City Bikes: The Flying Pigeon 1-, 3-, or 7-speed

The legendary Tianjin Flying Pigeon is known as the most popular bicycle in the world–yet it’s relatively unknown in the United States. (Or has been, anyway–the Pigeon was just recently recommended by the Wall Street Journal’s ”Very Good Gift Guide“.) For decades, the Flying Pigeon was my Chinese grandfather’s mode of transportation in my mother’s hometown, Qingdao. One of the most memorable experiences of my life was simply riding a Flying Pigeon across Beijing amid hundreds of thousands of fellow cyclists. Based on 1930s Raleighs and similar traditional Dutch bikes (now represented by the likes of Azor and Batavus), Pigeons feature lugged steel frames that offer a supple, stable, unflappable ride. The famous/infamous rod brakes, which would be ineffective rainy Portland, are replaced by stronger caliper brakes.

Retrofitting: Joe Bike does extensive mechanical retrofitting to improve durability, ride quality, braking, and hill-climbing ability. The entire crankset is replaced, including a sealed Shimano bottom bracket, a smaller chainring and a larger rear cog, stronger alloy crankarms and a lighter pedal; stronger front brakes, and so on. Alloy wheels, handmade in Portland, are offered as options on all Pigeons along with better, faster tires, including Schwalbe whitewalls. For purists or those who want a super-comfortable ride, 28″ steel wheels are standard.

Yet the old-world essence of the bike remains unchanged. The upright riding position and close-in handgrips provide a different riding experience than most Americans are used to. At once slower and more dignified, this posture encourages you to keep a straight back, relax your neck and shoulders, and open your chest. Or, as some say, your heart.

A note on the brakes: Although rod brakes may look cool, may be in vogue among a pocket of London cyclists, and are certainly one of the charming idiosyncracies of the Flying Pigeon, we don’t use them at all. In fact, Joe Bike is, to the best of our knowledge, the only US importer of front caliper-brake Flying Pigeons. In this case we sacrificed authenticity for safety. 

Service and tune-ups on Flying Pigeons are free for 2 years.

Features: Full chainguard; dual kickstand; oversized rear cargo rack; frame-mounted tire pump; steel fenders; bell; upgraded pedals. Options: dynamo-powered chrome bullet light, sprung leather saddle, KMS alloy pedals, choice of leather, cork, or bamboo handgrips from Portland Design Works, choice of baskets and saddlebags from Basil, Wald, and others, front and rear Bobike child seats, Schwalbe whitewall tires, and Oregon-made CETMA or TCB porteur racks. Single speed ($299; $385 with alloy wheels); Sturmey-Archer internal 3-speed ($399; $485 with alloy wheels); Shimano Nexus 7 ($749).

CLEARANCE: We’re clearing out all our Flying Pigeons this summer. Single speed: $259. Sturmey-Archer 3-speed: $349.

We also offer a fixed-gear Pigeon (see photos); call or stop by for details.

Colors: black, dark green, bold pink. Custom powder coating in the color of your choice is available for around $250.

Shipping: Retrofitted Flying Pigeons are carefully repackaged and shipped in a carton, typically for around $100-150 to anywhere in the continental United States. They will be about 85% assembled inside the carton; you would mainly need to install the handlebars, saddle, pedals, and any optional equipment. We recommend you take the bike in to your local bike shop to complete the assembly.

To see photos of Flying Pigeons found in and around New York City, often underneath rather goodlooking people, go to http://flyingpigeonnyc.blogspot.com/.