has to wonder how long they would last with such a short axle. There is no arguing that they are thin! Total weight for a pair is 112 grams!
Limar had a very bright looking display of their latest lids, including this neon green number.
I saw these LED light strips on spokes as I was walking past the Anvii booth but didn't realize the purpose until I saw the spinning wheel. Pretty cool if you ask me. I wonder if you can make custom designs?
This was an interesting little innovation from Kali Protection. Your GoPro camera clips directly to a built in mount onto their Amara helmet.
One of the single coolest products I saw at the show was an iPhone un-powered amplifier from Bone. It's a case that you can put on your phone to amplify the built in speaker. No electronics, just good ol' fashioned ingenuity. We plugged an iPhone into it and the difference is undeniable. It boasts an added 13 decibels of volume out of the built in speaker with the amplifier. The unit also straps nicely onto handlebars.
Kore has been doing their aluminum beamed seats for some time now, although many riders don't know that they also fit I-Beam posts as well. They are adding some sharp looking saddle designs for 2012, including a downhill version and dirt jump version developed with help from Bryn Atkinson and others (not shown)
I've seen bikes in every shape, size and color but jewel-encrusted is a first for me.
The booths themselves are pretty impressive. Kuwahara's booth is one of the coolest ones I've seen so far, built like a half pipe. I wonder if it's rideable?
Our necks are sore from the daily commute past Taipei 101, the world's second tallest building. This is what rush hour looks like on our way back from the show.
We played tourist for the night and took in the view from the top of Taipei 101 after the show.
Anyone up for some KLG chicken?
For when you need to be at your best...
Stay tuned for more from the Taipei Cycle Show!
kuwahara-bike.com/oversea2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51:gaap-cross&catid=35:gaap&Itemid=57