Tern Bicycles Spreads Its Wings

New bicycle company to ‘unfold’ new possibilities in urban transport.

TAIPEI, TAIWAN -- June 18, 2011 -- A new bicycle company, Tern, officially launched today at an unveiling ceremony in Taipei, Taiwan. Bicycle industry media from around the world, as well as major bicycle parts suppliers and industry representatives were in attendance for the launch of the new company. Tern will focus on bicycles for urban transport.

"As residents of this planet, we face incredibly complex and challenging issues in urban transport," stated Joshua Hon, Tern vice president. "Gasoline prices, shortages in resources, degradation of our environment, and increasingly dense urban populations are all issues we face today. It'll take creativity, innovation, and a whole lot of sweat to turn things around and get them moving in a good direction. But we're up for the challenge and the team couldn't be more excited to show off the things we've developed."

Tern represents a fresh look at transportation in an urban environment. Rather than trying to maximize speed, team Tern is focused on safety, comfort, convenience, and portability. Significantly, every Tern bicycle is highly portable, folding to integrate seamlessly with mass transit systems and crowded urban spaces. But beyond that, team Tern has focused its energies on building bikes that work great unfolded -- with the philosophy that if it doesn't ride well, it doesn't matter how well it folds because no one will want to ride it.

"We've got the ex-racers and weight weenies on the product team, but as a group we're also focused on things like how to design better luggage systems so its easier to do your grocery shopping with one of our bikes," continued Hon.

Tern will kick off the 2012 season with a lineup of 21 bicycles, ranging in retail price from US$400 to US$3,500. Tern will also offer a line of unique accessories for its bicycles so riders will have the chance to upgrade functionality and customize their bikes. Shipments to distributors will begin in the fall of 2011. Leading bicycle distributors in more than 30 countries around the world will distribute the 2012 Tern line.

Tern is a diverse mix of personalities and experiences united by a passion for cycling. Tern is headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, with subsidiary companies in the United States and China. Tern also has team members working in satellite offices in Austin, Texas; Humboldt, California; Bend, Oregon; London, England; Turku, Finland; Stuttgart, Germany; Shanghai, China; and Schaffhausen, Switzerland. The company currently employs 70 people.

Tern is headed by general manager Florence Hon, vice-president Joshua Hon, and a respected team of bicycle professionals. Tern Bicycles is made up of the core people that were responsible for product development, sales, marketing, and distribution for Dahon over the last twenty years.

"We did some amazing things at Dahon, including kick-starting the entire folding bike revolution," stated Hon. "But we've wanted to take things even further and in recent years we were running into a variety of issues with the Chinese factory that has registered the Dahon trademark in some countries. After a lot of soul-searching, we all decided that it would be better to start with a fresh clean slate, and after seeing the 2012 product line, we know we made the right decision."

"The goal with Tern is to help build a sustainable future while doing the stuff we love," concluded Hon. "It's something that we've always wanted to do and now we're on our way."

Tern will be showing its product lineup at the Eurobike and Interbike bicycle trade shows later this year.

Website: http://www.ternbicycles.com
Press photos: http://photos.ternbicycles.com/products

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tern-Bicycles/133834186683122
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ternbicycles
YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/ternbicycles

Tern is dedicated to the goal of sustainable transport. It designs and manufactures bicycles for urban transport with a focus on portability and utility. Tern donates at least 1% of net profits every year to social and environmental causes.