With Smart Fitness Solutions, Taiwan Will Help Boost Energy And Well-Being

It’s been several months since the COVID-19 epidemic, and maintaining a healthy immune system has become even more critical. Adults should maintain moderate daily physical activity to improve muscular strength and physical fitness, according to the World Health Organization. During the pandemic, several doctors recommended undertaking regular home exercises to help boost immunity and resistance to illness.

In order to raise awareness about physical fitness and health, Taiwan exported athletic items worth US$2.12 billion in 2019, up 9.29 percent from 2018. It featured 2020 Taiwan Excellence Award winners Verde Treadmill, the first-ever treadmill that harnesses 75 percent of human energy and converts it to electricity; the Cycle Boxer, which combines boxing and pedaling for more fun and challenging workouts; and the Climbmill, which helps burn calories while toning the body with each step.

Aside from that, Taiwan debuted its range of portable foldable bikes, one of the fastest-growing segments of the bicycle business, with one out of every ten bicycles made globally each year. Folding bike manufacturers have also jumped on the e-bike bandwagon. Taiwan’s e-bike exports in 2019 set a new high of 647,860 units, a 126.21 percent increase over 2018, with total exports valued at US$863 million and the average export unit price rising to US$1,333, with North America and Europe accounting for more than 90% of Taiwan’s e-bike export volume. Simultaneously, increased global environmental awareness aided the growth of the e-bike market, opening the way for the electrification of folding bikes to become a future trend.

E-bikes that fold have two key advantages:

During exercise, it can transition to bicycle mode, and during breaks, it can switch to electric mode. Pacific Cycles, a Taiwan Excellence Award winner, is a renowned e-bike manufacturer specializing in high-performance folding bikes and mini-velos. It has spent more than 40 years developing and manufacturing unique products, including e-bikes.
The HANDY hand-propelled trike is designed for disabled people; the REACH folding road bike is designed for long-distance travel and can fit into a 29-inch bag; and the IF MOVE is designed for city commuting and folds in just two seconds.
With its PSF1 Folding e-Bike, Darfon Innovation developed BESV, a smart e-bike brand and proud Taiwan Excellence Silver Award winner. While most folding bikes have an external battery and motor added to the structure of a regular folding bike, the PSF1 was built from the bottom up as an e-bike to improve the product’s rigidity, electronic control unit, and overall performance.

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Taiwan is the leader in the global bicycle market, with average annual revenue of US$3.8 billion. Bicycle components, which account for over half the yearly revenue, have also provided valuable support to the development of Taiwan’s bicycle industry.

Prime examples include chains manufactured by KMC, one of the three giants in Taiwan’s bicycle industry. It accounts for more than 80% of the global market share. In 2019, as the e-bike sector grew, KMC kickstarted the development of e-bike chains and won the e101 e-Bike Chain Award in the 2020 Taiwan Excellence Awards. KMC’s chains are ideal for high-strength, mid-mount motors and with a chainring customized for KMC’s e-bike for more mileage of up to 10,000 km. The special riveted joints provide superb resistance to tensile and lateral-torsional forces to withstand the tremendous power output generated by the motor when pedaling, and also offers a stable riding experience. The company invested US$26.45 million to establish a state-of-the-art, intelligent production line in their Tainan Xinhua Plant to further cement its position as the world’s leading brand.

Meanwhile, Joy Industrial, another Taiwan Excellence Award winner, developed the Asymmetric E-MTB Wheelset for its Novatec brand, designed for off-road terrain. The wheelset is made of asymmetric super rigid aluminum with a strengthened ratchet attached to the hub to enhance steering flexibility and pedaling efficiency. It is also environment friendly with its tubeless tire design, with recyclable production materials that do not require multi-stage processing.

Finally, Kenda’s XC Cross-Country Tires offer excellent riding experiences. With its remarkable braking performance and steering control, the UCI Track Cycling World Cup has acknowledged this brand-new product as one of the lightest XC tires on the market.

Taiwan’s bicycle industry is one of Taiwan Excellence’s most successful national exports, guaranteeing that its bicycles and components are highly regarded around the world.

Taiwan Excellence supports quality and distinctiveness in Taiwanese brand creation and innovation. Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs honors Taiwanese businesses and products for their “Innovative Value” offers in four major categories: “Research and Development,” “Design,” “Quality,” and “Marketing,” all while meeting the crucial criterion of being “made in Taiwan.”

For further information on high-end bicycle components, visit the official Taiwan Excellence website (www.taiwanexcellence.org/en), or join the Taiwan Excellence Facebook fan page (www.facebook.com/TaiwanExcellence.en) for the latest news.