Beijing is one of the easiest big cities in the world to explore by bicycle. It is flat, the streets run on a grid, and the city has been quietly adding protected bike lanes on major roads. For a visitor, the advantage is range: the distance between the Drum Tower, the Shichahai lakes and the Olympic Green is exactly the kind of gap that is too long to walk and too short to justify a taxi.
Finding a bike
Dockless shared bikes from Meituan, Hello and Didi are parked on almost every corner and cost only a few yuan per hour. They are unlocked through a Chinese mobile app, which means you need a Chinese phone number and a payment method set up, so it is worth doing that before you arrive. Hotel hire desks and a few independent bike shops near the Drum Tower rent bicycles by the day with a passport deposit, which is the simpler option for short visits.
A half-day route
Start at the Drum and Bell Towers and thread east through the hutong lanes towards the Shichahai lakes, where the road narrows and you share space with pedestrians and pedicabs - ride slowly and ring your bell gently. Follow the lakes north to Houhai, then work east across the old city to the Yonghegong area and north up Hepingli. From there a straight ride north brings you to the Olympic Green, where the wide paths between the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube are closed to through traffic. The whole loop is roughly 20 kilometres and takes three to four hours with stops.
Riding in traffic
Beijing drivers are used to bicycles and generally expect them, but they do not always give way. Cycle predictably, stay out of the right-turn lanes on big junctions, and treat electric scooters as the fastest-moving hazard. Do not cycle on the ring roads or on Changan Avenue if you can avoid it, and keep off the pavements, which are for pedestrians. Helmets are not common among local riders but are still a sensible idea.
Best time to ride
Spring and autumn are ideal. Beijing summers are hot and humid by mid-morning, so start early, and winter riding is possible but cold with a biting north wind. Air quality varies through the year, so check the daily index before planning a long ride. Carry water - convenience shops are frequent, but you will want it.
