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I’m still trying to digest what I read. Maybe I’m an idiot. Well, I am an idiot, but I just didn’t catch exactly how he was breaking down his experience. I wasn’t sure what aspects were classified as personal and what were part of the practice.
Also seems like in not detracting from his book he left a lot of concise anecdotal evidence of certain dilemmas out of his explanations.
One of the things I did glean from it was that opening a foreign franchise store in China and trying to do it to a quality and standard that still eludes many supply and distribution chains here is a tough act. At any rate, I found it to be a far cry from what I’ve experienced and maybe it would be worth it to pick up his book to see specifically what hurdles he had to jump.
Quote:Natooke is the obvious place to hit up, but there are other bicycle shops all around the city.Cheers!
Quote:if Chengdu is anything like the west in that respect, the fixed gear community is probably more tight knit so keen to find out about shops/spots.Chengdu and China in general is usually backwards regarding this. The fixie crews are usually the most open and into cycling. They’re a good place to start if you want to get out riding and meeting new cycling friends.
I’ve been to a lot of shops in Chengdu and most of them suck. The giant Giant store? Bummer. Any of the random branches of Merida, Flying Pigeon, Thundercat, Hammermadeponyfist, etc. all provide a service not near what you’d expect in the West and little in terms of follow up.
The other shop on Chengdu Places, Giraffe is a pretty cool spot. One of the owners, Keren, speaks fluent English and they’re super helpful. Also a cool boutique shop you feel at home just kicking it there. Again, you’ll only find fixies.
Another cool spot is LOHAS on the 2.5 ring road. If you need more specific directions I could probably look it up for you. Only downside is it’s higher end and they also lack English.
I’m going to the big Specialized store that opened up a few month ago tomorrow. I liked the guys at the Specialized shop I used to go to from time to time in Beijing. My only gripe was the price.
Quote:Another question (and I am sorry for coming up with new ones), how are people in Chengdu. Read a lot about how they are very laid back. Is it easy to make friends with the locals and expats?Yes. People take things in stride and this includes making friends. Like anywhere it takes a while to peg a few besties but at no point will you ever feel shut out or socially shunted. Once you find the sort of scene you run with it’s easy to meet a number of cool folks lurking around the city. As for locals, it’s a generally Chinese quality to be congenial, warm and inviting to guests. Even if you overstay your welcome.
Muckrakers. All I see is evidence of harmonious air particulate. Where heaven and earth unite in a peaceful relationship.
Chengdu’s a great city to live in. It’s small enough and lacks a huge ongoing outsider influence. You’ll notice more intermingling here. Unlike cities like Beijing and Shanghai where you can live your days out without having do anything remotely Chinese (food, language, entertainment, social interaction).
Also, for it’s size and lesser exposure Chengdu really pushes things. From hip-hop to design, cycling to art people here know how to have fun and get the most out of their interests and move things forward. Go to a bigger city and it’s a copycat culture that leans heavily and what’s hip and happening worldwide.
I’ve lived in Beijing and visited Shanghai on a few occasions and they’re just too immense. Living in a city that’s inescapable without making a big deal of it sucks. Chengdu albeit dense is easy to get outside of. The countryside around here is beautiful and mountains to boot.
If you want to live in China and Chengdu’s where you’re ending up, you’ll be happy with it. If you were keen on Shanghai or Beijing and drew a short straw, maybe you might not be keen on it. Simply, it’s the kind of city where you can get a realistic impression of China while still offering just enough of a variety of Western amenities to take the cultural edge off.
Charlie speaks the truth. Natooke will be organizing an alleycat of sorts in the coming weeks. Keep your eyes peeled for the event flyer the CL forum.
@Adrien thanks for the photos! It’s a shame you don’t have one of me throwing up into the river just before the start.
After a lengthy discussion over a bowl of noodles, a new air quality rating system has been implemented:
100 – 200: Grey
200 – 300: Beige
300 – 500: Sepia
If conditions have gone ‘sepia tone’ all necessary health precautions must be taken.
Did a ride without the mask the other day with levels hovering around 300. Made it about 30k (planned route was about 60k) and called it quits. Blew black boogers for about an hour after and had a hacking cough. Day after fell victim to my first cold of the season. Screw that noise.
Stephen speaks the truth! It’s amazing but after some time here you really do get a sense that the vast majority of foreigners here speak Chinese. You just can’t get away with not. Couple of times I’ve run into people in the neighborhood just having a casual conversation and I feel as surprised probably any average local would. It’s nice because it adds a little motivation to the process. Good luck with the studies!
All about nailed it for me. However, here are a few picks I haven’t seen yet that I’d stand by:
The Walkmen – Heaven
10 years and going. Walkmen have yet to release an album I don’t like. I keep looking for it and after the first cut on this imagined this could be it, but after a repeat quickly fell in love with it. Definitely mellowed out over the years but killer song and album construction.
Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music
Charged hip hop. Don’t know how else to explain it. Political and clever. The closing song is great and does some to resolve the album. Imagine getting angry listening to this like you would listening to the Swans or something. Good stuff.
Lightships – Electric Cables
Slowcore. If you were ever a fan of Teenage Fanclub you’ll probably enjoy this. Takes a couple of spins before your ears warm to it but definitely worth it. Pared down melodies hook you in and keep you listening.
Happy listening, happy new year and thanks for all the suggestions.
Rad photos! Any info on where to find out where these gigs are at? I know I know. I spend the majority of my time beside a cosplay cafe, but if you know of any other venue it’d be interesting to check out.
Rad photos! Any info on where to find out where these gigs are at? I know I know. I spend the majority of my time beside a cosplay cafe, but if you know of any other venue it’d be interesting to check out.
Rad photos! Any info on where to find out where these gigs are at? I know I know. I spend the majority of my time beside a cosplay cafe, but if you know of any other venue it’d be interesting to check out.
Looks interesting. I can’t imagine paying that much to ride a MTB in a park.
Should have seen Justin’s crash. Still chuckling seeing his reaction as he stood up with half the handlebar just dangling off his bike. Rode it around and used the brake like it was a Wii remote.
If you do regular rides and want to put the word out let me know. That way we can clue folks in if they come asking. Or I could just get a MTB and join.
Looks interesting. I can’t imagine paying that much to ride a MTB in a park.
Should have seen Justin’s crash. Still chuckling seeing his reaction as he stood up with half the handlebar just dangling off his bike. Rode it around and used the brake like it was a Wii remote.
If you do regular rides and want to put the word out let me know. That way we can clue folks in if they come asking. Or I could just get a MTB and join.
Looks interesting. I can’t imagine paying that much to ride a MTB in a park.
Should have seen Justin’s crash. Still chuckling seeing his reaction as he stood up with half the handlebar just dangling off his bike. Rode it around and used the brake like it was a Wii remote.
If you do regular rides and want to put the word out let me know. That way we can clue folks in if they come asking. Or I could just get a MTB and join.
Your paying per month for them to watch your bicycle? You pay rent. Why not just bring it into your apartment?
It already sounds as though the lady wouldn’t be very effective, if say, someone comes with bolt cutters and claims it’s a friend’s bicycle. In this case my recommendation would be to not continue to lock it outside.
Regarding locks we’ve got one heavy duty Abus U-lock, but the price probably nears half the value of your bicycle. We also have a few small chains’ but we recommend only using for quick on the fly lockups.
Vincent NL: Knowing your past luck with your bike, all I can say is maybe those neon orange rims are catching a lot of attention.
Vincent: I wouldn’t say lucky. Just sensible. Usually people who just pay no heed to the fact their bike may be stolen, have their bikes stolen.
Ray: That trick is simpler than that. Two locks is basic math. It requires twice the time to remove them, even for the most prepared thief. Bike theft is a convenience crime. Overlooked and easy to make off with, it’s a decent value for little or no effort.
Brian: If it’s once in a while you do this, as long as you lock it right it’s usually not a problem. Start doing it’s regularly in the same area then you’re building risk.
Again, I think Chengdu get’s a bum rap for bicycle theft. The only time I’ve encountered theft here it’s because people just don’t take the right precautions. If you care enough about the thing do it right or just carry it in. It’s a hassle but not so much as buying a new bike.
Stephen,
Do you know if they allow fixed gears???
Also, never ridden a velodrome but totally want to.
Finally. I’m in for riding down to check it out. Hell, I can’t imagine it’s terribly technical. Be sort of fun to flip it around to the freewheel and see if the ol’ steed could handle the cross country loop.
