Walk towards the mountains and seas, and chase the wind freely. Have you cityridden yet?
Following Citywalk, CityRide is also "out of the circle". Rivers and foothills, ancient buildings and high-rise buildings, streets and alleys, cityriders ride bicycles through the bustling streets and hidden corners of the city, go deep into the "texture" of the city, get close to the "breath" of the city, and explore more aspects of the city in slow travel.
The first "Ruibao Cup" Zhushan National Forest Park Bicycle Climbing Challenge in Qingdao West Coast New Area Photo by Wang Lei.
What is the charm of the cityride that has attracted countless hipsters to bend their waists?
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In the eyes of urban cyclists, to appreciate the scenery and romance of the city, it is necessary to start with a hearty ride. To put it bluntly, CityRide is a bicycle "rolling on the road", which is not constrained by a strict itinerary and does not set a clear destination. Cyclists pedal and explore different sides of the city in their free shuttle.
Go to the embrace of the mountain, watch the beauty of the water. Winding along the most beautiful coastal road of Laoshan Mountain, looking up at the majestic and majestic mountains, looking down at the blue and vast sea. "It's good to ride the wind, the sky is thousands of miles, and you can look down at the mountains and rivers. "Walking all the way, watching the clouds and mist flowing in the mountains, the sparkling silver surface of the sea, the tea fields spreading out one after another, and the houses scattered among others, it is very pleasant.
Ride outdoors and enjoy the scenery while exercising.
Unlock the poetry of the city and the distance. Follow the Chengdu Tianfu Greenway to step on the flywheel, passing through the blooming triangular plums, colorful begonias, and verdant bamboo forests. "Ambiguous distant village, smoke in the ruins. "Watch the warm winter sun pass through the clusters of bamboo, the smoke wafts from the roadside farmhouses, and the egrets hover and chirp. Stop and stop along the way, encounter beautiful scenery and food, and pick up rural wilderness.
Find the richest details of the city. Walking slowly in the depths of Beijing's hutongs, the sound of Beijing ** is in the ears, and the courtyards are high and low;Riding on the Bumpy Road in front of the Catholic Church on Zhongshan Road in Qingdao, the faces of the couple who are taking wedding photos are full of happinessCyclists also stop at the café around the corner, the freshly stocked ice cream, and the ...... of the grocery storeThere are always unexpected surprises hidden in the corners of the streets and alleys.
People love to ride through the streets of Beijing.
Chang'an Avenue in Beijing, Miaojiang Road in Shanghai, and University ...... in GuangzhouCyclists "chase the wind" all the way and see the scenery all the way. During the day, feel the vibrancy of the city and the rush of your stepsAt night, collect the lights of the city's thousands of homes, and the years are long. Destinations vary, but there are always unexpected scenery between departure and arrival.
According to the 2023 Cycling Consumption Observation, from January to August 2023, the turnover of cycling products increased by 40% year-on-year, and the sales of cycling clothes, road bikes and bicycle accessories increased by % and 45% year-on-year, respectively. Since the beginning of this year, the cycling consumption boom has gradually expanded from Beijing, Shanghai and other first-tier cities.
Second- and third-tier cities.
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In this cycling craze, bicycles have gone beyond a single commuting function, but combined with fitness tools, social currency and other attributes, connecting a new urban lifestyle. That's what makes CityRide so appealing to cyclists.
Rebuild the link with the city. The "character" of a city is complex and multifaceted, and there are always different cities to discover when exploring by cycling. Every ride is a process of "rebuilding the relationship with the city", and it is also a process of seeing different sides of the city and feeling the different "characters" of the city.
The coastal greenway in Shibei District is suitable for cycling Photo by Liu Dong.
Anthropologist Xiang Biao once put forward a point of view: "A trend in the development of modern society is to 'eliminate the neighborhood'". Urban life is fast-paced, and city dwellers are gradually losing their sense of "proximity", not paying attention to the community and not caring about the city. People live in cities, but the relationship between people and cities is becoming more and more alienated. From this point of view, cycling is constantly exploring the "vanishing neighborhood" and regaining the perception of the "neighborhood". As one cyclist put it, "It dawned on me that pedaling can be one of the most modest ways to give myself to the city." ”
Explore new possibilities for socializing. CityRide has become the "social currency" of cyclists and has gradually formed a cycling culture.
*, the relevant popularity of cycling posts on major social networks remains high. On Xiaohongshu, the theme of "Urban Cycling Program" has more than 600 million views. Cycling experts share the beautiful scenery of cycling on the first line of Qingdao Binhai on Xiaohongshu, and the ultimate romance of returning to the mountains and seas at sunset has attracted the envy of many netizensSome netizens shared their riding experience on the east bank of the Huangpu River in Shanghai, from cycling route planning, cycling experience to cycling equipment exchanges, the "group chat" was in full swing ......
*Next, you can ask friends to go around the old city on weekends, or you can meet for afternoon tea or supper after riding, more and more people who don't know each other become "riding friends" in cycling.
Chinese and foreign riders participate in the public welfare cycling activity of the International Talent Volunteer Service Team in Qingdao Free Trade Zone Photo by Wang Lei.
Practice a green and low-carbon lifestyle。With the deepening of Chinese people's awareness of the "double carbon" goal, more and more people have begun to seek a green and low-carbon lifestyle, and CityRide, which is environmentally friendly and pollution-free, has naturally become people's first choice.
Of all modes of transportation, cycling can be considered a "zero-carbon" travel option. According to research data previously published in the academic journal Communications - Earth and Environment, if everyone on the planet rides a bicycle every day6 km, the world may reduce by 4 per year1.4 billion tonnes of carbon emissions;If everyone rides a bike every day 26 km, the world may reduce 68.6 billion tonnes of carbon emissions. For cycling enthusiasts, the pursuit of green and environmentally friendly low-carbon life is a life attitude and a fashion trend.
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The city is a city of people, and the return of bicycles to the spotlight of urban life has put forward higher requirements for urban public infrastructure. To a certain extent, whether cycling is free or not is a test of the development quality of a city. As the "cycling fever" continues to heat up, many cities are proposing to build cycling-friendly cities.
The cycling loop of Laoshan Shilao Beach attracts everyone to ride Photo by Wang Lei.
Guarantee the "right of way" and make the ride faster. In terms of creating a riding environment, the industry often mentions that "Paris is in the west and Beijing is in the east". As early as the 70s of the last century, urban planners took the lead in building "three boards" of roads in Beijing, with one board (block) in the middle for cars and two boards (blocks) for bicycles, and bicycles and motor vehicles separated by green belts. This road system has affected many cities in the country and has also provided a template for securing the "right of way" for bicycles.
However, there are still many "blockages" for bicycles to get on the road smoothly. For example, cars occupy bicycle lanes to park, resulting in narrower cycling lanes and a poorer riding experienceSome cycling lanes are "broken", and some roads do not have "non-motorized lanes", making bicycles directly "nowhere to go". To build a cycling-friendly city, it is necessary to break through these "blockages", allocate urban road traffic resources more reasonably, protect and restore the "right of way" of bicycles, and improve the urban slow traffic system.
Build greenways to make cycling beautiful. A greenway is a linear green open space, usually built along natural and man-made corridors such as riverfronts, valleys, ridges, etc., and is often one of the most beautiful cycling routes in the city.
In recent years, major cities have scrambled to incorporate greenways into urban construction planning and create urban boutique cycling routes. Chengdu took the construction of a park city as an opportunity to build 1The 70,000-kilometer Tianfu Greenway green system implements the "Greenway +" model to promote the integration of public space and urban environment, and the unity of leisure experience and aesthetic perceptionQingdao, as a typical coastal and hilly city, has included the construction of greenways in the three-year task of building a park city, connecting mountains, rivers, parks and roads through greenways, and constantly improving the greenway system of "one line, one ring and three mountains".
Wear a helmet and pay attention to safety when riding.
Make rules to make the ride safe. When the enthusiasm for cycling is high, it is not only the hardware supporting facilities of the city that need to keep up, but also the "soft environment".
At present, there are phenomena such as riders not wearing helmets, riding side by side on the road, and occupying motor lanes in the wrong direction, which has buried potential safety hazards in urban trafficUncivilized phenomena such as motor vehicles grabbing and occupying roads also make it difficult for cyclists to "move an inch". To build a cycling-friendly city, it is necessary to formulate a system of cycling-related rules and promote the formation of a broad consensus on slow cycling at the public level, so that urban cycling can "follow the rules" and "go its own way".
Today, with the emphasis on the connection between people and urban reconstruction, cities are becoming more accessible, approachable, and palpable. Share the "ride" experience of the city, ride together on the bike, and start this romantic date with the city!
*: Qingdao publicity.
Editor: Fang Qi.