bjorke

A slideshow on G+ including random snaps that happened to include bikes (also two pics from bike displays at the Taoyuan airport in Taipei)

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1...44285474957089


P1090047 by What Photos Look Like, on Flickr

hsp70

How bicycle friendly was Hong Kong? I'm flying to HK next month and considering bringing my brompton. Slightly concerned I'd get run over.

Azreal911

I'm chinese and go to hong kong to visit relatives often. I'd be highly concerned if you are riding on the roads because the double decker bus drivers are like maniacs and to the local population treat the bike as a toy to play with and exercise with and not really a form of transportation to get to work on. I've even talked to locals and they say no one really rides here as a daily transportation.

But if you really want to ride they do have a nice seaside trail that goes pretty far along the coastline. Someone will have to give you the location of that cause i've only seen it on youtube but on weekends it gets super crowded with people that are "learning" to ride and they sometimes just stop right in the middle of the trail.

hsp70

Thanks.I'm going to be living in the Fanling for a couple of months. I'll probably take it for some pleasure rides if nothing else then.

bjorke

If you mean HK island: good luck! Don't ride it unless you're used to high-density traffic like lower Manhattan or San Francisco financial district. And it is still bike-hostile.

Kowloon side and NT is much better.

Azreal911

Hey at least Manhattan has bike lanes now and there's a huge cycling push in new york city, and you are right hong kong island is really dangerous to be in a bike, most people will think you are crazy. And if you are crazy, just ride like you stole it to keep up.

this might help:

https://www.mapmyride.com/hk/hong-kong/

but notice none of the trails are really in hong kong island but in lantau island which is nice and far away from the main city. Looking at where you are you might have to take a train to get there from fanling. Also what bjorke said there are bike trails around the new territories so you can scope that area out too, someone who's from HK here might be able to help you. Also since you are a folding bike enthusiast they do have group rides monthly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxeeWKEpU38&noredirect=1

You might want to contact the poster of that video if you want to know more about their folder club. It's a start else I wouldn't know where to direct you to since I live on the other side of the world.

hsp70

thanks for all the advice guys!

hsp70

well i've been back in HK for a week. Haven't been out to HK island or Kowloon on the bike yet but where I am staying in Fanling a lot of people cycle. There are quite of a lot of cycling lanes however some are in poor condition, or are broken up so you end up on the road. A lot of the local population cycle on the pavement although you can get fined for this.Lot of bromptons about! I've seen 7-8 already and i live in the sticks!

Azreal911

when you say pavement do you mean sidewalks or the road? just wanna clarify. You should see alot of bromptons and strida's there since the chinese there are into the smaller bikes with the tiny apartment spaces they have. A full sized bike is physically impossible to keep in the unit unless you don't need a dining table! The other folders they sell are probably the ones imported from china and don't ride as well, So you are seeing some of the fanatical cyclists in the area that would even thinking of spending kind of money on a folder. Chinese people love their Louis Vuittons and Chanel bags. This is their equivalent in the folding cycle world.

hsp70

pavement=sidewalks.There are all sorts of bikes here, utility cyclists with really beat up bikes (they need to be or will eventually end up that way because they are all locked up outside exposed to the elements even folders). The leisure cyclists in full lycra on their mountain/road bikes.I haven't been back in 3 years but definitely cycling has really picked up because there are a lot more bicycle shops around.

Still Pedaling

Well I hope you don't get run over. I'm sure many here would love to hear some feedback from you regarding your riding experiences in HK, and please add photos. I, for one, would love to read (and see) about your adventures on the Brommie

hsp70

I'll see what i can do