back to biking

Earlier this week, I attended a talk about bike culture in Beijing. This is a really interesting topic that I can’t help but muse about, considering how connected the bicycle has been with Beijing. But before I talk about Beijing’s relationship with biking, I’ll talk about my own relationship with biking. Despite having learned to bike as most young children in the US, there was a lack of biking throughout most of my life. Bicycle culture has always been associated with a small set of the population, and you can go days in Southern California without seeing a single bike (obviously, certain roads and parks are more bike-friendly but in general it’s not so common to share the road). Mainly my experiences in Europe were what brought biking back into my life. Biking isn’t just a distant idea, or for semi-professional riders, but rather an everyday activity, a hobby that anybody can enjoy, and most importantly an extremely convenient and healthy way to get around. During my year in Valencia, I whole-heartedly embraced biking which became a part of my everyday life. I used Valenbisi (the extremely popular and successful bike-sharing program in Valencia) all the time, bought my own bike when Valenbisi was not enough for my transportation needs, and took mini-trips with friends in Valencia and in the surrounding area. I met quite a few people who were new bike enthusiasts or recreational bikers or semi-professionals, but they all shared a passion for biking which was captivating and infectious. Biking became a social activity and something that I could share and find in common with pretty much anybody in Valencia. And when my 1-year Valenbisi subscription expired my last night in Valencia, it was nothing if not symbolic of time in Valencia.

So, after coming to Beijing, it’s disappointing to say that I haven’t biked at all. Compared to the extremely small and easy to navigate Valencia, Beijing is enormous and scary. It took me weeks, if not months, just to understand the traffic patterns and be able to cross confidently. How would I ever brave the crowded streets that are filled with massive groups of pedestrians, motorcycles traveling in every direction, and cars that never seem to respect any traffic law? There are other reasons (or excuses) that I had for avoiding biking… the cold, the wind, the pollution. I would never want or be able to drive a vehicle in this city, but the buses and subways are effective enough to get around in Beijing. This leads me to the bicycle culture talk, which first highlighted the extremely quick decline of biking in Beijing and then discussed the current bicycle culture, and where biking will stand in Beijing’s future. In the past 25 years, the role of the bike has changed from the mode of transportation used by the majority of the population to a “backwards” symbol. The car has by far become the preferred mode of transportation and a status symbol, to the point where young men must have cars to find girlfriends. (Most famous example is a Chinese dating show contestant who said "I'd rather weep in a BMW than laugh on the backseat of a bicycle”… this is extremely disturbing to me but a good representation of how modern Chinese society feels about bikes and cars). And even though people realize that traveling by a bike will get you to your destination more quickly than a car, they wouldn’t want to trade the efficiency or speed of a car for a bike. Despite the fact that there are still many people who use bikes for transportation or their business (e.g. selling fruits, magazines, gloves, etc.) in the city, bicycles are on the decline in a city that certainly does not need more motor vehicles. So, the good news? Recreational bike culture and fixed gear culture are becoming popular in China, and the government is also realizing the importance of bikes and using initiatives such as bike-loaning programs to promote cycling.

The speaker also tried to dispel some of the misconceptions surrounding the health effects of biking in polluted areas. He cited some studies that show that the air quality is better outdoors than inside of a car, where the air is polluted with fumes from your own car engine as well as the fixtures and upholstery of the car. He also recommended for bikers to ride at slower speeds to avoid accidents and keep their heart rates low.

In the end, it’ll be up to both city governments to make bikers feel safer and take advantage of the already-existing wide bike lanes, as well as grassroots organizations to promote biking as a healthy and trendy alternative to cars. And as for me, I probably won’t be making my daily commute on a bicycle but I’ll be looking for opportunities to get over my fear and get out biking!