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Posts: 227

Shifu

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Q: how careful are you when riding a bike or motorbike here?

it seems to me that a paramount of Chinese people do not look at both sides of the road before crossing it, many of them just take the road as their homes,they make conversations very calmly without fear of any accident, lots of them do walk with their eyes fixed directly on their mobile devices,reading and sending messages without even caring about who comes and goes with the bike or a motorbike, this happens very often here, most especially in the University campuses,this making it extremely difficult for someone to ride a bike or a motorbike without having to hit at someone at least once a month. so how careful are you when you do ride here and what are your suggestions to reduce this behaviour? thanks

11 years 18 weeks ago in  Transport & Travel - China

 
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Posts: 1968

Emperor

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I cycle about 50 kms every day here.  I always ride with a helmet.  Learn the roads and learn the traffic on the roads.  If you are riding where  you have not ridden before, slow down and exercise due caution.  Never fight with a car, you will loose; never fight with a truck, you will be mangled; never fight with a taxi nor with an ebike, they are worst of the worst. Ride sensisbly when riding in city traffic.  Be wary of potholes and be wary of broken glass bottles from last night's drinking binges. For some reasons, the drivers like to play chicken when I am on my racing bike; when I ride my heavier mountain that could also do damage to them, they behave differently.  There are no rules here on the road, none at all, so a biker needs to be very, very careful.

stan118:

if you put it that way it sounds like its not worth taking the risk, better of using something with an engine which will make things easier ie avoiding accidents

11 years 18 weeks ago
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11 years 18 weeks ago
 
Posts: 2186

Emperor

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The unwritten rule here is if you're not looking and someone hits you, then it is the fault of the person who hit you as he / she could see where they were going. Yes I know the logic is barking mad but that's the logic a lot, perhaps even a majority, use. So NEVER make eye contact, (that means they have your permission to go in front of you), and if you don't look when you pull into an intersection it is the responsibility of those coming towards you to miss you!

 

Personally I try to be almost as barking mad as they are, the alternative is ultra defensive driving which, in China, means staying stationery for 28 hours a day!

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My first bike when I was 18 at home was 650cc. I've always been a maniac on any wheels. The first thing I did on the bike was to see how far I could drive on one wheel. Driving a bike is different than driving a car, I've learned to watch the smallest things. I even see caterpillars on the road sometimes. In my mind I keep track of where other vehicles are,,,usually. When I started driving a e-bike in China, I was always looking over my shoulder to see where other bikes were as I can't hear them. It took some time to get used to where bikes were. My girl friend used to give me crap for always looking over my shoulder and I gave her crap for making left turns across car lanes without looking. Chinese drive by just going where they feel. Most e-bikes toot the horn when they are close , so you are aware of what is going around, but I still drive with caution. Surfaces can be slippery in China, I've seen more bikes go down on the slippery stone walks because they use the front brake. I saw many scooter accidents, usually at night and many times what ever hit them was not around.

 I find the Chinese drive a little reckless, usually not cautious or looking. They drive against traffic at night without lights on, one of my biggest complaints. I think driving in China is what the Wild West would have been like if they had modern vehicles, no rules or at least observed, no courtesy. Cars for some strange reason often speed up when you are crossing in front of them on foot. Traffic lights are almost just a suggestion. I have yet to see a Chinese with enough skill to park a car. I've done power turns ,skidded sideways across a road and parallel parked a car between two other cars. The cops really didn't like that one.

 At home I wear a full coverage helmet. In China the helmets would never pass a safety certification. They have no shock absorbing material in them, are poorly constructed, usually a one size fits all with an adjustable headband inside. Any Chinese I see wearing a helmet does not do up the head straps if there are any. All the motorcycle taxi that wear helmets are construction helmets without chin straps, they only keep your hair dry in the rain. I think a bicycle helmet is better than any hard helmet I've seen in china, it will absorb shock, but offers little for the hard shell.

 I was T-boned one night by another scooter, driving without a light and came out from behind a hut, not looking where he was going. so many times I almost got hit because they don't look or yield when I have the right of way. The Chinese all use The Force when they drive. I drive like the road warrior guy.

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11 years 18 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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Ive done lots of biking around China, and I just always assume that no one is watching out for others. And I always wear a helmet. Most of the time people just look straight and disregard looking where other traffic is coming from.

 

The only time I had an accident was riding down a street that was mostly clear, just a few cars parked on the side. I wasnt really paying attention and should have been a few more feet out from the parked cars. Then a car door flies open, I barely avoided hitting it, but was going to fast to regain control. I stiff armed the pavement and went sliding a few meters. The guy took me to the hospital where x-rays showed that I had jammed my wrist and elbow. hurt like a bitch.

 

So watch out for anything, because anything does happen from time to time.

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11 years 18 weeks ago
 
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