Gary Chan () is a cyclist and inventor from

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

and one of the pioneers in making

upcycling Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products perceived to be of greater quality, such as artistic value or environmental value ...

bicycle in Hong Kong. He was prosecuted by police for riding his self-made solar-powered bicycle in summer 2014 and the case raised criticism of Hong Kong's outmoded traffic laws.

Early life

Gary Chan showed great creativity in his childhood years and wanted to become a sculptor, but had little aptitude in his academic studies. He performed well in sports when he was studying in

Jockey Club Ti-I College Jockey Club Ti-I College (TIC or JCTIC, , Demonym: Ti-Ian) is a secondary school in Fo Tan, Hong Kong. The setting up of Ti-I College ('Ti-I' pronounced as 'tee yee'), which is not only focused on normal academic curriculum, but also aimed to ...

. He left school after

Form 3 Form 3 is an SEC filing filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street Cra ...

and had a string of jobs in manufacturing and construction.

Inventor career

He began to create custom bicycles in 2005 using recycled metal and

bicycle parts For other cycling related terms (besides parts) see Glossary of cycling. List of bicycle parts by alphabetic order: * Axle: as in the generic definition, a rod that serves to attach a wheel to a bicycle and provides support for bearings on whic ...

. He learnt

welding Welding is a fabrication (metal), fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by using high heat to melt the parts together and allowing them to cool, causing Fusion welding, fusion. Welding is distinct from lower ...

skills from a metal workshop near his day job. In August 2014, Chan was arrested while riding a prototype solar-powered bicycle in

Kwun Tong Kwun Tong is an area in the Kwun Tong District of Hong Kong, situated at the eastern part of the Kowloon Peninsula, and its boundary stretches from Lion Rock in the north to Lei Yue Mun in the south, and from the winding paths of Kowloon ...

after the police had received complaints. The bicycle was confiscated. He was charged with driving an unregistered vehicle and driving without valid insurance. The solar-powered bicycle was confiscated. The court case was heard on 19 September 2014, in which Chan pleaded guilty. He was fined HK$3,000 and his driving licence was suspended for one year. The case raised public concern about outdated government policies on traffic enforcement and innovation. Gary Chan and four other bicycle enthusiasts from various disciplines founded Wheel Things Makers in 2015 and established the group's first workshop in

To Kwa Wan To Kwa Wan () is a bay and an area of the eastern shore of Kowloon peninsula. The area is part of urban Hong Kong, and is situated between Hok Yuen, Hung Hom, Ma Tau Wai and Ma Tau Kok. Administratively, the area belongs to the Kowloon City ...

They participated the first official Maker Faire as one of the flagship event in October 2015, and further joined E-Maker Faire Hong Kong 2015 (香港造節) in April 2017 as an co-organiser of the 'Large Activities' 'E-Go Kart (我是車手) in the 2-days event. One of their exhibits was a wagon powered by a detachable

electric drill A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a bit, either a drill or driverchuck. Hand-operated types are dramatically decreasing in popularity and cordless battery-powered ones proliferating due to ...

, which was deliberately designed to mock the police's decision to prosecute Chan the year before.

Participated exhibitions

Gary Chan participated various exhibitions, art shows, campaigns as well as sharing sessions in Hong Kong.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chan, Gary Hong Kong inventors Hong Kong male cyclists Living people Year of birth missing (living people)