China contains the most bicycles in the world. Only in bicycles per head of the population, Holland contains probably as many bikes as China.
The consequence of this is that the Chinese are used to bicycles on the road. That said, in China, as in many other countries, the biggest vehicle on the road rules. And, likewise other countries, cars, trucks etc don't like you to pass them. It does happen every now and then in descending where you can go faster then cars. Or it happens in a climb with traffic jams because of two vehicles not willing to give each other space. And it makes cycling in China quite easy and relatively safe, as long as you avoid the big on going road and big cities like Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. This makes cycling in China in many ways easier.
Beijing is made for pedaling. All the city's main boulevards and many secondary streets have wide, well-defined bike lanes often separated from other traffic by an island with hedges or trees. If a flat tire or sudden brake failure strikes, seek out the nearest street-side mechanic (they're everywhere), easily identified by their bike parts and pumps. |
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