2008 TaiSPO: Interview with Ideal Bike Corporation and Gary Silva

Friday, March 28, 2008 

3G Stepper, a modern bicycle with multiple applications.
Image: Rico Shen.

2008 Taipei International Cycle Show (Taipei Cycle) & Taipei International Sporting Goods Show (TaiSPO) not only did a best reunion with conjunctions of the launch of Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition and the concurrent cycling race of 2008 Tour de Taiwan but also provide opportunities and benefits for sporting goods, bicycle, and athlete sports industries to establish the basis of the sourcing center in Asia and notabilities on the international cycling race.

Although the Taipei cycle was split from the TaiSPO since 1988, but the trends of sporting good industry in Taiwan changed rapidly and multiply because of modern people's lifestyles and habits. After the "TaiSPO Innovation Award" was established since 2005, the fitness and leisure industries became popular stars as several international buyers respected on lifestyle and health.

For example, some participants participated Taipei Cycle and TaiSPO with different product lines to do several marketing on bicycle and fitness equipments, this also echoed the "Three New Movements" proposed by Giant Co., Ltd. to make a simple bicycle with multiple applications and functions. As of those facts above, Wikinews Journalist Rico Shen interviewed Ideal Bike Corporation and Gary Silva, designer of "3G Steeper" to find out the possibilities on the optimizations between two elements, fitness and bicycle.

Part 1: Why winning? Why doing optimization?

Not only TaiSPO, but Ideal Bike Corp. also participated in the Taipei Cycle. In this picture is Ideal GoCycle, won the first place at "2008 Taipei Cycle Innovation Award".
Image: Rico Shen.

((Wikinews)) What are the conceptions on the design of 3G Stepper?

Ideal: (As Gary Silva in demonstrations) We merged some basis on a elliptic and a simple fitness stepper, all designed for indoor fitness sporting. After this, the 3G Stepper became a functional bicycle with fitness and transportation. As its steppers were originally designed with lever theory and without bicycle seat, not only its speed was determined by its frequency when stepping, but also a user should use one's physical strengths and torques (turnings) to balance the 3G Stepper and make a high intensive works on sporting.

((WN)) Although the show schedule is concurrent for TaiSPO and Taipei Cycle, but why did you participate the innovation award for the 3G Stepper at TaiSPO?

Ideal: As of mentioned functions before, it can't be fully thought as a bicycle because of fitness functionality.

((WN)) So you [Ideal Bike] consider to participate at TaiSPO with fitness factor?

Ideal: Traditionally, a bicycle often worked on a person's lower-body, but we promoted "3G Stepper" by considering its fitness factor to hope everyone do a great full-body work with its coordination because a rider should use strengths on one's upper-body to step on the stepper.

((WN)) Not only fitness, but also artificial intelligence? And the other features?

Ideal: Originally, we [Ideal Bike] promoted the 3G Stepper mainly to the bicycle and sporting goods market in United States for leisure and fitness because of a DAMN bad lifestyle especially not sporting and bad beverage culture, which will cause several cardiovascular diseases. By the way, we also designer a smaller version for kids because we hope 3G Stepper is not just a "simple scooter" but a great invention. With this conception, we hope kids can be interested in this stepper and do several trainings on balance. In the past, several people were afraid of a bicycle because its dynamic balance should be done when riding. Last but not least, the 3G Stepper has no limitations on a rider's heights and clothes.

Part 2: A 3-in-1 combination on cycling race, exhibition, and new venue.

Gary Silva, designer of 3G Stepper.
Image: Rico Shen.

((WN)) What do you think about the concurrent schedule on TaiSPO and Taipei Cycle showcased in different venues?

Gary Silva: As you know, even though the bicycle (industry) is important, but we [Ideal Bike] chose the TaiSPO because of its nature on fitness. I hope that "a bicycle is not just a simple bicycle".

((WN)) More than 20 years ago, the Taipei Cycle was ever included in TaiSPO, but after the maturity of export market on bicycle industry, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) finally split the bicycle (industry) from sporting goods (industry), and currently, it became the current condition as two trade shows showcased each other...

Gary: It sounds like a good idea and a proper split even though the industry natures of bicycle and sporting good are similar, and some buyers also want to gain some sourcing resources from those two (bicycle and sporting good) industries.

((WN)) What do you think about a combination on TaiSPO, Taipei Cycle, and Tour de Taiwan?

Gary: Tour de Taiwan?

((WN)) A cycling race.

Gary: Very nice, this combination will bring visitors on those two shows.

((WN)) Will this combination provide benefits on sporting good, bicycle, and athlete sports industries?

Gary: Yes, surely. Because buyers and visitors from those three main activity can understand their each own backgrounds, and this optimization will improve notabilities on two shows and the cycling race.