David on Formosa

Although very few people in Taiwan actually ride a bike, Taiwan is the world’s largest exporter of bicycles. If you buy a bike anywhere in the world that cost more than a few hundred dollars it was probably made in Taiwan.

When it comes to making the finest bikes though Chang Sheng-kai is a step ahead of the rest. His bikes are ridden by the national teams of Australia, Japan, most of Asia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines and South Africa.

This recent article from the Taipei Times about Chang gives a lot of insights into the Taiwanese bicycle industry.

While there has been an increase in the popularity of mountain bike riding for sport and recreation in recent years in Taiwan, bicycles are still an underutilised form of transport. It is a shame that the country that is so busy manufacturing bikes for the rest of the world can’t find the time to ride them.