Seven in China
We just heard from our good friend William Ko at Shenyang, our Taiwanese partner. He recently returned from a two-week trip to China where Shen Yang organized an exhibition and race.
It is always interesting (and thrilling) to see our bikes in distant locales. Through great partnerships, like ours with Shenyang, we have consistently been amazed by what our brand can mean to people all over the globe.
Today, when so much of the import/export traffic seems to be one-way from China to the US, it is particularly cool to know that we can bridge the gap between our cultures just by doing what we do, which is bike building.
William has put a lot of work into promoting high-end cycling, both in Taiwan and in China. He is as passionate as we are about what we do, and we’re lucky to have him represent us. In 1997, when we were just setting out on this adventure, we dreamed of sending bikes to all seven continents. It’s part of why we chose the name Seven to begin with. To see these pictures now is humbling in all the very best ways.
It tells us that we’ve achieved much of what we set out to do, but also that the opportunity to build great bikes for people is even larger than we initially believed.
July 24th, 2012 at 9:56 pm
I first contacted William about a Seven in 2007 and he did a wonderful job introducing the bikes and the brand. I wasn’t ready yet, but he remembered me when I contacted him again last year to put in my order of an Axiom SL. He did a superb job in getting the process done quickly, smoothly and very, very well.
I had the opportunity to catch up with William at the Taipei International Bike Show. He had several Seven bikes on prominent display, both in the booth and lining the aisle. As I stood in the aisle with William inspecting the details of the display bike, a passerby stopped to see what I was looking at. We started talking and I expounded on my experience. At the height of my small sermon, I noticed about a larger number of people had gathered round to see what was causing so much excitement and to admire the craftsmanship of a Seven frame.
In the din of a crowded bike expo with all the latest in flash and carbon, Seven still stands out as an incredible example of bike craft.
William has done an excellent job promoting Seven in a country where it can be too easy to pick up a trendy local brand.
Thanks William!
July 24th, 2012 at 10:14 pm
Sure, Seven’s “brand” has meaning, but only because of the bikes and the people. Some well-known “brands” don’t even make their own goods! IMO, to call Seven a “brand” really misses the point.