Taipei Intl Cycle Show - Part 3

It's a wrap!

Today was my third day at the Taipei Cycle show and it was truly a humbling experience.
Most of the manufacturers were at the show with the exception of certain "big boys" in the bicycle manufacturing business.
But to me, all the important people in the folding bike circle was at the show. So, it's definitely worth the trip.
I spent the earlier part of the day cruising around mid-town Taipei and actually ended up at the Nangang exhibition hall around 2pm.
That was my plan right from the start as I've covered quite a bit of what I wanted to do at the show.

The Ximending district

MRT, my daily commute to Nangang Exhibition Hall

Networking: Meeting a fellow foldie and publisher..

I am a fan of Kris Gomeze's Bicycle United magazine, Thailand's first bi-lingual cycling magazine that also has an e-magazine edition.
Her work inspired me to publish The Malaysian Foldie and I must say that meeting up with Kris, even though its a brief moment, was really enlightening.
We shared our thoughts on folding bikes and for me, it's a learning curve.
The print-edition of Bicycle United is growing fast and its also a real good read. 
The digest-sized magazine retails at 80baht in Thailand.

Cool beans from Biologic

I was shown the new Biologic speed and cadence sensor that retails at USD$45.95 (RM150 excluding tax and freight). 
This new product can be linked to your smartphone (Android 4.3 and above) and the IOS for iphones.
What I find neat, is the fact that the sensor can be used on smaller folding bikes with a longer chainstay.

How it works..

An actual working model of the sensor

Biologic Pango Helmets for charity..

More than 150 white pango folding helmets were sold for charity.
These went for NT799 (RM85) with proceeds going to World Bicycle Relief. Truly a noble deed by Mobility Holdings! 

Going for a good cause: The white pangos

Coming your way soon: Tern's new bikes..

K2 Asia had announced their new bikes for 2014 and Tern bicycle enthusiasts can look forward to the Verge P9, P20 and Eclipse P18.
These are headed to Malaysia on a March/April release.

The Eclipse P18, folded on the bottom left, is expected soon in Malaysia

Friendly faces at the Tern boot at the 2014 Cycle Taipei show..

Signing off..

Well, there you have it, three days of live-feed from the Cycle Taipei show.
I will be on my break tomorrow till Sunday before I catch my early morning flight to Kuala Lumpur on Monday.
There's much to do when I hit KL and I am missing my wife who is in Texas, US, right now and my two kidz..
I will write about my travel in Taipei on another post. Till then, thanks for following me.. 

A jouleing success!

Biologic's new Joule III dynamo hub wins Eurobike 2012 Award
After months of preparation, the Joule III dynamo hub was finally launched by Biologic.
And to make it even more meaningful, the new bike gadget had won the coveted 2012 Eurobike Award yesterday.

Award-winner: the Biologic Joule 3

 The Joule III dynamo hub will hit the shelves in November with a retail price of USD$150 (RM470.00).
I had the privilege to test and evaluate the hub and I must say that if you are seriously thinking of doing some touring on your folding bike, this gadget is a 'must have' on your folding bike.

The hub, rigged on a 20" wheel

Biologic's Press Release on the Joule III

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, GERMANY – August 29, 2012 – BioLogic, a specialist in urban cycling gear, today unveiled the Joule 3 dynamo hub, featuring a patented design that sets a new benchmark for weight, size, and efficiency. The Joule 3 was also awarded a prestigious 2012 Eurobike Award.

“To put it bluntly, most dynamo hubs on the market are a bit of a drag to ride, literally.” stated Kevin Chan, BioLogic product manager. 

"They add noticeable drag, and extra drag is the last thing you want to feel when you have five miles going into a stiff headwind. That’s why we’re so excited about the Joule 3 — it’s a benchmark design that is an incredible combination of low weight, compact design, high efficiency and high power output.

In controlled laboratory tests, the Joule 3 reaches 73% efficiency while most top-selling hubs on the market reach a maximum of 55%. The higher a hub’s efficiency, the lower the drag riders will experience. The lightest configuration of the Joule 3 weighs only 355 grams and can be built up into a 20" rim set weighing only 695 grams.

The Joule 3 comes in multiple variations — 100 mm OLD/32H/disc for traditional city/trekking/mountain bikes, and 74 mm OLD/20H for small-wheeled recumbents, trikes, and folding bicycles. The Joule 3 meets German StVZO standards.

In addition to the Joule 3, BioLogic also announced that the Joule HG On/Off dynamo hub is ready for the aftermarket. 

The Joule HG is a dynamo hub that can be switched on or off: in the “on” position, the Joule HG is one of the most efficient hubs on the market and in the “off” position, the magnets are pulled away from the core of the hub so that there’s zero extra drag. The Joule HG weighs 656 g with an output of 6V, 2.4W.

First impressions: Biologic Joule III

Green energy
I received a package from Taiwan in July.
It contained a rim complete with spokes and a beta-version of the new Biologic Joule III dynamo hub.
A similar rig was sent to Chicago in the US for testing. 
I've had some experience with the Joule II hub and we've cycled it through 3,000km with the Dahon Speed TR.

The Biologic Joule II dynamo hub

 Testing
The first thing I did, was to retrofit my Dahon Speed P8 with the Joule III. 
This looked nothing like its predecessor and is kinda similar looking if you compare it with Schmidt's SON (Schmidt Original Nabendynamo) dynamo.
From what I was told, the SON has a 50,000km lifespan without servicing. And this is a preferred tool for lighting (6V headlamps) and charging for small devices for long distance cyclists such as touring riders (reference made from Peter White Cycles).
The 20" rim which I received from Joshua Hon of Mobility Holdings (Biologic and Tern Bicycles) came in black and was a perfect match for my 2009 Speed P8.
It didn't require much knowledge for assembly, but the Joule III came without a dynamo kit and a light.
Josh had quickly followed-up by sending a dynamo LED headlamp and a Biologic dynamo kit.
When I fitted the Joule III, the wiring was split to power up the headlamp which worked very well and the dynamo kit (with power spike protection).
The only problem I had was attaching the coupler to the dynamo.
I found out that the screws on my fender were too long and was getting in the way.
This was solved by loosening the nut which allows the coupling to fit snugly on the dynamo's power connector.

The Biologic Joule III (beta version)

The rig on my Dahon Speed P8

Final production version of the Joule III

 
On-going evaluation
I've cycled the Joule III for 1,000km.
So far so good. 
There's hardly any resistance and for devices, it needs a constant speed of 9km/h to power up.
On my Garmin EDGE800 GPS, the power from the Joule III hub came as an auxiliary source to keep the device going.
Even in rainy and wet conditions, the dynamo hub had no issues.
The only thing that I need to keep a lookout for, is the power coupling. I need to check this for corrosion from use in our hot and humid weather.

Eurobike 2012
Biologic will announce the Joule III today in Germany as a new product in their accessory line-up.
I think the new hub will also be introduced on Tern Bicycle's 2013 premium models.
That said, I can anticipate high-quality bikes like the Tern Eclipse S11i as well as other high-end touring and city bikes fitted with this awesome power source..