Champion of pedal power never gives up

The interior of a Natooke shop, which also has a location in Chengdu.[Photo provided to China Daily]

For climatic reasons, many bicycles in Chengdu are made of bamboo, and the city frequently hosts large cycling events.

In 2010 she and two others founded an organization called Smarter Than Cars, which they regard as a kind of two-wheeler think tank, and Brunn is a frequent guest in forums on cycling.

Chinese need to see cycling as more than just a means of commuting, she says, and more as a form of modern life.

Brunn says she first became interested in cycling when she was 13 and became competent at performing bicycle gymnastics.

More and more young people are taking up cycling, she says, and she is optimistic about its future in China. That optimism is fueled in part by the vision the municipality of Beijing has for public transport.

It has said it wants public transport to account for 20 percent of road traffic by 2020, and that its plans call for many bicycles on the roads. Brunn says that she hopes this means that one day the highways in the city will have bike lanes.

The city is a natural choice for bicycle businesses, too, because it is endowed with flat, wide cycle lanes as well as other features that favor cycling, she says.