Riding a Fixed Gear Bike in Taipei's Rush Hour Traffic

[@ZachGallardo]

I'm thinking about hosting a Q&A live stream. Upvote this comment if you're interested in asking me anything...ANYTHING.

[@westonchristmas2645]

Zach Gallardo Where did your love of fixed gear start? how were you introduced into fixed gear?

[@vangerlio]

Tips for how people can start riding fixed and what bike to use which is good and affordable

[@laurentlandry9732]

Zach Gallardo would you consider in the near future being a travel vloger and experience bike life around the world (a bit like this video)

[@psychoaiko666]

Emjay Rafal then do it

[@stevenn6722]

What happened to Ricky? Did you sell him? When you left the US

[@GordonMoat]

Dude, you should be doing city cycling guides. This is Copenhagenize level of information.

[@bullwhipjohnson8247]

Your bike looks better than I thought it would. Julliet Elliot just came to Taiwan and road 900km on a folding bike.

[@googlehub2551]

I never ride fixed but i like your videos

[@thisisjohndoe]

My instant reaction was 'wow look at that smooooth tarmac!'

[@defender3]

Holy sh*t man, after watching this video, I think you are more familiar with Taipei city than me. lol At 3:09 .....my home is at the block on the right. :)

[@macmurfy2jka]

Man, I thought I was crazy riding around by me. Those roads look draining to ride my friend. Lots of concentration.

[@matthewdezii]

I love the infrastructure discussion! Bring this info and activism to the US!

[@b5thomas7]

Really great video! It's interesting how they do urban planning/infrastructure differently.

[@rossgoodyear7313]

I finally bought my first fixed after watch you for a year

[@Lam4n]

Ross Goodyear What did you end up with?

[@ThisIsDumb-YT]

Rad video! I live in Tainan and cycle about 15 km to work. Riding in Tainan is even crazier than in Taipei in my opinion. I've survived 4 months of almost daily riding, but sometimes in the middle of traffic I suddenly think to myself - "this is stupid dangerous", and then I think - "and I love it!" Keep rollin. Two wheelz good

[@Dreadlocks231]

zach you are me. i love this vid, it is exactly what im into, ive done essay work on cycle infrastructure and this is v interesting

[@plantmom6488]

this was really interesting. I think it would be cool to visit Taipei and ride some.

[@defender3]

Welcome here~~and enjoy the food, too. Just like Zach mentioned in the video :)

[@klausbrinck2137]

great and very informative!!!!

[@reveloharry]

It is so relaxing to watch all that go pro footage paired with that music. :)

[@famder2]

Whats up with your helmet straps?

[@god-son-love]

I hope you do more of this type of video.

[@TypeVertigo]

Really good summary. Feels like riding in Taipei shares a lot of traits with riding in Metro Manila (I find the proxemics are quite similar), but the infrastructure is way better and the overall amount of discipline is markedly more humane. Good share. Probably one of my favorites from your video library.

[@thee-n]

These vlogs are perfect! I just arrived and I love riding fixed gear bikes and was looking to buy one. You have solved all my problems. Bless ya.

[@karlheinmiller159]

Awesome video! Riding in China (in 济南市) in 2002 never seemed that easy. It really was just chaos.

[@watsonwatson169]

Love the photo of the "dooring zone" in Ottawa. I thought it looked familiar. Jeff Leiper will be thrilled by the international recognition ;p

[@gregsierra414]

Cheat death Taipai. 💪

[@laurentlandry9732]

Favorite video you made to this day please do more!! :)

[@CMCairo]

That dooring zone picture is from Ottawa, Canada, in Westboro. So cool to see a picture of my home town haha, great cycling here in Ottawa, minus some of the crazy bike lanes haha,

[@UZB74]

Zach, you have my (crappy) dad joke humour, I respect that and have subscribed to you for that very reason.

[@KEIRINSTREETS]

Really cool vid! Can't wait to see what comes up next.

[@seasong7655]

Wow they have some interesting rules. I've never seen these scooter lines before...

[@johnbaca8692]

Thanks for the insight into Taipei's traffic scene. I'm off to ride my bike now in good old North County.

[@TheCmoon91]

You should def go to The Netherlands for the ultimate cycling experience man!

[@CallMDel]

dang i need to come and ride in taipei! the city gave so much infrastructure to 2 wheel vehicles! especially liked the zone for scooters to prior at the front of the cars to wait for the light

[@TL243]

Thanks! Awesome video!

[@RobertEikerJr]

Zach, do yooouuuu understand the woooords that are coming outta my mouth? Can't believe I'm the first one to post that? Seriously, great video as always.

[@xmonstrax]

Come over to Kuala Lumpur and ride here. Traffic is pretty much crazier than Taipei but not as gnarly as Ho Chi Minh City or Jakarta.

[@P0rQpine]

"My fat American personal bubble". I just went off at that one lol

[@danielhobgen6146]

Funny and informative. Thank you.

[@AndrewKNI]

Fascinating insight to Taipei. Live long and keep pedalling :-)

[@DanielTor14]

Pretty cool analysis 👍🏼

[@SURENITY]

Looks like a great city!

[@drdreddmanofmystery9482]

Sounds like a much better system than here in America. :)

[@T3HR3PP4]

Overtaking scooters on a Dixie during rush hour. LOLZ

[@joachimmacdonald2702]

20 mph traffic? That’s pretty bloody fast! Average traffic speeds in London are about 8 mph, meaning you don’t really have to work hard to be faster than the flow of traffic.

[@balintgg]

Informationlevel is over 9000.

[@Pratalax]

Looks like a rainy day... how soggy did you get making this? can't recommend sitting too close behind a scooter on a day like that, either. they have disc brakes and fat tyres!

[@blackoutgamingph5175]

Try Manila Rush Hour Ride

[@yuii0826]

If he lives through it

[@jin-cg9vz]

The Maddog talking about how hot tempered most of the drivers are they pull a gun at you. Cycled there last year, along EDSA i think. I was cut by a fast innova who beat the red light in an intersection. Then he suddenly got out of his car pulled a gun at me and threaten me about something in tagalog even though i was in my right lane and didnt even scratched or dent his car. I saw an enforcer right across the intersection who didnt even have the courage to stop the gunner, fcker. Good thing i got my go pro on which recorded the whole incident. Immediately went to the nearest police station. Reported the whole incident gave the copy of the recording and ask for an action about the enforcer who intentionaly ignored what happened that time. Ps.- Sorry its long. Just wanted to share my experience in your country but ended up in detail. Lol -nothing happened when i reported it. No negotiation happened up until now. My cousin there jokingly said to me. "Unless you post what happened in the social media nothing will happen with your report. That is how rules run in this country. Generally."

[@yuii0826]

Yah, sad truth about the Philippines. No one will acknowledge your story unless you post it on social media. I personally ride with a Helmet cam thats on the whole ride and a Conceal Carry if I'm going through sketchy neighbourhoods. Stay safe out there!

[@hawie]

post it i wanna see

[@ratoneJR]

It looks crazy, to me.

[@maulaahmad2542]

Great knowledge. Now ride in Jakarta

[@weenisw]

I️ just moved from Chicago to NYC and my god the salmon are everywhere. It was hard to get used to the bike lanes having right side passing instead of default left side passing. It hardly matters because half the riders ride in the middle seemingly to cockblock any passing. Then a salmon will appear to make everyone swerve dangerously without remorse or even an inkling that as a salmon they’re doing it wrong.

[@gravelboi_]

Where is fixie points?

[@mcblahflooper94]

I wonder how many track stands Zach has done in all of his videos…

[@teokbokki]

can a passenger seat be integrated into a fixed gear?

[@SURENITY]

Nice!!

[@justno7852]

Damn some near misses there lol

[@unnown4641]

hahaaha nice. Now try to ride in edsa in the philiphines

[@onespeedbicycles]

Your video sounds like one of my videos. hehehehe

[@tefovechietti]

Hey Zach, nice video. Can you please tell me which pedal are you using in this bike?

[@ZachGallardo]

+Estéfano Vechietti MKS GR-10

[@jamie9348]

What pack are you using, the yellow one, I like it!

[@ZachGallardo]

+jamie granquist Craft Cadence waterproof backpack

[@downhillchris2809]

What does the term "salmon" mean in this context?

[@FenixYuk]

Bike Salmon A cyclist that puts themselves at risk by cycling into traffic or "against the stream". Friend (driving car): "Dude I think I just hit something. I felt a bump." You:"Probably just a bike salmon."

[@downhillchris2809]

Ah, I see. Thanks!

[@JargoTheJeweller]

So good. How can I send you a pic of my bike? It's built like an A 10

[@Ober1kenobi]

I might be at the bottom of the traffic food chain Until I get off my bike, and they get out theirs Vehicle The tide instantly turns in my favour. Which leads to me being way to cocky on the road. I will straight up tell a Truck to f*ck off. This is my lane. Your body language and how you ride can also work for you. People will respect you if you have enough balls to do what needs to be done

[@kalhuaNG]

bro what backpack is that

[@dynothane300]

Totally.cool vid

[@mr.actiongal1017]

nice

[@elrat1234]

As a cyclist in Canada I have a prejudice against e-bikes/mopeds that use the bicycle lane, but maybe that's the wrong attitude. It seems like the two-wheeled majority might pave the way for infrastructure that takes you out of harms way from cars. Toronto is not Amsterdam, there's a fair distance between places, and thus a dependence on motorized vehicles (much like Taipei). Dedicated bike paths are of course ideal, but are not a priority (sad to say). If there was a 35 kph max lane that would be safer for e-bikes (mediocrity), and cyclists, the number of stakeholders to advocate for safer infrastructure would be less insignificant!

[@ridiguluz]

how long did it take you to draw all those pink lines?

[@ZachGallardo]

About 15 minutes.

[@SykIntegrity]

What's the bike brand you're riding in Taipei?

[@ZachGallardo]

+Elise Park Loop.

[@jaron87floyd]

What is Salmoning?

[@ZachGallardo]

Cycling against the flow of traffic.

[@googlehub2551]

Im from croatia and nobody here rides fixd . Nobody even knows what it is. Here we all ride mounten bikes like there are comuters because there are a lot of hils here whel in some parts . I think its sad that nobody rides fixd . It seams like a lot of funn.

[@kellymckenzie4865]

Why the hell didn't you ship your nature boy!??!???

[@Drag0ncl0ud]

Probably because of cost and risk of theft.

[@PhreshApple]

Or grab onto the back of a scooter for extra lazy points

[@unstable0]

You left your camera

[@ronnbizzy]

First!

[@ndgoliberty]

Literally the worst thumbnail ever but hey it’s 2017 everyone is stupid about thumbnail