{"id":6520,"date":"2012-08-31T18:47:54","date_gmt":"2012-08-31T10:47:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chengduliving.com\/?p=6520"},"modified":"2012-11-18T18:30:35","modified_gmt":"2012-11-18T10:30:35","slug":"psykling-in-chengdu-a-5-point-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chengduliving.com\/psykling-in-chengdu-a-5-point-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Psykling in Chengdu: A 5-Point Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"
Two-wheeled locomotion has long been a hallmark of Chinese culture. Propaganda from the Cultural Revolution depicts pigtailed city girls in olive garb mounting bikes before heading out to liberate their brethren, while today vintage Flying Pigeon bicycles are now sought after by cycling connoisseurs worldwide.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve all heard about the rise of the automobile in China – and our respiratory system and stress sensors are already well aware of the ramifications. You know this. But the bicycle is like the book: been there forever and not going anywhere, no matter what new gimmicks the world brings.<\/p>\n
Chances are, if you’re reading this, you own a bicycle or have had at least several bikes stolen, and somewhere beneath your chiseled chest or firm bust lies a sturdy heart. Some beat faster than others, some deal with stress better than others, some have clogged arteries from too much twice-cooked pork<\/a>, and others are clean as KFC bathrooms. It takes heart to brave the streets of China on a bike. If you\u2019ve taken that step, then carve another notch on your hypothetical totem pole of life achievements.<\/p>\n I remember when I first arrived in Chengdu on the eve of the Olympic\u2019s closing ceremony, on what will forever be remembered as a \u201chot stinking night in Chengdu\u201d. The sheer mass of humanity frightened and fascinated me. I took to the streets amid the horde of stinky dofu slayers, three-wheeled rickshaws<\/a>, buzzing armies of e-bikes, and grannies pedaling slower than molasses uphill in winter.<\/p>\n Like a mountain biker on a steep descent I made a mental map of the obstacles in my way. Curb hop to avoid the parked scooter; swerve to avoid the kids in tracksuits chomping on hotdogs; track stand at the red light to shoot out before that cross-legged chain-smoking water deliveryman would block my path.<\/p>\n If you ride fast you will crash. It’s impossible to dodge that 3-wheeled trike as its driver pulls a u-turn taking up the entire bike lane. Or that e-bike who\u2019s passenger probably had more oil in their lunch noodles than their brake pads have seen in their entire existence. Or that black Audi or bread car<\/a>, which will turn right at the intersection even if the reincarnation of Mao Zedong himself was crossing the crosswalk.<\/p>\nTaking the Chengdu Streets<\/h2>\n