Taya Chain is one of the older players within Taiwan’s bicycle industry, but that doesn’t mean it’s set in its ways. From its leadership to the way it operates, the Tainan-based company has undergone a lot of changes in recent years.
Despite the recent rise of belt drives, the majority of bicycles still rely on a chain to turn pedal power into forward momentum. And when it comes to bicycle chains, Taya Chain is among the most established. To stay at the top, it relies on more than five decades of experience and several proprietary coating technologies that significantly extend the lifespan of chains and protect them from corrosion without being a hazard to the environment. After all, this company originated back in 1969 when the local Wu family bought the Taiwanese subsidiary of Japanese bicycle and motorbike chain manufacturer Tsubaki. Taya Chain still operates from the same headquarters in Tainan’s Rende District. But when HuaTian Wu passed away earlier this year, Taya Chain was forced to move on without the mentoring of its founder.
Having taken over as chairwoman of Taya Chain, Jill Wu represents the second generation of the Wu family. After learning the ropes within the family enterprise through various divisions of its business, she has been overseeing many of the changes that Taya Chain has implemented over the last five years. “Rather than quickly expanding our production when demand boomed early in the Covid pandemic, we opted to put an emphasis on quality over quantity and the mid- to high-end markets instead, and on Taya Chain’s traditional role as a partner in co-developing new products. Due to the rise of e-bikes, the demands on bicycle chains have evolved toward more strength and longevity,” Jill Wu explains.
Taya Chain’s website shows that the company pretty much covers all bases in terms of bicycle chains, from singlespeed to 12-speed chains and reinforced chains for use on e-bikes with mid-drive motor units where added durability from the coatings comes in handy. Add matching chains for kids’ bikes, exercise bikes, fixies and BMX bikes and you know why Taya Chain is a true specialist in its field. In 2021, the manufacturer won a coveted Design & Innovation award for its Rollerless Chain. The latest developmental push focuses on a full range of e-bike chains, both for performance and cargo models. But the products are only one part of the story of success here.
A keen service-mindedness and plenty of experience cooperating with partners are all-important factors as well. As Jill Wu explains: “Our organizational structure has undergone significant transformation. We have reinforced our R&D and quality assurance departments and introduced talent development programs tailored to the growing need for digital and systems-based competencies – ensuring we as a company remain agile in a rapidly evolving global landscape.”
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