[Giant]

On our last trip to Taiwan in December, I picked up my folding bike, a Giant Halfway 7S at a bike shop near our office [map]. The irony is that when I went to get the bike, it was raining, so I couldn’t ride it back and ended up having to lug it all over downtown Taipei. At least the shop owner was nice enough to throw in the carrying bag.

My first time riding a folding bike was when I tried out Elijah’s a few months ago and I was totally hooked. It removes the inconvenience of having to use a bike rack, so that you can ride wherever and whenever you want, making bike rides much more spontaneous.

Folding bikes tend to be more popular outside the US, particularly  in Europe and Asia. Additionally, almost all bikes are made either in China or in Taiwan. I figured I could look for some good deals while I was there. Just walking around town, I saw a lot more people on bikes, with folding bikes making up the majority.

Most of what people were riding were Dahon and Giant branded folding bikes. After checking the prices at local bike shops, it was pretty clear that the best deal was with Giant (a Taiwanese company) rather than Dahon (a US company that manufactures its bikes in Taiwan). The Dahon bike prices were comparable to prices that I could get in the US, whereas the Giant folding bike prices in Taiwan were 30-40% cheaper than in the US.

I did get to ride my folding bike once while in Taiwan. Rebecca’s nephews took me on the trail that went around the bay in Danshui. And it was easily the most fun I had while I was there. I have to say that riding a bike in a new locale (as opposed to by car or on foot) really expands on the enjoyment and experience of travel for me.

As for the folding bike itself, it has been great. At first, I was looking into which parts to upgrade from the OEM components. But after making some minor fit adjustments and riding it some more, I am happy with it as is. The one thing I might change is the seat which is a bit too cushy, but for now, it works just fine.