When anyone asks me ‘What’s it like riding a bicycle in Beijing?’, my first reaction is to yell:

‘WATCH OUT FOR THE BUSES!’

Unfortunately, with most roads in Beijing already squeezed for space because of more than 3 million cars, not to mention the thousand being added every day, the bicycle lane is used in certain spots as bus stops, especially around Tiananmen Square. The drivers seem to have a ‘cyclist blind spot’, or just plain choose to ignore one person on a bike riding down a dedicated cycle lane.

There are a few other factors you have to be wary of:

There is the weather. The seasons here determine how comfortable you will be … the cold wind slapping your face in winter, the sweat dripping from your forehead in summer. But the freedom of cruising without a helmet (ahhh, things are more relaxed in China regarding bicycle safety) reminds me of the days when you could do the same back home in Australia. So much fun, but of course, not so good for those head-on collisions (so to speak).

Then, there is the pollution. If you don’t mind not seeing where you are going, and coughing every 500 metres, it’s not so bad.

And the taxis. Wow, WATCH OUT for these guys. If they were the same size as a bus, they would be enemy number one. They REALLY know how to cut you off.

And ohhhh, I nearly forgot, the electric bicycles, if you are not paying attention, they will sneak up beside you even after you looked over your shoulder just a second before. Man ….. they are fast.

But hey, after all these things, cruising along the main road of Beijing on a bicycle as a foreigner, or ‘Lao Wai’as the locals affectionately call us, can be extremely enjoyable. With a bicycle lane on every street, and the flatness of Beijing, you can ride along at a leisurely pace soaking in the scenery, especially the many historical sites Beijing has to offer. This is why China is so interesting … if not a little scary.
Pictures from a cycle lane in central Beijing taken by David Gray, Senior Photographer, China.