Foreign media report that dozens of upscale bars, restaurants, and fashion shops line both sides of Wudaoying Hutong in Beijing's Dongcheng District. This narrow alley, often dubbed Beijing's Brooklyn, is frequented nightly by stylish local youths and expatriates. The pink sign of Natooke features a winged banana logo, which blends well with the aesthetic vibe of the surroundings. But the product sold by this store was unimaginable in China just a few years ago — the fixed-gear bike.
According to a December 16 report on the website of the U.S. magazine The Atlantic, the wooden-floored interior of Natooke is neatly organized, with shelves on the walls displaying rows of bicycle parts — from frames and wheels to hubs and handlebar grips, all readily available. Under the expert guidance of the store’s founder, Ines Brunn (Chinese name Yi Quan), and the shop’s stylish young staff, buyers select each component to assemble a custom-made fixed-gear bike.
The report states that such stores are already commonplace in major cities across North America and Europe, but Natooke is the first of its kind in China. Now it has become the hub of Beijing’s young cycling scene, with influence even spreading across the entire country.
Yi Quan is a trained physicist who first visited Beijing in 2001 and moved there in 2004 after landing a job at a German telecommunications company. As an experienced cyclist and bike acrobat, Yi Quan loves Beijing’s winding, tree-lined, flat urban streets. She cycles everywhere and is particularly fond of her fixed-gear bike, while most of her cycling friends still ride old-fashioned “Flying Pigeon” utility bikes or low-end mountain bikes.
The “Flying Pigeon” is a heavy, single-speed bicycle, usually equipped with a front basket, and is a symbol of China. In the 1970s, a propaganda slogan once defined prosperity as “every household owning a Flying Pigeon.” Until the 1990s, this type of bicycle was so common in China that it became the most popular vehicle ever in the world.
The report points out that while other countries have developed world-class cycling infrastructure over the past decade, China’s cycling culture has stagnated. The earliest private car purchases, opened up in 1994, became a social necessity for China’s growing middle class. By 2009, China had become the world’s largest car market. As more cars hit the road, Yi Quan noticed that commuters on bicycles were disappearing, and cities began removing bike lanes.
Yi Quan said: “I saw bicycles really disappearing from public spaces.” Even the “Flying Pigeon” bikes faced trouble: in the early 2000s, the company cut its manufacturing workforce from 7,000 to 300. Cycling had become a mode of transport only for the elderly or those with no other options. Yi Quan said: “Bicycles represented poverty.”
But she also saw potential: in other parts of the world, cycling had become a fashionable and healthy hobby, and it also offered a solution to Beijing’s pollution problems. To encourage Beijingers to cycle, it was crucial to change the image of bicycles, and Yi Quan believed the tool to do that was the fixed-gear bike. She said: “No one cares about health. What matters is being cool.”
Cool is something Yi Quan doesn’t lack. Recently at a dinner party in San Francisco, she performed a series of stunts on a fixed-gear bike, riding in a tight circle while doing handstands, riding backward, standing on one wheel, sitting on the handlebars, and even riding while standing on the seat. These stunts earned her international fame, and she frequently performs at exhibitions and events. If anyone in China can help shed the stodgy image of cycling, it’s Yi Quan.
At first, she tried to recruit other fixed-gear cyclists for the “Beijing Fixed Gear Team.” She organized rides and meetups, handing out flyers and business cards to everyone she met, but couldn’t attract much attention. She recalled: “At that time, no one in China was making or selling fixed-gear bikes.” Eventually, someone told her: “If you want to build a community, you just need to open a shop.”
In 2009, she partnered with Federico Morello, a juggler passionate about unicycles, to open a shop. Initially, the two imported a certain quantity of fixed-gear bike parts, unicycles, and juggling equipment from abroad, mainly selling to Beijing’s expatriate community. But to make the products more affordable, Yi Quan knew she had to manufacture locally.
She began collaborating with Chinese manufacturers to produce her own “Fei Xiangjiao” (Flying Banana) brand accessories. The “Flying Banana” is a humorous nod to China’s well-known bicycle brand “Flying Pigeon.” She said: “My original intention was to get people cycling. If the price is too high, no one will buy.”
But cost wasn’t the only reason Yi Quan sought Chinese factories as partners. She explained: “There are some things you can only find in a place with such a rich history.” The excellent product quality and the made-in-China aspect had a huge impact on Yi Quan’s main market. She said: “I feel that as the overall quality improves, more and more people appreciate ‘Made in China.’”
To promote the fledgling shop, Yi Quan gave a speech at the first TEDx Beijing event in 2009, introducing the revival of cycling culture in China. She told the audience: “The fashion of urban cycling in foreign cities has come to Beijing.”
Natooke has seized the market opportunity. Air pollution in Chinese cities has worsened, leading many young urbanites to embrace environmental awareness. As state media promote cycling as part of a happy, healthy lifestyle, bicycles are now seen as an eco-friendly choice.
The report states that as Natooke has grown, the domestic fixed-gear bike market has also expanded. Chinese buyers now make up half of the shop’s clientele, and the store has dozens of competitors across Beijing. “Flying Banana” brand products are sold nationwide, including at a second Natooke store in Chengdu, and through the company’s online shop. Wholesale business has also grown rapidly, with sales growth even outpacing retail.
Although Yi Quan is pleased with Natooke’s success and expansion, she believes the company has a higher mission. She said: “My original intention was to promote cycling action, let people understand cycling culture, and integrate bicycles into daily life.”