Winter in Beijing, 1999
When I first visited Beijing in 1994 it was minus 20C. The sky was an incredible azure colour, the wind blasted in from the Gobi Desert and the streets were filled with bicycles. I had never seen so many bicycles or so many people on them. At traffic lights hundreds of people would wait for the light change and the very few cars just had to try to negotiate their way through the melee.
17 years later and the balance has shifted. The sky is grey, full of exhaust pollution from millions of cars. There are still cyclists but increasingly they are seen as an unfortunate underclass that cannot or will not afford the main symbol of the new capitalism.
One Time Transport for the Whole Family
This blog started with a question to my Chinese born wife, Junying. I asked her to name the most famous brand of Chinese bicycle. She said “Flying Pigeon”. One Google later (Flying_Pigeon) and I found that a factory in Tianjin had produced 100s of Millions of bicycles over the past 60 years and that the bicycle was one of the “four rounds” that a man had to have when he got married. The other three were a radio (presumably) with a round dial, a wristwatch and lastly a sewing machine.
At one time a Flying Pigeon would cost as much as 3 months total pay for a manual worker in China. So it was probably the most expensive of the four rounds, and prized as such, with a very long waiting list. To get one quickly you had to have Communist Party connections. They weighed about 25kg or more than 55lbs. This was fine in Beijing because it was so flat. As in Europe in the early 1900s the bike offered enormous freedoms for the millions who bought one.
China’s Urban Scene
In the 1990s the Beijing authorities decided that the bicycle was backward, and that the bikes were getting in the way of progress in the shape of cars and buses. Driven by the need to have sustained economic growth through manufacturing, the car’s needs became paramount. A fifth, sixth and Dantean seventh ring road were added as Beijing middle classes progressed to commuting instead of living near to work.
Today, Beijing traffic is grinding to a halt, with the average commuter spending four hours each working day getting to and from the office.
Back in the post-industrial West, the clock is running backwards. In Copenhagen, more than 40% of journeys are made by bicycle. Western cities like Portland in Oregon and even hilly San Francisco are investing in special networks for cyclist. London mayor Boris Johnson is investing massively in cycling infrastructure. Even in Mo-Town Birmingham, UK a tiny minority are trying to buck the trend of the car and cycle to work.
John Cycling in Gran Canaria
As the great cities of the East are in the full flow of car addiction, Western cities are in rehab with a resurrection of the dying art of travelling by bicycle. This causes arguments with cars, vans and lorries as the bicycles increase in number and try to use the same narrow streets.
As someone who is involved in the “battle” I find that the majority go with the flow, and the two methods of transport can co-exist in a shared space; but there are some on either side who really hate cars or cyclists. What are your experiences – either as a driver or cyclist?
Double Happiness – How Many Rounds/Items Can You Identify in a Chinese Marriage?
Thank you. I enjoyed your research and reflection on the use of bicycles in China and in the westerne worlds. I visited Beijing when I was 16 and we rode bicycle everywhere. I rode bicycle to school and work forever. We had a heavy-duty bike my Dad bought when I was in elementary school. I forgot the brand. It wasn’t Flying Pigeon. But it was really sturdy. Then my Mom bought a Flying Pigeon. I didn’t like it. I got used to the big old bike. I really miss the old Chinese bikes. They were made for transportation, not sports. So they were very comfortable to ride on.
Thanks, Zee.
Yes, I remember the sturdy bike you mentioned – I had a couple of heavy-duty bikes too and they were really useful. Even though Chongqing was hilly and quite difficult to be cycling, I still managed to get to work via cycling.
You’re right – we did use bikes for transportation, and it’s a great way to get around when we didn’t have cars
Another brand was YongJiu (Everlasting, 永久), which was hard to come by too. How time flies!
How interesting! I thought the ’4 rounds’ was particularly fascinating. I’m wondering if the bar has been raised since then?
eden
Yes, Eden. Time has changed
Now if you’re a man in China, you’ll need a house, a car (preferably a top range Merc or Aston Martin), and a regular update of wardrobes including Channel bags 
Well, that is probably for the super rich minority. For some poor sods, they may never even get a wife, as the female species are in short supply
yup, see what happens when man plays with mother nature?
eden
Quite an interesting post, John. I’m from the States and as a kid I loved my bicycle but as a teenager I quickly turned to muscle cars. I now live in Thailand and 30 years ago bicycles were everywhere. Today the small motorcycle have taken over. I’ve seen as many a five people on one– The family sedan. Now cars and trucks are becoming the main mode of transportation and you would put your life in your hands riding a bicycle.
I ride a motorcycle now and explain to friends who visit that motorcycles are the bottom of the food chain here and you must be on guard all the time.
It would be great for the world to convert to bicycles in the cities and much more convenient. I’ve read some of the predictions when China goes full tilt to cars and trucks. The petrolium consumption will be tremendous.
Very enjoyable post!
Thanks to all for reading and your comments.I love cars but they are increasingly limiting rather than increasing our freedom. When I was 25 the traffic density was 25% what it is now.Obesity was about 7% and now it’s 30%. Average commute was 20 mins and now it is 45 mins. Something has to change. I think cities like Copenhagen are making the right moves, while Beijing is just chasing the capitalist dream because the leaders are frightened by what will happen if the 10% annual growth rate falters. Eden ..I think the four new rounds would be a 2 carat diamond ring, a BMW, the porthole on a cruise ship and round swimming pool in the living room. Increasingly men in China are seeking wives through websites and if they don’t earn enough and have enough key assets they are not allowed to register.