Bikes in Beijing

Nine million bicycles in Beijing eh? Well, now there are nine million* and one – mine! The other weekend I decided that I’d had enough of not getting enough exercise and the smell of people on the subway, so I went on a bike buying mission. Armed with a copy of Time Out Beijing magazine, which had a helpful where to buy a second hand bike article, and my Beijing map I set out to find myself some wheels.

Guess where Boris got the idea from...

The internet was being temperamental at the hostel (yes, I still live in a hostel) before I left, so I for the first time in ages I was relying on following my nose and reading a map, rather than being prepared with directions in advance. I walked west along Gongrentilu to Zhangzizhonglu subway station, then explored north and south along Dongsi Beidajie looking for the place in Time Out. I’d never been to that bit of Beijing before (it’s north east of the Forbidden City, along Line 5 if that’s how you care to navigate) and the Chinese equivalent of an English high street. I wasn’t in any rush, so I strolled around a bit, munched on a sweet potato from a street vendor and had a coffee before looking for my intended emporium. I found it without too much trouble, and had a poke around. I don’t really know anything much about bikes – my tick list went something along the lines of two wheels, chain, breaks, saddle – so I avoided the rusty and (much more picturesque) second hand bikes inside and went to the guys outside, one of whom spoke some English and was insistent that he had the bike for me. Turns out, he did. Who am I to argue with fate? I’m not sure whether my bike had fallen off the back of a rickshaw or not, but it was clean, big enough for me and the price was right – mission accomplished.

My new ride has the required two wheels, chain, breaks, saddle… and a BASKET! I just need something to customise it a bit – spray paint? Stickers? Stuff for the basket? I haven’t decided yet – so it stands out more in bike parks and then it’ll be perfect. The second I handed over my cash, Beijing got a little bit more awesome. I called Claire once it was mine, she hired a hostel bike and we rendezvoused at Wangfujing, browsed a bookshop for a bit then rode home together. I haven’t looked back! I’ve ridden to work every day since, and I love it. (Incidentally, the ride to work takes about twenty five minutes pedalling at a relaxed pace. Beijing is flat as a pancake, so it’s an easy ride although somehow the way to work always feels slightly more uphill... psychological maybe?!)

It feels surprisingly safe cycling out here too. Beijing is well set up with cycle lanes, but traffic-wise, everything is relatively free and easy. As soon as you get your head round that, and deal with the fact that although motorists are happy to cut up cyclists there’s no malice in them – then cycling here is great. I was riding to work along the almost deserted canal road on Friday, behind a westerner wearing a helmet, reflective stuff and cycle-clips on his trousers who was gesturing in an insistently British fashion at the Chinese woman riding up our side of the road towards us. With my hair streaming behind me and not a reflective patch in sight, man, I feel like a Beijinger.

*inflation notwithstanding… there are more like 22million people in Beijing, so I’m going to take a punt at 12 million bicycles, at least.