Itchy Labels: Fixed Gear Culture: Nabiis Taiwan

Nabiis is a fixed gear frame manufacturer from Taipei in Taiwan. Nabiis has a team of 5 original members and then a futher 10+ members who ride with them and hang at the Nabiis 'office' in the Ximen Area of Taipei City. I was introduced to the Nabiis family from a fixed gear rider in the city called Gus Liu. He was introduced to me by another fixed gear rider called Cog Wei who runs the Trinity clothing store down in Zhongxiao Dunhua. I was very lucky and hounoured to be introduced to such an amazing group of people who made me feel welcome and took care of me from the first few seconds of introduction. It's clearly in asian culture to look after the guests well and introduce and make connections. I like this. In the UK, especially in Coventry - nobody really goes to any efforts to help each other or network with new people or make connections - which I think is bullshit!

The guys at Nabiis sorted me out with a Fixed gear bike which I used during my time there. I spent over half a month in Taipei riding with these guys on a regular basis documenting the fixed gear culture through photography and notes. Whilst I was there I had the chance to brush up on my Chinese and I also got to learn some new chinese words, my favourite being - 賤人/Jian Ren/Bitch, 幹你娘/Gan Nee Niang/Fuck Your Mum, 哪裡/Na Li?/Where? and 口交/Kou Jiau/Blowjob.

This article is dedicated to the Nabiis crew in Taipei, TW for everything they have done for me while I was there. I've been to many countrys in Asia where great hospitality is just the done thing, but whilst with these guys in Taiwan, its the best I've ever been treated. A special thanks to Hawk, Jerry, Fai, Chec, Tiger, Gus Liu, Alan, Cog Wei, Gen, Mochibee, 謝明倫 and everyone else I forgot to mention. BIG LOVE ♥

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那比斯是台灣台北的一家單速車車架製造商，最初是由一個五人團隊所創立，後來吸引了十多名車友的加入，他們經常在台北西門町的那比斯「總部」聚會。我透過單速車車友 Gus Liu 認識那比斯車隊，他則是透過另一個單速車車友、捷運忠孝敦化站附近的一家名叫 Trinity 的服飾店老闆 Cog Wei 認識他們。我真的覺得很榮幸能夠認識這幫超棒的兄弟；我一認識他們，就受到他們的熱情款待和照顧。亞洲人的好客文化在此展露無疑，亞洲人也很喜歡幫人介紹新朋友、助人拓展人脈，我真的很欣賞這一點。在英國 (尤其是考文垂)，互相幫助是個神話，這裡沒有人會替你介紹新朋友，也不會有人幫你拓展關係，這真是個狗屁文化！

那比斯團隊幫我弄了一台單速車，所以我在台北都以單速車代步。我在台北的期間，其中半個月經常騎著車跟他們到處跑，用相片和文字記錄當地的單速車文化。我在這段期間好好複習了之前學的中文，還學了一些新詞；我最喜歡的莫過於「賤人」(Jian Ren/Bitch)、「幹你娘」(Gan Nee Niang/Fuck Your Mum)、「哪裡」(Na Li?/Where?) 還有「口交」(Kou Jiau/Blowjob)。

這篇文章謹獻給台灣台北的那比斯車隊，感謝他們幫助身處異鄉的我。我去過許\u22810 多亞洲國家，雖然亞洲人大多都很好客，但還是比不上我在台灣遇到的這些兄弟。非常非常感謝 Hawk、Jerry、Fai、Chec、Tiger、Gus Liu、Alan、Cog Wei、Gen、Mochibee、謝明倫和其他族繁不及備載的好朋友，我愛你們 ♥

Thanks to 謝明倫 and Jufen Huang for help with the translations.