Visitors to luxury car dealerships will probably have seen the odd fancy, house-brand bicycle parked among the usual sedans and convertibles. Rarely are these handsome vanity projects actually purchased, however, because they are normally so darn expensive.

But for those who've yearned to pedal on a BMW or wheel a Mini Cooper through their front door, help is finally on hand from Rbike Networks Ltd., a Hong Kong-based retailer that has just set up shop in Solana. Dealing in bicycles from Chinese brand Komda to the big name auto companies, Rbike are offering the chance to buy a genuine Hummer, Renault or Lamborghini for just a few thousand kuai. The only hitch is that any horsepower performance will have to come from your own two legs.

The shop sells sporty mountain bikes, as well as lightweight foldaways made of carbon fiber, aluminum alloy and high-carbon steel; one of the lightest portables, by Komda, comes in at around 8.5 kilos, making it tote-able for even the slightest of young ladies. And at just 1,280 yuan for the Komda and around 3, 000 yuan for the 11.5 kg Mini Cooper 20272, the prices are not beyond the realms of most Chinese pockets either.

"Our philosophy is four wheels plus two wheels," said Beijing regional manager Li Peng, who is advocating a return to bicycles to ease traffic congestion and save the environment. "We have shifted our marketing focus back to Mainland China."

With the exception of a few materials, such as carbon fiber from Taiwan, most of the bikes are manufactured here out of material produced in China. Lifestyle thinks the shop's ethos is both environmentally conscious and customer-savvy, appealing to the white collar yearning for high-end Western brands among youngsters, who can now enjoy a healthy, green slice of the luxury pie that's also within their salary range.

"[Young people] now think that riding a bicycle is more fashionable than driving a car," claimed salesperson Li Xuedong. The Lamborghini model – of which there are 12 types, including folding and mountain bikes in prices ranging from the afford-able at 1,500 yuan, to the absurdly lavish at 35,000 yuan – will be introduced in the next few months and will become a key marketing tool for the company. They plan to show them at 4S car shops in Beijing, "so that car buyers can also be potential bicycle buyers."

Worried about next winter? Rbike will soon be selling cycling clothes and leisure wear for the cold months. It seems like they have got most things covered, with the possible exception of customers: "We sell about 20 a month," said Li. That should be a weekly figure; the deserted Solana mall location may not be helping much.

Address: 3F, Solana Mall, 6 Chaoyang Park West Road, Chaoyang District

朝阳区朝阳公园西路6 号蓝色港湾3层

Hours: Daily 10 am - 10 pm

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