Field Notes

A tribute to King Liu, founder of Giant Bicycles, who died aged 91. The post honours his legacy as a cycling missionary who transformed Taiwan's bicycle industry through the A-Team alliance, promoted urban cycling via YouBike and the Tour de Taiwan, and received a UN Special Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022. Mosa reflects on its own connection to Giant as a manufacturing partner and its Formosa-inspired name.

Prompted by a conversation with Pedal Me founder Ben Knowles at the Micromobility UK event, this post challenges the ethics of 'convenience economy' unicorns. It argues that Lime and Deliveroo externalise their costs onto riders, restaurants, cities, and taxpayers, while founders pocket hundreds of millions. It calls out the gap between claimed innovation and actual impact on workers and public space.

A first-hand account of cycling in Valencia, exploring how the city became a model for bike-friendly urban planning. Key factors include 170km of bike lanes anchored by the Turia Gardens greenway, the city-run Valenbisi scheme (2,750 bikes, €3.50/day), no private dockless operators, 30km/h speed limits on 64% of streets, and sustainable funding via parking revenue. Contrasts sharply with London's dockless-dominated landscape.

Responding to an IPPR report on transport inequality, this post highlights that low-income households spend £76/week on cars (a quarter of income), yet only 25% of them own a bike vs 50% of higher earners. It exposes the paradox that bike sharing — designed to fill transport gaps — is concentrated in wealthy city centres at £3.70 per 10-minute ride. Mosa argues for community-owned, community-led models as the answer.