You may remember last summer when we put together a fleet of rental bikes for Bike China. They made for a great ride and have kept Bike China’s clients happily pedaling along. Some of our friends in Chengdu here have had the good fortune of riding them on some of our countryside rides.
Being in Chengdu, surrounded by an endless array of world-class roads and scenery we’re no strangers to touring. So we weren’t surprised with Escape Adventures, a New Zealand touring company that guides tours all over the world asked us to give their bikes a full refurbish in time for this season’s tour.
They wanted to take their stock Avanti hybrid touring bikes and have them outfitted with complete Deore groupsets, given a proper overhaul and most importantly given a fresh coat of paint befitting the company’s style. Orange with the updated logos and markings of Escape Adventures.
It took a bit of elbow grease and little bit of magic, but the end result is twelve striking good-as-new bikes. Eye-catching and clean they’ve had all the right bits updated for another dozen seasons of introducing groups of eager riders to Western Sichuan. Read more
A couple of weeks ago we hosted a free bicycle maintenance workshop wherein we had the chance to share with our friends a few basic tips and pointers on how to keep your bike running smooth.
The course was a cursory look at how to diagnose problems with your bike: what that sound means, where it’s coming from, what the issue is and how to fix it. Bikes may seem a little overwhelming but with a bit of know-how and some elbow grease you can sort out most anything.
Afterward we opened up the conversation to a little friendly Q and A where we fielded more specific questions about folks personal bikes and even took the opportunity to problem shoot a few of them on the spot.
If you’re looking for a little bit more independence on the bike, the security of knowing you can sort out any of those odd problems you might encounter out on the road, then keep checking for when we’ll be hosting our next maintenance workshop. We’ll also be sure to include details as to what you might expect to learn.
Our workshops are bi-lingual so whichever language you’re comfortable speaking, we’ve got you covered (if you speak Chinese or English, that is…).
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Think about a woman in your life who’s influenced you in a positive way. It’s not that tough. You may have thought about your mom or a friend or a mentor who’s guided you in becoming the person you are. For us here at Natooke we can’t help but be constantly reminded of the primary reason we’re in business, Ines Brunn. Known across the world for her incredible gymnastic feats on the bike, we more closely know her as the inspiration for everything that has allowed Natooke to become what it has here in Chengdu: the events, the memories, the community and the future of cycling in this city.
But now there’s a couple new kids on the block. Gong Jinjie and Zhong Tianshi have taken gold for olympic track cycling. The importance of this is significant in that not only is it a first for China, but they easily beat the boys to the accomplishment. Having set a world record in the preceding races, Gong Jinjie and Zhong Tianshi narrowly beat out the Russian team in the final race, sealing the deal.
This comes as vindication after Gong, as well as her London 2012 teammate, Guo Shuang were eliminated from receiving gold over in their final race. In Gong’s words, “We are like old warriors who have kept fighting.” Gold at last.
We’re hopeful in seeing this as some greater sign that the future for women and cycling in China is looking real bright. It’s something, having also been directed inspired by amazing women that we’re planning to more actively support. So in the coming weeks keep your eyes peeled for an opportunity to partake in a little spirited activity. Women only. Because we feel that the sort of hard work demonstrated by people such as Gong Jinjie and Zhong Tianshi deserves it’s own just reward. Read more
This coming Wednesday, August 17 we’ll be hosting this month’s movie night. August 17 also coincides with the Chinese Spirit Festival. In the spirit of the holiday, we’ll be showing “Spirited Away” from the esteemed director Hayao Miyazaki.
The story follows a sullen young girl as her family makes a move to the suburbs. Quickly it dives into a strange world of mystery, excitement and adventure as the young girl meets a whole array of new friends. A fantastic coming-of-age story, this visually luscious animated film shows that through hard work, compassion and friendship you can overcome any challenge.
Starting at 8 p.m. we’ll be showing the film at Natooke. Show up early to save a seat!
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We build really beautiful bikes. No joke! We’re not just trying to toot our own horn here, but one of the things we take greatest pride in is just this. Having a bike isn’t just about having a machine that speaks of quality and utility, but also one that can look damn good doing it. Read more
During our city’s smoggiest days many Beijingers deem cycling to be unsafe. This is completely understandable, but Ines Brunn begs to differ. Her stance shouldn’t be surprising – after all, she is the founder and CEO of NATOOKE, a bicycle shop and sporting goods store in Wudaoying Hutong, and a noted cycling enthusiast whose gravity defying bike tricks are frequently covered by Chinese media outlets, including TBJ. Please click here to read the full article.
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Here is an article on green commuting on China Daily web. Ines was interviewed and she stated her smart ideas on cycling. Please click here to read the full article.
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Ines was interviewed by Global Time when smog and haze continued to shround Beijing. She still rode through smog to promote green transportation. Please click here to read the full article.
Natooke is working on building professional nice bikes for customers in a reasonable price. Here is a nice video about how we customize.
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This is a cool video clip by ErGeng TV. It turned out really nice. It includes some bike building at NATOOKE and some cycling in Beijing, some bike polo playing and Ines’ mission to get more people on bikes. Please watch the following video and some nice pictures taken on that day.
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