Ay, these Beijing streets!

Topic of the day: Bluelist - bike riding around Beijing

 

Having about 1 months worth of Beijing bike riding experience under my belt and inspired by the Lonely Planet's Bluelist, I have decided to make my own bluelist. 

 

The topic of the bluelist: Qualities to possess when bike riding around Beijing.

 

Stamina. You might think that you're fit and you might think that riding around Beijing should be a piece of cake, given how most of the city is as flat as a Midwestern corn field.  However, when you start huffing and puffing, when your legs starts stinging, and when you see some punk zooming past you while smoking a cigarette, you start re-evaluating how fit you really are.  Blame it on the pollution.

 

A steady hand.  Comes in handy when you're trying to squeeze between two cars during rush hour.  Or when you're riding against traffic and see 50 bikes coming straight towards you.  Or when you narrowly avoid crashing into another bike...  You get the point.

 

Reflexes.  But of course, an essential quality.  Perfect for any situation, ranging from someone opens a car door a few feet in front of you, to avoiding various potholes, to when a car merrily drives up behind you - in the bike lane.  It's a skill that I've yet to completely master.

 

Timing.  As the old adage goes, timing is everything.  When riding a bike in Beijing, timing can make or break the enjoyability of your ride.  So far, I've learned that it's never fun to ride during rush hour.  Especially evening rush hour.  Jostling with the mass of humanity, bikes, and cars have never been my thing.  On the other hand, riding around at 10pm is an absolute joy!  Not only have the people cleared, but the air's slightly fresher - finally, some fume free oxygen!!!

 

Guts.  Just what you need when deciding whether or not to run that yellow/red light...when there's a wave of impatient cars eagerly waiting for the opportunity to run you over.