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Zen and the art of cycling in capital

By Phyllis Zhu (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-07-15 10:33

My first experience on a bicycle in Beijing was not a moment of Zen. As I pedaled by Tiananmen toward Houhai, I found myself shoved over by bikes pulling carts, honked at by impatient drivers, and was nearly sandwiched between two buses at one point. In the battle between cyclists and drivers, I was losing both my right of way and my hearing, and wondering why, in the "bicycle kingdom," cars seem to take precedence?

For most native Beijingers, biking isn't a hobby, it's a necessity. It's a cheaper and often faster way to get around the city than by car or taxi, especially during rush hour. You can see people of all ages, from college students to grandparents, riding to school and work.

Biking is an active and greener alternative to driving, yet the percentage of Beijing cyclists is steadily dropping. As recently as the 1980s, bicycling was far and away the main method of transportation in the city, but these days many people go by car. Although the Chinese government is scrambling to help boost the number of cyclists, more people are ditching the two-wheeled contraptions for SUVs and motorbikes.

And why not? When traffic lights are suggestions rather than commands, the danger for pedestrians and bikers rises dramatically. Motorbikes and food carts share the bike lanes and bikers pretty much have the vehicular status of a rat. The little bell on most bicycles is nothing compared with the horn of an 18-wheeler.

When given an option between the backseat of a quiet and green fixed-gear or the leather interior of a loud and polluting BMW, the car is always the first choice.

Yet in the United States, bikers have the opposite status. In cities such as Portland, San Francisco, and Washington, the biking subculture is regaining popularity in a time when a greener future appears far away. What was once considered old-fashioned is now hailed as "visionary". Yesterday's idea of transportation has become a solution to today's problems of pollution and obesity.

Biking, in the US, has become a social movement, similar to vegetarianism, in that choosing to bike rather than to drive is not only a practical decision but also an ethical one. The humble bicycle has been dusted off and tuned up to become an elite, liberal symbol with a hint of snobbery, especially among younger Americans. Many scorn riding in the back of a Hummer, or BMW for that matter, as a part of a high-carbon lifestyle.

On the road, the "us versus them" mentality is also alive and well. In accidents between drivers and cyclists in the US, the cyclist almost always takes priority because he or she, unlike the Beijing cyclist, is an endangered species. For this reason, bikers trying to share the roads that were originally meant for automobiles feel entitled to things like "courtesy" and "consideration."

When this doesn't happen, bikers have been known to retaliate, like in 2008, when a mob of cyclists damaged a car and beat the driver for driving into some cyclists. Throw an American cyclist into the Beijing traffic jam and he or she would go nuts.

Perhaps the best example of harmonious road sharing is found in Copenhagen - also known as Bike City - where more than one-third of residents commute by bike. Copenhagen is a veritable bicycle heaven, where green routes and bike lanes are abundant, secure storage facilities are available and people can take bikes on public buses.

This is because the city has conformed to the bicycle culture, rather than the other way around. The bicycle is neither pretentious nor shameful, neither the right nor wrong choice - it's simply a way of life. Copenhagen has found a way to incorporate the form of travel - biking - into an urban environment.

Similarly, cycling in Beijing is a way of life that needs to be both improved and preserved. As a still developing country, China must build infrastructure for both cyclists and drivers so it can essentially Copenhagenize.

While the attitude of drivers toward cyclists and pedestrians may not change any time soon in Beijing, the bicycle is still key in creating a cleaner city. For now, it's better to just keep pedaling.

China Daily