Throwback Thursday: When Gucci and Every Other Luxury Brand Made a Beijing Bicycle

Throwback Thursday takes a look back into Beijing's past, using our 14-year-strong blog archives as the source for a glance at the weird and wonderful of yesteryear.

There may well have been nine million bicycles in Beijing back in 2005 when Katie Melua released her famous song, but we have certainly climbed over that number now, with share bikes taking up space wherever you look these days.

Although Beijingers' love for bicycles may have waned over the years since 2005, many residents still opt for this quick mode of transport enough to earn the city a #38 ranking on the Global Bicycle Cities Index. But way back in 2008, Beijing was looking at luxury brands for upgrade ideas to make their bikes a little more flashy.

It is no secret that the upper-middle class of mega-city dwellers in China are guilty of limitless love for branded products. We see the purses, necklaces, and scarfs flaunted on our WeChat feed, photographed from all angles once someone obtains an item of their dreams. Looking back at 2008, bicycle enthusiasts would not need to buy spare parts to keep their Chanel purse safe while cycling because that purse came as part and parcel of the bike.

Priced at a modest USD 17,000 (RMB 109,000), the bicycle certainly does look soft and of high craftsmanship. It also looks like more than a year's salary for an average Beijinger.

Gucci went above and beyond for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and released a bicycle especially for that occasion. The two-wheeler has been painted bright red (often even titled "China Red") and came at a more human-like price of USD 3,420 (RMB 22,000). It even came with decent sized bags for all your mantou and jianbing.

Fortunately for eye-candy lovers, these were only two of several luxury brands that have decided to complement their collections with bicycles. Hermes and Ralph Lauren did not miss this two-wheel trend. China's beloved Fendi also released a leather, steam-punkish beast that would surely not need the ring of a bell to get its way in the streets.

For the slightly more humble among us, there are surely more affordable and gorgeous bikes to get it right in Beijing. Local brand Simple Bikes make and stock nine different types of bicycles made from bamboo, and Taobao (or slightly suspect roadside sellers) stock vintage Shanghai Phoenix or Tianjin Flying Pigeon bikes.

Maybe the luxury bikes were an attempt to get Beijingers out of their cars and onto the asphalt again? It would surely ease the traffic congestion that chokes the city at every rush hour. However, having heard how often people's faithful two-wheeled companions get nicked, we would definitely choose to ride an RMB 300 bike rather than a USD 14,000 one.

READ: Beijing Ranks 38 in the Global Bicycle Cities Index 2022

Images: Simple Bikes, Luxuo, Wired, Behance