I have been trying for years to finally get a chance to ride a bicycle that was once the most popular in the world, but has proven exceedingly rare where I live. And why do I want to ride the iconic Flying Pigeon? Because it just may hold a key to the future of China's cities.
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#cycling #bikecommuting #urbanplanning
A huge thanks to my sponsors this year. They support this channel, so please support them. They also make amazing products that I use every day and endorse without hesitation.
Priority Bikes: I happily rode Priority for years before they signed on as a sponsor this year.
I’m currently riding the zippy and fun new Priority Eight: https://alnk.to/1XWoxFO
I’ve ridden the Priority Continuum Onyx through many Canadian winters: https://bit.ly/3tzXTee.
Two Wheel Gear: My favourite bike bags and panniers, and the best convertible backpack-pannier that I’ve ever used (which you see in this video): https://twowheelgear.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=shifter&utm_campaign=tombabin
Buy my book Frostbike: The Joy, Pain and Numbness of Winter Cycling: https://rmbooks.com/book/frostbike/
This video makes use of videos and photographs from the following places:
Stock Footage provided by Xuanzizi, from Pond5
Stock Footage provided by EmoticonMedia, from Pond5
Stock Footage provided by Xuanzizi, from Pond5
ITDP
U.S. National Archives
National Film Board of Canada
Raleigh Museum
Wikimedia Commons
Darcy Reynard at Bike Bike Nudge Nudge
Stock Footage provided by WeatherNews, from Pond5
Stock Footage provided by NorthwindVisuals, from Pond5
Stock Footage provided by slicedbread, from Pond5
Stock Footage provided by Lucekkk, from Pond5
Stock Footage provided by jamejones, from Pond5
Stock Footage provided by Pond5_SleepingPanda, from Pond5
Stock Footage provided by labrador, from Pond5
United Nations
And thanks to Darcy from @bikebikenudgenudge!
I don’t really do proper product reviews, but here are some products that I’ve tried on this channel that I like. (Of course, you don’t need anything fancy to ride a bike, other than a bike, but these are Amazon affiliate links, and I get paid a small commission if you buy them 😉)
• If you ride a bike in the city, you need a good lock. Litelok is a good option: us.litelok.com/SHIFTER
• If you wear a helmet and like to be well-lit, consider the Lumos: ridelumos.com/shifter
• Hindsight sunglasses have mirrors so you can see behind you while you ride. Plus, they look good: https://collabs.shop/f9hvof
• Love these RedShift Acrlight Smart LED Pedals: https://redshiftsports.com/collections/arclight-pedals?aff=40
• Crane Bicycle Bell (the ding is sublime): https://amzn.to/48gsHQ2
• Bicycle Cargo Net (why did it take so long for me to buy one of these?): https://amzn.to/31s1Ovu
• Vaude Cover II Rain Poncho (for higher-end, try Cleverhood or People’s Poncho): https://amzn.to/3jLkift
• Peak Design phone case (the one I use, paired with the Peak Design phone mount): https://amzn.to/48giWS6
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0:00 Introduction
0:59 Why I want to ride a Flying Pigeon
2:23 The story of the Flying Pigeon
4:11 The nostalgia of cycling in China
5:12 How China became known as the Bicycle Kingdom
7:34 End of an Era
9:28 I finally catch my pigeon
12:35 The bicycle rises again in China
15:58 A new approach to cycling
16:20 What this means for all cities