Back on the Bicycle Bandwagon

Text by Lena Gidwani Translation by Emma Xu Illustration by Liu Tian

Back on the Bicycle Bandwagon

Text by Lena Gidwani Translation by Emma Xu Illustration by Liu Tian

I fi rst arrived in China almost a decade and a half ago and can remember the taxi weaving its way along narrow roads, dodging motorcycles, trucks and two-wheelers carrying families, mountains of foam and even cages fi lled with live chickens. Truth be told, our streets didn't belong to cars back then; they belonged to bicycles aka The Flying Pigeons, to be exact. So popular were the Flying Pigeons in its heyday, that folks had to dish out two months of their wages and then wait for years to get their hands on one, making it a nostalgic artefact that to date, evokes memories like no other. I clearly remember coming across a well-worn model in 2003, running my fi ngers along its enamel-coated welds while gazing longingly at its iconic emblem; a pair of letters, topped by a stylised bird that once was the very defi nition of prosperity.

A few decades ago, China was easily recognised as a nation of cyclists. In the 1990's, there were over 500 million bike owners, granting her the ubiquitous title as 'Zixingche da Guo', or the 'Kingdom of

COLUMNIST'S PROFILE Lena Gidwani is a resident of Guangzhou for 13 years, selfconfessed networker, magazine editor and an avid writer.Lena Gidwani，网络工作者、杂志编辑、作家，在广州居住13年。

Bicycles'. In fact, bicycles were regarded as one of the four essential 'must-have' household items, along with watches, sewing machines and radios. Called 'san zhuan yi xiang', which literally translates into 'three rounds and a sound', these items offered social status, comfort and prestige.

With a booming economy, construction of the world's largest interstate highways and metro systems, and massive advancements in the motor industry, bikes were abandoned as a principal mode of transportation, making way for the country's ambitions.

But over the last year, with the pressing need to become a global leader in climate change and reduce air pollution, cycling is charging full-speed ahead, becoming cool and chic all over again. With the blessings of tech-backed investors and venture capitalists, bike sharing is now serious business. From Manchester and San Francisco to Singapore and far beyond, the wheels have been set in motion. And as it currently stands in China, there are about 3 million bikes conveniently parked near you at any given moment, painted in bright hues that stand out amongst a sea of cars. All you need to do is download one of the 30-odd apps that are available, register, leave a small security deposit, scan a QR code on one of the hundreds of thousands of bikes parked around the city, and unlock it with just a Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connection or a WeChat account. And voila, you're all set to solve that last mile problem for a mere RMB 0.5 to 2 per hour. Pretty awesome, isn't it?

Is China reigniting its love affair with these twowheelers, or just advancing further with modern, speedy mobile payments? Are bikes contributing to a greener environment by replacing driving, or are they actually replacing the humble act of walking? Only time will tell.

While we now have more choices, I wilI always treasure the good ol' days when the only rideshare was hailing down a lone mini-bus, asking for a lift or better still, hopping on a Flying Pigeon for a sentimental spin around the block.