Few pedal bikes have a cultural history quite like
the Flying Pigeon. The first Flying Pigeon spun through a factory in China in 1950 after a decree from
Chairman Mao’s vice-president Liu Shaoqi to make a strong, beautiful bike for China’s workforce. Its logo was
a dove — designed at a time when China was at war with Korea. It has since become a symbol of a productive
China (prosperity was described by Deng Xiaoping in the 1970s as having “a Flying Pigeon in every
household”), given to presidents as national gifts — both George Bush Sr. and Fidel Castro have one. The
Flying Pigeon is more than a bike; it’s an egalitarian icon.
Now, Flying Pigeon roadsters have been
brought to Canada by Yulu, a Vancouver-based creative agency, and have created quite a stir. What Chairman
Mao would have thought about its hipster appeal is probably best left
undiscovered.
» theflyingpigeon.com •
Photo Courtesy: Pigeon Bicycle
