Author Han Cheung
Photographer Vision
With cycling becoming increasingly popular in Taipei, businesses aim to promote the activity not just as a sport but as a lifestyle. One example is the emergence of bike café shops, which provide quality food and drink in a chic setting while also offering a selection of designer vehicles, apparel, and accessories. Following, we introduce three cool places in the city that are popular with local and international cyclists alike.
Rapha Clubhouse Taipei
Welcoming visitors with a picturesque elevated patio in the trendy East District, Rapha Clubhouse aims to be more than just a cycling apparel and accessory shop. As the British company’s Taiwan manager Ahsien Yen says, “We hope that it is a second home for cycling enthusiasts.”
The tranquil café/shop only offers limited outdoor seating. It serves coffee made with Taiwanese beans, a variety of teas, and handmade baked treats. The relaxed atmosphere makes it ideal for unwinding after a ride and chatting with other bike riders, and the striking black monochrome exterior anchored by a large, shady patio tree also makes it a popular spot for photo ops.
Now in its seventh year, Rapha provides a variety of services and activities. It organizes three group rides per week and at least two multi-day trips annually, brings fans to cheer on contestants during races in Taipei, and has watch parties for major events. Rapha Club members from any country can exclusively rent a bike for up to three days from the shop, which is equipped with a computer that contains GPS maps of all the popular routes in Taipei.
Ahsien says cyclists have come from as far as Norway to join the group rides, and Taiwan is renowned internationally for its smooth roads, ubiquitous convenience stores, and inspiring scenery. Even just in Taipei, cyclists can easily access the mountains and continue on to the nearby coastal areas beyond for a fun full-day jaunt. Those interested in what the city has to offer can scan the QR codes on the map inside the shop.
Rapha Clubhouse Taipei
🚩71, Ln. 161, Sec. 1, Dunhua S. Rd., Daan Dist.
📞(02) 2701-8006
🔗content.rapha.cc/tw/en/clubhouses/taipei
🕝Mon-Fri 1:00pm-9:00pm
Sun 9:00am-9:00pm
Tokyobike Taiwan
Nestled in a corner of the grounds surrounding a repurposed 90-year-old market building that is next to a long, narrow alley of old-school food stalls, Tokyobike’s Taipei location pays homage to both the company’s Japanese origins and local culture.
The café, bike shop, and repair station occupy a small traditional Japanese residence once home to the manager of what is now known as the Xinfu Market, which was inaugurated in 1935 during Taiwan’s Japanese era. Visitors can try one of Tokyobike’s signature city bicycles displayed outside the shop with a ride around the compact grounds surrounding the old market building.
Since this is a municipal heritage site, occupants are required to maintain its original appearance. The look contrasts agreeably with the main building’s unusual horseshoe structure adorned with art deco motifs, which was cutting-edge for its time. The market remained popular until the 1970s when it began declining due to the rise of new shopping areas and modern supermarkets. The site fell into disrepair during the 1990s, received protected status in 2006, underwent restoration, and was reopened in 2017.
Tokyobike’s design is more for casual riding and commuting. When the shop opened in 2013 the hope of the founders was to integrate cycling into people’s daily lifestyle by combining the retail shop with coffee and food; it helped that they already had experience in the industry. They a limited to make cycling more accessible to those who didn’t want to plunge directly into the specialized, pricier fixed-gear or road bikes that were then all the rage. Tokyobike bicycles have since become popular with café and restaurant owners, who use them for delivery or shopping trips, some even using them as decorations for their premises, says marketing director Peggy Pan.
The shop presents a selection of biking accessories that complement the delicate Japanese aesthetics of the brand. Hot items include retro-style metal bells, leather carrying handles, and Japanese-style designer arm sleeves. “Most of our customers use the bikes for light exercise just to sweat a bit,” Pan says. “They’re not into buying full jerseys and shorts.”
The stylish coffee shop is a rarity in its neighborhood, and attracts both foreign tourists and Tokyobike fans visiting Wanhua District. Many customers like to share photos of their own Tokyobike bicycles and compare how they’ve customized their rides. Also, local cyclists enjoy dropping by and relaxing after morning riverside excursions (the bike path along the Tamsui River is just a few minutes away).
The coffee shop’s menu incorporates various Taiwanese ingredients, often procured straight from the adjacent Dongsanshui Street Market. Examples include the fish ball, cuttlefish, and egg burger using morsels from the awardwinning Da Fond Fishball shop, and fried dumplings with sweet chili sauce using Duo Jia She’s generous, handmade delectables. The chrysanthemum tea features both white and yellow types along with goji berries purchased from the famous dry-goods street in Taipei’s historic Dadaocheng neighborhood. The offerings are partly seasonal, with rotating ingredients such as pineapple in the summer, and of course include Japanese specialties such as Showa-style pudding and sparkling matcha lemonade.
tokyobike Taiwan
🚩70, Sanshui St., Wanhua Dist.
📞(02) 2717-0127
🔗shop.tokyobike.tw
🕝Tue-Sun 9:30am-6:00pm
Nabiis Cycles & Coffee
Originating in 2008 as a fixed-gear bicycle custom workshop in the bustling youth mecca of Ximending, Nabiis has evolved and adapted to the times. The shop is now hidden down along a quaint alley in Dadaocheng, offering a quiet refuge for cycling enthusiasts to sip a cup of joe and talk about gear. The simple concrete-and-wood façade with large windows is stylish, yet fits right in with the fading surroundings. Visitors can chill on the wide, low windowsill in front, and there’s a takeaway window for those who don’t want to get off their cycles.
One of the co-owners, Fred Wang, can tell you all about the latest trends in cycling and how the local scene has developed throughout the past few decades – all the way back to when Taiwan emerged as one of the world’s top bicycle manufacturers. But he also aims to be a trendsetter, often choosing goods from brands that are lesser-known in Taiwan, also regularly collaborating with local artists to create unique products such as shirts and accessories.
Since the shop is more of a side gig for the owners, Wang says they feel less pressured to sell for the sake of selling; they’ll help the customer choose what is right for them. “Instead of fixating on minimizing costs, we often order brands or products that we personally want to sell,” he says. “Even if it doesn’t sell too well, as long as it’s interesting, we’re willing to carry some.”
Nabiis got its start during the heyday of fixed-gear bicycles in Taiwan. Back then there were more than 100 brands and numerous street competitions and group rides, including an annual Halloween event that featured nearly 300 cyclists in costumes. However, the frenzy eventually died down, and most of the workshops disappeared. Nowadays, Wang says, they receive about one inquiry every one or two months for fixed gear.
These days, they sell all sorts of bicycles, apparel, and accessories, reinventing themselves as a one-stop custom shop tailoring to each individual’s needs – while offering quality coffee and homemade cookies. From tire width and thickness and frame-load capacity to water bottle holders, designer reflective stickers, sleek jerseys, and aerodynamic helmets, there’s much to play with. In the old days, Wang says, cyclists wanted their bikes to be as minimal as possible, opting to carry all the equipment on their bodies. In just a decade, this trend has completely reversed; now they want to fit everything on the bike.
Water bottle design is crucial, as a bottle is an essential item for riders. The store carries bottles that resemble Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbins cups, and there’s also a metal one that uses space technology to allow riders to drink without squeezing or sucking. Previously this function was limited to plastic bottles, which do not have insulation properties; with this product riders can enjoy hot coffee even while on steep mountain roads. “Is it really practical in Taiwan, where there are convenience stores all over the place?” Wang asks. “We feel that there’s something in it that’s worth promoting.”
Nabiis Cycles and Coffee
🚩36, Ln. 155, Nanjing W. Rd., Datong Dist.
📞(02) 2388-4866
🔗instagram.com/nabiis_cycles_coffee
🕝Sun-Thu 1:00pm-7:00pm
Fri-Sat 1:00pm-8:00pm
This article is reproduced under the permission of TAIPEI. Original content can be found on the website of Taipei Travel Net (www.travel.taipei/en).