Hi All, I am planning to buy a bike and ride to work (wanchai to central). But, I am told that riding a bicycle is not allowed in here except for the country side. Is it true?
Hi All, I am planning to buy a bike and ride to work (wanchai to central). But, I am told that riding a bicycle is not allowed in here except for the country side. Is it true?
I don't think it can be true.
I've seen plenty of expats in lycra costumes replete with bum-bags ( fanny packs?), water bottles and expensive plastic sunglasses dodging trams ( and tram lines ) buses and people wandering across busy streets texting on mobile phones or playing the latest RPG on their PSP's.
There are also plenty of welly booted, bare-chested Chinese geezers pedaling baskets of fish, chickens, various meat cuts and veggies up and down the island all day long on bicycles circa 1945, wobbling through red lights and crowds alike.
So, i'm pretty sure it'll be safe (relatively) to join them!
Last edited by HKLozzo; 04-11-2008 at 06:05 PM.
I think you misunderstood what someone told you. It is perfectly legal (although, IMO, rather insane) to ride a bike on any public highway, but apart from that you can only ride on designated cycle paths, and for the mountain bike trails within the country parks then you need to have a permit.
I don't think it is legal to ride on any public highway - for example, you cannot ride through the cross harbour tunnels. However, no problem following the tram lines to work.
OK - true - there are a few other roads/flyovers and so on where bikes are forbidden. Including all the expressways I would guess, so any public highway except where expressly forbidden.
Some useful stuff on cycling in HK: Transport Department - Index
I've ridden my bike pretty well everywhere in HK for over ten years and have never had much of an issue. Tried out the tunnel once, they were pretty pissed off about it and I wouldn't recommend it. Although I have to say that Wanchai to Central is a bit of a waste of a sweat, you might as well walk...
If you are a good rider, it's the fastest way to get around HK island. I can easily beat any cars unless they take the highway and there's no traffic and it's not even close with the bus and MTR.
It's fairly pleasant in the morning but not so much at 6-7pm. I took the MTR today because of the rain and I had tennis after work and I just loathe it... I'll take the exhaust of the bus over the snot and spit of the MTR crowds any day and I felt like a slug all morning. I honestly don't know how people do this everyday, I'm sure it would kill me, I'd jump in front of a train in a week...
Great! so I can ride a bike in hk (from wanchai to central), I agree it'd be a pain to ride in all the smoke, but, it'll still be better than sitting in a bus and going to work, no?
Assuming that you have shower facilities when you get there then maybe. But otherwise you might find people giving you a rather wide berth in the office!