Cycling to work in HK

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  1. #1

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    Jan 2007
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    Cycling to work in HK

    Dear all,

    My boyfriend and I are moving from London to HK at some point this year and I was wondering whether anyone there commutes to work by bicycle?

    We live in London at the moment and I cycle to work here every day so am used to bad traffic and a certain level of pollution but what I have generally found here is that if you map your route out well enough you can avoid pretty much all the main roads and just use side streets and quieter roads. Is HK similar?

    Also, what are the facilities for leaving your bike at work/ showering etc like in most office blocks?

    Thanks for your help!

    Fi


  2. #2

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    Would definately not recommend it.

    Nowhere to park your bike for a start and no shower facilities in the offices, And when it hits summer with 90% humidity and 35 degree heat you'll be sweating like the proverbial pig within 2 minutes of stepping outside.

    Stick with the KCR and MTR trains and minibuses etc, they're all air conditioned thus not like your sweaty stinky central line in the midst of summer.


  3. #3

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    I moved here this summer from London where I would cycle everyday everywhere, including when it rained. Here I have not used my bike once. And the humidity has totally ruined it, it's gone all rusty and I doubt I'll be able to salvage it.
    Traffic is scary, with the minibuses and taxis that drive real fast (there's no such thing as a quiet road), pollution is hell, and it's all hills and tunnels...
    There are no bike paths on Hong Kong island. I would recommend a scooter instead, if you live far from your work, but public transport is really good and efficient and quite cheap compared to London.

    Last edited by ontheroad; 31-01-2007 at 07:30 PM.

  4. #4

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    it depends on a few factors. if you ride to work in the clothes you would wear all day like lots of people in cooler climates, forget it!

    in summer last year i rode to work quite a lot, one of my colleagues rides almost everyday. as stated before, there are not many places to securely store your bike. you can take your chance and lock it to a railing or something, but don't expect it to be very secure. i have had bits and pieces pinched off my bike, and have caught people red-handed pinching obscure things like seat post bolts. also, as stated before, most work places don't have showers.

    I ride as a lycra clad road warrior. once you change out of the lycra, there is very little problem as far as smell/sweat goes, as long as you change out of the gear quick smart, and let your bike clothes dry (once again, there may not be "breathing space" for your bike gear).

    Where do you intend to live/work/ride? I live in NT, so the traffic is a little better than on the island. HK is not really a place that encourages cycling as a sport, or as an alternative mode of transport. whilst the public transport system is great, I prefer my treadly or my motorbike any day, even in strong wind. but if it's a typhoon/heavy rain, forget it, the abundance of metal man-hole covers makes riding a real nightmare. I know the locals on bikes/scooters get by even in the wet, good on them... rain=public transport for me

    I wouldn't bring your bike to HK either. If you do end up riding to work, you'd do best to buy a cheap bike here, so you minimise the chances of having it nicked (for some reason you can get a nice light "upmarket" frame here in HK with el-cheapo specs... not sure why/how, or if you really want a NICE bike there are a few good shops for them too). there is also an abundance of fold-ups, some local brands, as well as birdy, dahon, Airnimal, alex moulton etc etc

    Oh, and just for interests sake, pigs don't sweat (maybe proverbial ones do!)

    Cheers,

    DDF


  5. #5

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    I'm guessing you've never been to HK...in which case I'd say, forget cycling...it's ok if you can get out of the city on a sunday, but even if you offered to pay me $1M i'd not cycle on HK island...way too dangerous!!!YIKES!


  6. #6

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    Thanks a million for all your replies.

    I suppose that is a no then. I cycle to work in my attractive lycra gear here but can't imagine the thought of not being able to have a shower when I got to work - especially in a humid climate. Also the idea of really busy roads scares me quite a lot as I have been knocked off once in London already.

    Thanks for the advice about not bringing my bike over - I think I will definitely leave it at home in that case as it is in need of an upgrade anyway. I don't know where we will be living or where I will be working yet - my boyfriend gets a paid for serviced apartment with his job for 2 months when we initially move so that we have some time to find somewhere to live permanently, and I have yet to get a job.

    Am a bit gutted as I enjoy cycling to work here so much. Mind you anything is better than the tube which is just horrendous here so if the public transport in HK is a lot better then everything will hopefully be a lot more pleasant.

    Thanks again!


  7. #7

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    Fi

    Yes the tubes are a lot cleaner/quicker/cheaper than London and its air conditioned too! And you can get mobile signal down there too!

    Oh and I know you've made your choice in not cycling on the main roads of HK but the story the other day of the 12 year old kid who got hit by a truck is shocking, hit by a truck and the truck ran over his head.

    This is of course not an everyday occurence but it does give you an idea of what the roads can be like for cyclists.


  8. #8

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    Geez, that story is horrible. Thanks for sharing, Debbie Downer.


  9. #9

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    My apologies for that story but just wanted to give Fi an idea of what could unfortunately happen when you cycle on these busy roads.

    And yes the same thing could happen in London or anywhere else for that matter. But riding in London is still safer than HK.


  10. #10

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    Just to add to the constant stream of "don't do it!" posts:

    I used to commute daily through central London (Belgravia-Fleet St and Canada Water- Fleet St) and then in Sydney straight through the CBD. Commuting in both cities was very enjoyable and never felt dangerous.

    I would *not* entertain the thought of commuting on HK Island- crazy upredictable drivers, choking smog many times worse than London, sauna like humidity and hilly terrain, in roughly that order.

    Commuting aside, there's some good mountain biking out here if you're into that, and HK is a good place to buy a high spec bike.

    Last edited by jgl; 02-02-2007 at 04:18 PM.

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