How Far These Pigeons Have Flown

The Flying Pigeon was once ubiquitous here in Beijing, and now still enjoys a reputation as both legendary bike brand for locals and retro style icon for all you hutong hipsters (you know who you are). But did you know that roadsters outside Beijing – in cities as obvious as LA and NYC, or as non-obvious as Durham, North Carolina – have been clamoring to fly their own Pigeons as well?

In LA, Adam and Josef Bray-Ali have been running a Flying Pigeon shop for four years now, which was recently featured in the Los Angeles Times.
They charge USD 399 for a fully assembled bike, which is insanely marked up from what you might spend here (anywhere from RMB 150-800, depending on if you’re buying new or vintage and in what kind of condition).

But hey, they claim to rebuild the things by hand, with custom wheels and higher quality parts for a smoother ride. They also organize neighborhood rides – for example, to dim sum in Alhambra, where Chinese immigrant grandmas and grandpas will say, “Wow, I haven’t seen one of those bikes in a long time.” Well, you’re probably seeing lots more of 'em now, huh, gramps?

In New York, one NY Times blogger discussed purchasing a bike from the Bray-Ali brothers and having it shipped across the country, only to find no one in New York willing to put it together. Just last year, some dude returned to NYC after two years in Shanghai to open his own shop, so New Yorkers no longer need go through that ordeal.
We’ve also found Flying Pigeon retailers in Durham, North Carolina, Vancouver and even Spain.

Of course, there’s no easier place to get them than right here in Beijing, and if this article has stirred your Pigeonphilia, check out this guy’s blog, The Flying Pigeon Project, for a handy photo guide of shops in the Beixinqiao area where you can begin your search.

Seriously, what’s with the craze though? Two years ago, when we interviewed author Dave Eggers, he even told us he was poking around the Flying Pigeon factory in Tianjin for source material for his next novel.

So what’s the deal? Why are people the world over so Pigeon-happy? They certainly can be nice-looking bikes, but from what I can tell, they are not built like they used to be. Dear readers, what do you think? Are the Pigeons overrated? Or the best bikes ever?

Photos: Urbanvelo.org, Thirdwave-websites.com, Ofive.tv