Bicycles, Beijing

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If there is over a billion people in China, I wonder what is the bicycle population? I have seen many and when I was here in the 70's when having a car was just for the lucky few. As one morning I cruise te streets in Peking I saw this wall of people just gliding through the bridge. As I look again where I could not believe how quickly they were crossing the bridge, I find out that they were on bicycles. It was a wall of people just getting frm A to B. They look like ants from a far and was a unbelievable thing to see. On my borrowed bicycle I still suffer from the smog they had, but having a bicycle was better than walking.

Unless you are fully insured, (and I would not recommend doing it even then,) don't even think about renting a bike.

The traffic is horrendous, there are road rules, but drivers seem to forget that fact. Cyclists are at the bottom of the pecking order anyhow.

Beijing is a city of bicycles. Everywhere you go, a sea of bikes can always be encountered. One of the most amazing sights I have seen are swarm of bikes going one direction in an intersection meeting another and they just seem to sieve through each other with no collisions. How? I don't know. For a real thrill, go to Saigon and watch them do the same with motorcycles!

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Beijing is neat, in that there are bike lanes everywhere.
Not just skinny lanes off to the side added as an afterthought. Actual full lanes, with a curb seperating most from the general vehicle traffic.

As Beijing's traffic can be very hard, I suggest you to rent a bicycle, even though you must be very careful when riding it because of the chaotic and crazy car drivers and also if you are not used to cycling in heavy traffic, it can be intimidating. Anyway it's a great way to explore and that's a good opportunity to be a local for a moment!

Riding a bike in Beijing is one of the best, most convenient, cheapest, healthiest and safest methods to get familiar with the city.

The roads in Beijing have special tracks for bicycles and places for renting bikes are everywhere. And if you have a flat tire you will find right in the corner someone to repair it .

Many hotels also rent bicycles and the price is about CNY20-30 for the whole day plus a refundable cash deposit.

Just grab one bike and go, go to see the hutongs (small alleys), talk to people, eat on the streets, go, go and explore the wonderful city of Beijing.

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This is a great, fun, cheap way to get around and to get a feel for Beijing. With my brother-in-law, my wife & I took in the sites of the Inner city of Beijing. On a not-so-polluted day this might be the optimal way to see the sights and get a little exercise at the same time.

In Beijing traffic, there is always a choice. You can be stuck in a cab, going nowhere, because incapable drivers, trying to get ahead in busy traffic, have blocked up some intersection, leaving an entire block trapped in a huge gridlock. Alternatively, you could be peddling your way through the most narrow hutongs, the wind in your hair, swerving around any obstacles that you might come across, free as a bird. The choice is yours.

Alright, being a Dutchie, I may have a slight predisposition to riding a bike, but I genuinely think this is the most enjoyable mode of transportation inside the center of Beijing. If you never ride a bike in your normal everyday life, just stick to the hutongs. A bicycle will give you the freedom to stop where and whenever you want and allows you to cover larger distances than on foot.

Renting a bicycle for a day should cost you around 20 to 50 RMB, depending on the quality of the bike. Ask your hotel for directions to the nearest rental place.