Becky on a Bike in Beijing!

I’ve been wanting a bike to get around with since I got here. This will give me some freedom to explore in the afternoons when I don’t have time for a big excursion, and to get around campus more easily. Sarah (again, I don’t know what I would do without her!) was needing a bike for her oldest daughter, and found someone at church who was trying to give theirs away, so she went to pick it up yesterday. The plan is for me to use it while I’m here, and then they will keep it after I leave.

We went on a bit of an excursion to the foreign area of town where there are lots of international restaurants and shopping, as well as a subway station. On the way, we stopped to get a bell for the bike, and got a brand new one for 10 Kwai (about $1.50). As they were installing it for us, Sarah said “I’m glad we got it here; if we’d gotten it somewhere else, they would have charged us something ridiculous, like 15 Kwai (about $2.50)!” with great disdain for those who would dare to overcharge so much for something so small! The bell is the only shiny part of my very rusty, one speed bike.

There are bike lanes here, and bikes, pedestrians and motorcycles all use them to go both directions at once. Crossing streets is exciting, because everything is a bit chaotic, even with crosswalks. Turning cars to not yield to pedestrians or bikes, and pretty much you just run all over the place ringing your bell for all you are worth and swerve to avoid as needed. I just followed Sarah and went wherever she went. Following other bikers is also a good strategy as they know how things work here, and you can tell when to safely cross the road. I’m excited to do a bit of exploring on my bike and see some of the sights here in this neighborhood.

While we were out shopping, we ran into one of my students as we were trying to buy an English map from a newsstand, and she was able to help us to get one, so I’m feeling pretty confident about my ability to get around, at least locally, for the next month. For longer trips, it still makes more sense and is fast to just take the bus or the subway, but for local shopping, exploration, and touring, the bike will be the perfect way to see the sights! Here’s a picture; mine is the one with the purple bike lock.