48 x 15 - New Urban Bike Mag Outta Shanghai

Who would've thought that a city that's been doing the "bicycle as transportation" thing longer and definitely bigger than any city in the U.S. would choose now to come out with a urban cycling magazine; especially with cars taking off as they are there. This is a new China, still Communist, but with where many urbanites have money to spend and the youth have time to develop a love for riding.

Also there are so many expats from Europe and America living there who want to show off the culture they've discovered there and share their Western culture as well. Enter the People's Bike website and their new print/web zine 48x15, the creations of expat Canadian Tyler Bowa. Check it out not just to look at our new "70's boring" handlebar ad, but to see what beer in China doesn't taste like it came from the Yellow River.

Besides the articles on the history of bikes in China and the NuVinci Hub thrash test, I was kind of drawn to this ad for a bamboo pedicab designed by a MGT Engineering. It's got a sleek bamboo cockpit and a TIG-welded 304 stainless steel frame. It is only about a meter wide, so it is legal on bike paths. Looks like a lot of fun to ride. And one can see it adaptable to being a cargo bike, one you can ride comfortably in the rain no less. Here's a video.