George Lin, the founder of Pacific Cycles, chooses his customers very carefully. He is not afraid to turn down requests. What is important to Lin are clients who develop the bicycle further with innovations; production partnerships for "me too" products are out of the question. Pacific Cycles has been in business for 32 years and is based in Taoyuan, about an hour's drive from the capital Taipei. The company building is not only large, but also houses various departments:

For bicycle fans, the Bike Museum, which extends over three floors, is a real treat. Historic bikes from the 1900s are lined up next to children's bikes, and there are also numerous three- and four-wheeled rolling stock. Pacific Cycles' own models also find their way into the museum, but there are also examples from partnerships to marvel at, such as the numerous evolutionary stages of the Birdy folding bike from Riese und Müller. Also lined up are early examples of full-suspension mountain bikes or Hot Chili frames, which Lin designed in 1993 together with Peter Denk, now Head of Development at Cannondale.

The company building also serves as a "Pacific Hotel" on the fourth floor, as customers are accommodated there. According to Lin, this allows the bike designers and the manufacturer to discuss ideas and visions and drive bike development forward right where the action is. Because where the administration, the museum and the guest hostel take up no space, the core business takes place: the production of bicycles.

Except for hydroforming - the so-called hydroforming of frame tubes - Pacific Cycles handles all steps for its customers. Here, frames are built, painted, branded and then assembled and packaged. Today, the company employs around 120 people, 20 of whom are engineers. A modest 40,000 bicycles are produced per year by Taiwanese standards - 40 percent of these are produced by the company's own brand, while 60 percent of this volume is OEM production.
Lin emphasizes that he has made a conscious decision not to be one of the big players in the industry. The company patron only accepts orders where he recognizes the innovative strength of the bicycle manufacturer and makes a conscious detour around sheer mass production. Carbon production is also out of the question for Lin, as he considers the material and its lack of recyclability to be too harmful to the environment.

For Lin, there are three skills that are necessary to be an innovative bike company. Firstly, a solid knowledge of materials, mechanics, ergonomics and physiology is important. Secondly, good knowledge of CAD, frame construction and aesthetics is important. The third success factor, according to Lin, is a good understanding of the bicycle industry and the global bicycle market, but a correct perception of customer needs and market potential is also important, as well as knowledge of marketing and building a brand.

Today, George Lin is also known as the "godfather of the Taiwanese bicycle industry". Back in the early 1980s, he compiled the Taiwan Bicycle Guide to publicize the local bicycle industry around the world. Even before founding Pacific Cycles, the former high school English teacher was already working on the design of BMX bikes. As early as 1976, Lin won Raleigh as a client for such BMX bikes. In doing so, he brought the first foreign bicycle manufacturer into today's Taiwanese cycling empire as an OEM partner.

www.pacific-cycles.com