Rider Profile: Da Chao
Posted on August 04 2015
Meet the latest member of Factory Five; a tall, mullet-growing and bike-loving rider named Da Chao. He’s been fixing bikes himself before most of us knew how to ride!
Name: Da Chao
Age: 23
Hometown: Shandong
Profession: Factory Five Satisfaction Engineer
Q: Tell us about your bike:
A: I’m currently riding a ’92 FELT SRD frame that I bought through Taobao. Most of the components are Bontrager, sturdy and good enough for me to ride through the city. My favorite part about the bike is my WTB saddle – my old boss gave this to me along with a Cannondale carbon seatpost. My ride is currently set up as a single speed thrasher, it takes me about 20 minutes to get from my home to F5!
Q: How did you get into cycling?
A: When I was 6 years old I needed to stay out of trouble and look cool, you know? Bunny hops, tricks, all that good stuff. While I was going to primary school I rode a mountain bike to school everyday – it was much faster than the bus and I felt totally young and free. Around 10 or 11 years old I learned how to fix my own bike, everything from the brakes to the drivetrain to the cockpit. During my second year of College I discovered fixed gear freestyle riding and I fell in love with it. Being able to ride backwards was the coolest thing ever – I rode with all the BMX guys at school as well. But, I had a really bad accident and hurt my back pretty badly, and that’s why I switched to riding single speed / fixed gear bikes.
Q: What’s it like for you to ride in Shanghai?
A: Shanghai is super huge and there’s so many nice roads compared to my hometown. I’ve been working in bike shops ever since I graduated college, and cycling has always been the best way for me to meet people and explore the city. I love racing scooters!
Q: When you’re not working on bikes or helping friends with their rides, what do you like to do?
A: Just hanging out with my friends, having a few beers, and visiting cool stores in town. My life pretty revolves around bicycles, I’m always working with them!
Q: Have you got any advice for new comers to the Shanghai cycling scene?
A: I think the most important thing is for new riders to choose a properly sized bike, with something that is comfortable to ride like a riser bar. This will make it much easier to learn and adapt to the city. From there you can think about upgrading your ride to something more aggressive – just take one step at a time.
Q: Now that you’re part of the team, what do you think about F5?
A: To me F5 has always been a welcoming place with a really unique style. I’ve learned that the F5 crew is way more serious (in a good way) than I thought about bikes – they’re damn passionate!