General Cycling Discussion - Even China is abandoning bicycles.....

This story from the Sierra Club details how the Chinese are forcing people
to abandon bicycles in favor of cars just like the U.S. did years ago.

It goes to show how dumb governments can be.............

http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200609/shanghai.asp

Someday we'll all use bicycles to travel on but that time is still distant.:( :(

I must have missed that law where we were forced to abandon bicycles.

And the reason is:


the nation was keen on modernizing, and bicycles were a sign of progress.

It's now cars that are a sign of progress.

And the reason is:



It's now cars that are a sign of progress.

Are you trying to say China and its citizens weren't using their bicycles all this time for the greater good and a sense of enlightenment? I'm stunned. I thought for sure the Chinese were more concerned with the environment and the collective whole than us. On a totally unrelated note, a news story out today notes that 1/3 of China's landmass suffers from acid rain and factory/power plant pollution is up 9%.

On a related note, while looking into buying shares of Giant, I did some research into changes in India's modes of transportation. I was wondering if the new middle class formed from outsourcing were upgrading from cheap bikes to higher quality ones. Nope. They are skipping directly to scooters and motorcycles.

And look what's happening. China's thirst for oil will soon meet the US need. And the world will suffer with additional threats to the peace.

Don't worry, that can't go on for TOO long.

I sort of want everyone in the world to get there and drive. The more people drive, the sooner the oil runs out and the sooner everyone will ditch the cars.

(I can grow my own veggies, so I am not too concerned about the awful depression that's gonna hit us all as the oil grows scarcer.)

Don't worry, that can't go on for TOO long.

I sort of want everyone in the world to get there and drive. The more people drive, the sooner the oil runs out and the sooner everyone will ditch the cars.

(I can grow my own veggies, so I am not too concerned about the awful depression that's gonna hit us all as the oil grows scarcer.)

Yeah, won't it be great waiting on the bicycle ambulance to come get you?

Having lived in China for a year and biked frequently to/from work/market/restaurant I can relate to this story.
Bikers are deemed lower class, one only rides a bicycle because one cannont afford a moped, one only drives a moped because one cannot afford a honda, one only drives a honda because one cannot afford a ferrari.
Yes, bikes are going away in the new China as they strive for wealth.
I am not being judgemental, just repeating what my Chinese friends have told me, as I say all China cares about is getting rich.
Rich people, in China, don't ride bikes.

Ask me sometime what it's like riding a bike in China.

Ask me sometime what it's like riding a bike in China.
I rode a bike for a year in Taiwan 15 years ago, and most likely did irreversible damage to my lungs. I'm guessing that riding in China is equally as harsh, or even moreso?

Yes, the pollution is disgusting - but most shocking is the traffic. Stop lights and road markings are reccomendations at best, my wife refused to ride a bike on the roads where we lived, in ZhongShan - a "small" city of just over 3 million - she said it was to dangerous.
It really teaches you a thing or two about defensive driving.
I loved it, I bought an expensive (relatively) used 10 speed for about $15 and rode it into the ground - so much fun to ride in an ultra-urban setting.

Yeah, won't it be great waiting on the bicycle ambulance to come get you?

I think the electric ambulance will get there faster though.

(I can grow my own veggies, so I am not too concerned about the awful depression that's gonna hit us all as the oil grows scarcer.)


Your naivety is endearing. Troublesome but endearing.

Don't worry, that can't go on for TOO long.

I sort of want everyone in the world to get there and drive. The more people drive, the sooner the oil runs out and the sooner everyone will ditch the cars.

(I can grow my own veggies, so I am not too concerned about the awful depression that's gonna hit us all as the oil grows scarcer.)



yeah, good thinking, you'll be just fine on "your own veggies" when the world ends...LOL

And look what's happening. China's thirst for oil will soon meet the US need. And the world will suffer with additional threats to the peace.


yes, i prefer a poor unadvanced China myself....:rolleyes:

Yeah, won't it be great waiting on the bicycle ambulance to come get you?

Well that and having no more plastics produced. There goes the medical industry anyway.

This has a number of precedents in other countries. The author of Bike Cult (a compendium of bicycle information) points out that, for instance, Indonesia confiscated hundreds of pedicabs and forced the purchase of automobiles to use as taxis. The pedicabs were felt to be "quaint" and not a proper way for an advanced society to get around...

Next thing you know they'll be putting elevators in 5-story buildings. :)