Fit For a Wing: Customize a Dream Bike at Wing Fung...For a Price

Joseph, the Hong Kong manager manning the counter at Wing Fung Bicycle Company while the local guy is out of town, compares buying a bicycle to buying a coat. Everyone has their own style, color and features they prefer, but there is one thing everyone will agree on: the coat has to fit.

Before dropping RMB 44,800 (that’s the starting price. Your dream bike could be over RMB 100,000) for a custom bike, Wing Fung will be sure the fit is precise. They are the only bicycle fitters in China certified by Retul University, a fitting that involves electric sensors and a training bike to analyze your exact movements and riding position.

The polished floors and dramatic lighting make the place feel more like an art gallery than a bike shop. On one wall, a single road bike frame hangs from a Cycloc hook that looks like a small trash can turned on its side, a feat of modern industrial design. The opposite wall is a showcase for Moulton small wheel, or separable, bikes in glistening stainless steel.

And it’s true – they take their bikes seriously. A beefy mannequin sports Swiss Compressport gear and saddles are hung as meticulously as Picassos. But they also have a laid back approach to more casual riders. Can riders bring their own bikes in for servicing? “Why not?” Joseph says. Can the curious come in for a fitting without purchasing a bike? Again, “why not?” (although the 3-4 hour process will set you back RMB 3,000).

Road, mountain, cyclocross and fixed gear bikes are all available in a variety of materials, from carbon fiber or titanium to bamboo (Joseph assures me that the bamboo is impressively strong. Why you do think construction workers use it for scaffolding?), as well as a few accessories.

They plan to offer monthly rides outside the city once the weather clears up, but for now, Wing Fung is the place to go if you want to step up your bike game. And, really, why not?

Wing Fung Bicycle Company
88-8 Guangqumen Dajie
北京市 东城区 广渠门内大街88-8 (139 1178 0417)

Photos: Sui