Beijing No Longer Bicycle-friendly

Cyclists pedal through a Beijing street. [File photo]

It seems a paradox that riding a bicycle could be dangerous. But it is true in Beijing. The days of same and smooth pedaling through Beijing are gone. If you are contemplating buying a bike, think again.

The No. 1 headache for cyclists is Beijing's traffic congestion. Cars now rule the roads and Beijing has become the capital of "congestion". If you are expecting to whizz down the road on your bike, you are likely to be disappointed.

But congestion is not the only problem. The situation for cyclists is made worse by cars driving and parking in cycle lanes. Often you can see driver in a parked car in a cycle lane playing iPhone games. Pedestrians walk in the cycle lanes and cyclists are forced to ride in the vehicle lanes.

Beijing is a nightmare for cyclists in no small part because drivers and pedestrians tend to ignore traffic regulations. At many T-junctions, there are no traffic lights with numerical countdowns. A lack of visible road signs means that drivers are forced to slow down.