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An Alex Moulton. Photo: Li Hao/GT

Bike-unfriendly city

The public's passion for cycling has seen a rise. On the other hand, the capital seems to be poorly prepared to embrace the two-wheelers' comeback.

Wang Xiaoxiao, 32, a manager of a public relations company and an enthusiast for folding bikes, recently quit her hobby of cycling to work.

Several hazards made her stop riding in town. She says her decision to quit was fueled by "serious air pollution that leads to respiratory disease; subways that refuse to let bikes in; bicycle lanes occupied by automobiles; and the high risk of expensive bikes being stolen."

"As a longtime bike lover, I am pessimistic," she added. "It is true that Chinese people are getting rich, but the city is failing to upgrade."

In recent years, the Beijing municipal government said it was making efforts to encourage more bicycles to tackle traffic and pollution problems. The Municipal Commission of Transport announced in August that it is reconstructing the roads alongside Subway Line 5 to be more bicycle friendly. On Tiantan Donglu, Chongwenmenwai Dajie, Chongwenmennei Dajie and Dongdan Beidajie, automobiles will be excluded by safety roadblocks.

Zhang appears to be more tolerant of the cycling conditions in Beijing. He rides 30 kilometers every day and always parks his favorite bike in a stand-alone room in his office, and chooses restaurants that allow him to put his bike inside.

He also bought another Alex Moulton bike worth of 100,000 yuan for his wife. "I had never been drawn to driving a car," he says.

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