About Us
About Panda Podium
Panda Podium is all about finding great cycling products and putting them on one trust-worthy website for cyclists around the world to buy. As the cost of mainstream cycling goods continues to rise, more and more consumers are starting to look to the far east for more affordable solutions. However, nobody wants to sacrifice a cut in performance or even worse – quality. The vast choice when looking at far eastern bike parts is overwhelming. It’s hard to know which brands are reputable, which parts will help you go faster or even which components are down-right dangerous.
If we wouldn't ride it, we don't sell it.
Most of us here at Panda Podium are cyclists. (We have to have a few non-cyclist employees, else there’d be nobody to process orders whenever there’s a good race on TV.) As cyclists ourselves, we know what you guys want out of your products. We check, test, ride and (sometimes) crash all these parts ourselves. If we don’t think we’d spend our own hard-earned cash on something, we don’t sell it.
"Value" doesn't mean "Cheap."
The main focus is on value bike parts… but that doesn’t mean cheap. “Cheap” means the product was designed with the cost as the highest priority. As such corners are cut and compromises are made. “Value” on the other hand, means for what you’re getting – it’s a good deal. That means a $500 wheelset or a $2000 wheelset can both be “good value” as long as the $2000 wheelset brings considerably more benefit to the rider.
Service is Everything
Our goal is to provide the best service of any bike part website on the internet. We know – that’s a lofty goal, but that’s where we’re heading. We’re still in the early days and many of our ideas for providing the best service are yet to come into fruition, but we are determined that we will not be beaten on service.
Who are Panda Podium?
We’re a small team of bike nerds led by Joe Whittingham. Joe, originally from the UK, has been in China for over a decade. His resume includes founding the YouTube channel China Cycling and also bringing Chinese brands from unheard of brands in the west to a household names amongst cyclists. The rest of the team have experience in IT, Logistics, Marketing and E-Commerce. Many of our team are industry veterans therefore have plenty of experience with direct-to-consumer bike sales.
Where are Panda Podium?
We’re based in the beautiful city of Xiamen, China. Most of China’s carbon fiber industry is located here, and we’re right across from Taiwan. This means we can easily source bike parts from any of the major manufacturing centres of the far east.
Why start Panda Podium?
Five years ago most people hadn’t heard of the majority of Chinese bike brands, and those who had didn’t dare use them. There was a reputation of Chinese parts being inferior, poor quality or even dangerous. However, in recent years the quality has improved and more and more people are starting to become aware of the existence of high-quality, good-value bike parts from the far east. But knowing is only half the battle. Previously there’s been no reputable place to buy such parts. Consumers have been forced into dark corners of the internet with bad translation and dodgy websites with no sense of security. Panda Podium is about providing a legitimate, trust-worthy place to shop for these products.
What's with the name?
Panda Podium – Well, obviously… Pandas. Everyone loves pandas. They’re ridiculously cute and are unique to this part of the world. Podium? We like to race, and we love to win… but… a podium is good too. Of course, “Panda Podium” rhymes with “Pandemonium” – we like a bit of craziness in our lives.
What's your Chinese name?
Our company’s registered name is 厦门磐搭冠科技有限公司