Looking for Help and Information on the Cotton Candy Bicycle Vendors in China!! Thanx

[CandyMan]

Hello, I am looking for some help and information about the cotton candy bicycle vendors that you see in the streets of China. It is basically a regular bicycle that has a stand that lifts the back tire off the ground. Then vendor pedals the bike with their foot which spins the tire which drives a shaft that spins the cotton candy floss head. Attached to the bike is a small propane tank or gas tank that is attached to a small flame burner located underneath the spinner head which heats the sugar and out comes the cotton candy. I have posted a link of a picture below. I am interested in constructing one of these cotton candy bicycles for myself but I need a bit of guidance. A picture is worth a thousand words to me and basically that is what I am looking for. I have searched all of the google images on cotton candy bikes and I have only found about five or six different pictures of them. But none of them are close enough shots to see what I need. I am looking for some up close photographs of how the actual drive mechanism works, where the back tire rubs against another wheel or shaft. Also pictures of the burner mechanism. My idea is to find someone over in China to take a few detailed digital photographs of these bikes and send them to me through email. You dont have to be a professional photographer or anything like that, as long as the pictures are clear. I would be willing to compensate them with some money for doing this and it would be greatly appreciated. How would I find someone or get in touch with someone to complete this task for me? Unfortunately I do not know how to speak or write chinese, but I maybe thought of posting a classified ad somewhere on the internet that someone in China could read and respond to me. Or possibly if someone on this board is reading this and over in China would be willing to help me out? The two places that I have seen these vendors on the internet are in Zhanjiang and Changshu, but they are probably in many more places. If you could let me know where else they are that would be great. Any leads, information, or advice in helping me obtain some of these pictures would be much appreciated.

Thank you for your help.

Ben

http://manns.tmanndesign.com/manns/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/DSCF1868.jpg

[roddy]

You might want to have a look through the results for this Google Image Search in Chinese - might be something useful there. The only closeups I can find seem to have a handle, rather than a connection to the bike.

[Xiwang]

I haven't gotten any cotton candy in months but, yes, half the fun was watching it being made.

I haven't noticed any of the vendors around recently. However, I'll keep any eye out for them and will try to get some shots.

Edit: The ones I've seen in the Haidian District in Beijing are on the three-wheeled bicycles. The mechanics of the device appear similar but being mounted on a larger bicycle allows the use of a standard-sized large propane tank.

I had trouble loading your website and had to use a proxy. I don't know if your site is being blocked by the Great Firewall of China. However, some of my friends who have websites would consider that to be a badge of honor.

Edited February 22, 2009 at 03:35 AM by Xiwang

[jasmine.woo]

somehow I failed to open the link in your posting. so I am not sure whether these pictures are what you are looking for:

link1: http://image.baidu.com/i?ct=503316480&z=0&tn=baiduimagedetail&word=%C3%DE%BB%A8%CC%C7+%D7%D4%D0%D0%B3%B5&in=26660&cl=2&cm=1&sc=0&lm=-1&pn=6&rn=1&di=383041880&ln=20

or this one: link 2 http://image.baidu.com/i?ct=503316480&z=0&tn=baiduimagedetail&word=%C3%DE%BB%A8%CC%C7+%D7%D4%D0%D0%B3%B5&in=7743&cl=2&cm=1&sc=0&lm=-1&pn=12&rn=1&di=1146996368&ln=20

or simply try this http://images.google.cn/images?hl=zh-CN&q=棉花糖+自行车&btnG=搜索图片&gbv=2

[batmarj]

Is this the kind of cotton candy machine you are looking for? Not a great photo, but this guy was selling cotton candy outside Longzhimen (Cloud 9) shopping mall near Zhongshan Park in Shanghai on Jan 18th. Maybe I can try to get a picture if I see him there again.