TIANJIN, March 16 (Xinhua) -- In the exhibition hall of Tianjin Flying Pigeon Cycle Manufacture Co., Ltd. in north China, a row of vintage bicycles stood as a testament to a storied past.
As the manufacturer of China's first domestically produced bicycle, Flying Pigeon once served as a prestigious national treasure and an indispensable part of Chinese households.
Today, the time-honored brand is shedding its traditional image. By integrating "smart cores," a combination of flexible sensors, AI algorithms and the Internet of Things (IoT), Flying Pigeon is redefining the bicycle from a simple form of transport into an intelligent health management terminal.
"Traditional bicycles must embrace new scenarios to stay relevant," said Han Guiyou, chairman of Flying Pigeon.
Through collaboration with Tianjin University, the company has developed sensing systems that monitor heart rate and pedaling cadence in real time. The bicycle is no longer just a machine as it has begun to "understand" the rider's physical state.
A robust policy environment is fueling this transformation. In line with China's national strategy to revitalize traditional brands, the Tianjin municipal government issued a policy package in 2023 to support the innovation of "time-honored" enterprises such as Flying Pigeon.
Boosted by measures that include performance-based rewards for technological breakthroughs and incentives for university-industry partnerships, Flying Pigeon has established long-term research projects with several top-tier universities, focusing on reducing wind resistance and optimizing ergonomic postures.
Innovation has also slashed research and development cycles. With the assistance of the National Supercomputer Center in Tianjin, the development time for a new professional-grade racing frame has been reduced from years to eight months.
"The supercomputing center analyzes and optimizes our base frame models, which provides us with superior designs for prototyping and testing," Han explained.
The push for innovation is yielding tangible results. In 2025, Flying Pigeon recorded a sales volume of 4.5 million units, with annual revenue surging by nearly 40 percent year on year.
Its success reflects a citywide momentum in Tianjin to revitalize more than 70 national-level time-honored brands via innovation. In 2025, the city's time-honored enterprises reported collective revenue growth of 10.3 percent, while total profits rose by 21.5 percent.
"Modern consumers are increasingly looking for emotional and cultural resonance alongside high-tech functionality," Han said.
As China continues to emphasize high-end, intelligent and green manufacturing, Han noted that the brand is expanding into additional sports-related markets and partnering with other traditional brands to develop a broader product range. ■
