Bikes in Beijing

There are still many bikes on the streets in Beijing - the difference from 10 years ago is that there are now many cars as well. Here are a few pictures that give some idea of this, although I haven't caught the most impressive scenes of massed bicycles yet!


Bikes on Xianjiekouwaidajie


Waiting for Green, Jishuitan Bridge
In many ways Beijing is an ideal city for bikes. It is flat, and almost all the main roads have wide designated cycle lanes, may fenced off from the rest of the traffic. It is also probably the quickest way of getting places in the rush hours. On the less pleasant side are the very cold winters, the smog, the dust and sand, and the crazy driving conventions.

Here's one more picture that doesn't show many bikes but is for me an iconic picture of bikes and Beijing.



Cycling Past Tiananmen Gate