Starting at just $249, 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 Raleigh roadsters and 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 in rainy Portland, are not to be found on any of our Pigeons. We much stronger caliper brakes instead.

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 and Schwalbe Delta Cruisers. 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 authent-

icity for safety.

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

The Pigeon is available as a single speed, 3 speed, or 8 speed. The single-speed Naked Pigeon starts at 249, and the 3 speed starts at 349, for models without fenders, chainguard, or rack. The fully equipped bike is 299 and 399, respectively. There are many a la carte options, such as racks, fenders, bullet lamp with dynamo, and alloy wheels. The 8-speed Pigeon comes with alloy wheels and a rear drum brake for 699. Stop in today or call us for more details.

Colors: black, dark green, bold pink. Custom powder coating in the color of your choice is available for around $225.

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, or, better yet, have the bike delivered directly to a shop.

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