Bikes:

As the song goes… “There are nine million bicycles in Beijing…” and it’s true. Well, it wouldn’t be a surprise. The Chinese are surely keen on bikes and this useful craze has just grown over the decades. Beijing is now more afflicted by cars (and subsequent gridlock) as is Shanghai and most large cities, rather than bike chaos but across the land it does still reign supreme. There are so many types and brands available that I couldn’t list them here, but once you’ve purchased a good one then it’ll last a long while. Repairs are found from roadside bike guys, dirtied and greased and ready to fix anything wrong. They will casually inspect your bike, rummage through their battered, old roadside unit and in no time at all get your bike sorted. Their charges are minimal and use of the bike pump is often free. If you stay a while in China and it’s appropriate, you should definitely get a good, sturdy bike. Be warned however, that traffic rules for cyclists are rather few in number and it’s more a case of zigzagging your way through the meandering lanes or bustling high streets with fellow traffic goers. There are no rules/requirements governing the usage of bikes and finding a cycle helmet is probably an impossible task – live life but try to ride safely!