Some of you may have noticed that I am a bit obsessed with a particular brand from Guangzhou which i have been calling "Zhongguo" (China) brand due to this very word being emblazoned on their arc side stands.
The only other branding I have seen was one very obscured head badge. I have also come across some references on the web to the "Cotton Tree Factory Bicycles"
Now finally thanks to the Chinese shopping site 997788, I have a clear view of the badge.
One of the great things about unpacking is you get to see things you haven't seen in a while. One of those things is this Zhongguo brand side stand. Zhongguo (meaning China) brand is from the south of China. Guangzhou in fact. But I picked this one up on my last day weekend in Beijing.
The Zhongguo brand is still something of a mystery to me. On the headbadge below it says it is a product of the "Cotton Tree Factory".
You may be familiar with old Chinese coins... specifically the neat looking ones that are round on the outside (representing the perfection of heaven) and have a square hole in the middle (representing less than perfect earth). The examples above are the real deal, from theTepapa New Zealand Museum.
As I mentioned previously, I used my last day at the Panjiayuan old bicycle meet to acquire some choice goods.
One of the items that I have been looking for for 2 whole years is one of the small aluminum reflectors seen below.
I suspect this is a Bosch part as they always seem to accompany a Bosch dynamo, but have occasionally seen them with Lucas and Miller electrical bits too.
I have only seen one for sale ONCE, and the seller wanted an astronomical price for a little piece of metal. No deal. Otherwise, nobody could be persuaded to part with their petite treasure. And then....
Would you beleive that in almost 3 years of me discussing the goings-on, discoveries and deals at the Panjiayuan antique bike meet that I have never taken my own bike there? It's true. Maybe it's because it's a long ride down to PJY, and I am constantly pressed for time. Maybe it's because I live on top of the subway line that goes almost directly there. Yeah, actually, that's probably it.
In any case, I never took my bike to Panjiayuan.
Until last weekend....
