Hello everybody.

I have been living in China since August and plan to stay for another 2-3 years.

China is the world's largest car market. China is the world's largest car maker. The future of transportation in China, at least in the medium term, is the automobile.

I have a Giant OCR 3500 which I ride 3-4 days a week (weather permitting) and when in the city I try to avoid the bike lane like the plague - it is crowded with e-bikes (silent but deadly), and trikes (painfully slow and wide), regular bikes (slow) and pedestrians. I feel safer out with the cars, trucks and buses where I can ride at a pace on a par with the flow of traffic around me. I don't ride anywhere without a helmet and there are restrictions on the use of horns.

Road conditions in the city are generally acceptable. There are a few potholes and some ripples and quite a few ruts. There is also a limited amount of debris on the asphalt. Out in the countryside it is a different story. Traffic can be appalling - crazy overtaking attempts, boat horns on trucks and buses, crap EVERYWHERE - and I consider it to be more dangerous than city riding.