Tern Tea Party - Part 2

Absolutely fantastic: The window dressing

Public session
The afternoon was reserved for members of the public, especially folding bike enthusiasts.
I had lunch with a key person from K2 Asia in Bukit Tinggi town.
We chatted a bit about Tern's new direction and the emerging market especially in folding bikes.
Since there are issues with Dahon's QC and marketability here next year, I bet my top dollar that Tern Bikes would take the folding bike experience here in the Klang Valley to a higher level.
The importers have to be committed in providing a good sales and service network. They have to learn from previous experiences.
I must say that without the media support, the level of awareness on folding bikes would not be as wide as it is today.
So, after a good lunch session, we returned to Rodalink's outlet in Bandar Botanic.
A steady stream of people were already making a bee-line towards the showroom, eager to check out the bikes.

Folding bike lovers getting the first-dibs on the latest foldies in town

Buddies
I met up with DC Ong, the first time after the OCBC Cycle Malaysia Ride. 
He was complaining about the lack of activities.
Ronnie Soon came later.
I saw a group of people whom I've never met. They kept to themselves and were admiring the bikes.
Some 15 bikes were showcased to the public..

IHG darlings: The Verge S11i and Eclipse S11i

Destructive testing
While most of the people were civilized and well-mannered, there were some who just crawled out from a cave.
I saw an elderly man with his two children trying out the Verge S11i.
He was jamming the shifter and tried to undo it. 
Obviously, the guy was applying a lot of force.
I watched from the distance and having seen that, I guess he had no love for other people's things. Since it was a sample bike, its bound to get thrashed.
Some guys, on the other hand, had a go at a test ride. 
This was done at the back of the showroom..

A potential customer trying the Link D8

Senor el cheapo
At the very end of the day, a Rockstar friend of mine walked-in.
He introduced me to an elderly man.
"Hey Samosa, I read your blog!"
I told him that Samosa refers to a triangular fried snack.
He asked: "I need a bike, anything cheap ah?"
With such a chance encounter with a stranger whose opening line is "Cheap", my alarm bells rang.
Being the good citizen, I led him to the showroom floor where the Terns were displayed and showed him the Link C7.
It was a nice white-coloured bike. 
Mr Cheapo spent some time examining the bike.
And right at the end of the room, I met another guy.
"Hey, you are Samo right? I am disappointed la, not all the bikes were shown..."
I seriously don't know what this guy was talking about.
Later, I showed him the Link P9, which in my humble opinion, was one of the three bikes that stood out in today's launch.
While talking to him about the fixed stem, Mr Cheapo had cut in.
"Isn't the stem height important? Bla-bla-bla..."
Well, he sounded like Heinz Stucke, probably a Rockstar wannabe or in the Guerilla cycling group. 
And I have a bad feeling that this geezer would most likely end up with cheapo China-made bike.. Or he would prove me wrong.


Conclusion
I think the guys at K2 Asia had done a great job rigging up the show.
Too bad the turnout was far and few in between.
All good things said and done, with the launch, Tern Bikes are now available in Malaysia.
My money is on the Verge series and the one and only Eclipse S11i

Tern Tea Party - Part 1

The Media briefing

Some charity work...
Would you believe me that I was the guy who coined the words: "Tern Tea Party"??? 
Well, I got nothing to prove that, but I do have the softcopy of the original version of the Press Release which I wrote for the event.
And all this - for free.
I still get remarks like: "Eh Samo, you get your Dahons for free ka?", "How come you got so many bikes ah? They give you ah? You Dahon ambassador ah?"
I just laugh it off. 
For the record, I paid them with my hard-earned money and therefore, is no way obliged to anyone. And that's my style.
The guys who brought in Tern Bikes needed help. And it was dire. They need to launch their bikes.
I was called in to bring in the crowd.
Now, I know that was not my scope of work, I advised them on what to do, how to do it and all this - for free.


So, the day had arrived...
After going through the final version of the media release, I gave it a go. 
On Saturday morning, I made my way to Bandar Botanic.
Now, all this, for free. 
Petrol money, time, expenses, borne by me.
Any free bike? No.
Things went on really smooth with the Media launch.
A group of magazine guys were there to cover the event.
None of the newspaper people turned up.
Am I obliged to publish a piece on this? Well, not necessarily.
I've done fairly a bit for the guys responsible in bringing in Tern Bikes to Malaysia, and I am not obliged to do more. Its up to them now.

A staff member from K2 Asia with a Tern Castro

Decent response...
The crowd turnout was good. At least a dozen reps from the media.
There were some car salesmen trying to sell their Volkswagen and some Thule stuff.
I spoke to their head honcho who remarked: "Eh, our cars are affordable la.."
Who the fuck is this guy trying to kid? 
And Thule? For fucks sake, its being sold by retards.
While the Press briefing was taking place upstairs, some of the VW salesmen were having a go at the Tern Link Uno.
They had some fun cycling the new bike.

A sales guy attending to his guest

Familiar faces...
I met the BaikBike crew Kheng and Chloe.
These were the same guys I met at the Dahon 2011 launch. Again, some charity work I did for free.
While talking to some old friends, I noticed the owner of the largest bike store in Penang.
Mr Ng and his daughter was there too.
They were eyeing the Terns.


First impressions...
Personally speaking, I think Tern Bikes will do extremely well in Malaysia.
People who want to upgrade from an entry-level to a mid-range and high end folding bike now have the choice.
They might not have the spending power, but the options are available.
If you are one of those who believe in quality and performance and think that life shouldn't be wasted on talking cock, go for it.
I'd say that the Terns are well-built and are definitely a bang for the buck...