标题: Bike Ride to Four Peaks Mountains [打印本页] 作者: jamie 时间: 2006-10-8 13:32 标题: Bike Ride to Four Peaks Mountains I went riding for two days over the National Day holidays (1st-7th October 2006). I went with my friends from the Shaoxing Bike Club. We revisited the Four Peaks Mountains.
I was persuaded to wear the latest gear for bike-riding. I was informed it would make me look good – it would bring out the best in me. All it seemed to do was bring out my belly. At least it all matched.
Not all of China is bamboo thicket. LOTS of China is factories. Often we ride past miles of factories making all manner of products, named in the most charming English. For example: “The Zhejiang World Socks Manufactury & Production Facility Coy Pty Ltd”, or, “Hangzhou Toothpaste & Toiletries Production Coy P/L”. I don’t know what the building behind was for. I was more intent on the sixth member of our group who was to meet us at this corner.
We then moved off along a “National Highway”. Riding along these roads is better than one might think. They offer smooth paved surfaces and a bike land that is free of motor vehicles. [Other bike lanes have many, many non-bike vehicles in them.]
They can also be a faster way out of the built-up areas. Here “The Accountant” (so named because of his profession) is pushing his thick tyred bike along at about 30km/h.
Chinese are discovering bikes. This sounds a little crazy to a foreigner, given than so many Chinese have bikes. What they are discovering is that they can come in so many different colours, shapes and sizes: they used all be large, black, with a traditional triangular frame. We’ve seen my Shimano, The Accountant’s mountain(ish) bike, and here we see Zhang Yong’s (that’s his real name – most bikers call him “Aaron” because that’s his “biker’s name”) and The Car Salesman’s folding bike.
Me, showing my age and weight. What I'm actually saying to the cameraman is, "Don't take any more f***ing photographs of me!" Unfortunately his English language ability was temporarily disabled.
The Engineer. Note that he is the only rider without a helmet. The Shaoxing Bike Club prefers it's member to wear bright cloathing or packs (to make them visible to passing vehicles), to wear helmets (for safety), and to carroy out all garbage that they carry into an area (or place it in a suitable rubbish recepticle).
It is not aparent that my clothing has bright reflective tape. The farmer is riding his tricycle into town for spare parts. If a bike path is opened in China, it immediately fills up with tricycles who use the bike path as a public commercial road rather than a source of leisure.
