Job Discussion Forums

[ekim10]

Have a standard men's mountain bike. Previously lived in other Asian countries.

What I can say is there are some places (i.e. Vietnam (HCMC), Cambodia, Laos) where taking your bike with you on the plane would be a great idea and give you immediate basic transportation once there. There are some countries it wouldn't be so hot (i.e. Korea, or Thailand) as those places are so spread out.

I know China Airlines has a lax bicycle policy (took it with me from Vietnam back to US where I am now).

Is it a good idea to take my bike back with me to China for regular use once there, or a hassle?

[Non Sequitur]

It's not the distances that you should worry about but the security.
Bicycle theft is a thriving industry especially around uni areas.

[hdeth]

I think it would depend how much of a biker you are, how expensive your bike is, and what area you're moving to.

[Markness]

[esl_prof]

If security is a concern, you may want to just pick up a cheap commuter bike locally when you arrive. If you're planning to do any serious off road mountain biking, then bring your bike with you but keep it locked up inside your apartment when you're not out on the trails. Stick with the cheap commuter bike for getting around town.

[wangdaning]

I wish I had brought my bike with me. Instead, I have essentially taken a cheap Chinese road bike and am slowly building it into something like my old one. Have sank quite a bit into it. Only things needed are a new frame and rims, and then it will not even be the bike I bought originally (I mean nothing, absolutely nothing, the same.

Security might be an issue, but I mainly use my bike to commute to work and take rides around. I would not leave my bike outside, even if locked, unless it was a well organized bike parking area. My bike is either parked in my flat or in my office. I don't bother to lock it.

[ekim10]

Thanks for replies so far.

Security is not an issue. I have 4 devices (3 ulocks and one massive cable lock) but I may throw a couple away as would be weighty on a plane. I have been using my bike almost 2 years in San Francisco -- a bike theft capital if I may say so -- and my four locks mean I haven't been knicked day, night or both.

My bike is worth maybe $200 usd as it is, a little scratched up from regular usage. Probably less of a target than your $3000 type (?).

Reason I would bring a bike include: am 6'2"ish with extra length in legs, hard to find a full size bike; also bicycles are getting expensive everywhere you go these days so would like to stay on a budget and just keep mine; finally a little nostalgia as I've had it in 4 different countries, may as well keep it if I could use it.

So I guess the question is, are most places in China bicycle friendly and good? Easy enough to lug around if you had to move somewhere on bus or train? As I said Korea and Thailand are quite spread out, not to mention lots of big vehicles on the roads.

[wangdaning]

Lots of traffic to contend with, ebikes are the worst. Cars are not to bad, and if you have been cruising around SF you know how to stay alert (I was previously in Oakland-Berkeley area). Though a bit more intense here, my experience means I am quite aware and quick to react. No accidents thus far. As far as bus/subway, no, you cannot take your bike on. They wont let you, and even if they did they are often so crowded there would be no way. The buses have no racks on the front either. For a more long distance train I think you could, but never tried. You could get a taxi and throw it in the trunk. Fairly cheap in most places.

[Shanghai Noon]

In Shanghai (and I presume most other places) you can take a bike or e-bike on city ferries. In Shanghai, you cannot ride a bike on a bridge or through a tunnel that crosses the Huangpu River.

[MozartFloyd]

I bought a mountain bike locally: Giant brand made in Taiwan. I didn't go the cheap route either: paid 3,000RMB for it, $500. It felt a bit steep when I first bought it, but it's proven to be a great purchase. I've had it two years and ride it everywhere in the city, also ride into the mountains and all over the countryside. When in the city, I look for communal parking places where they give you a wristband ticket and you can only retrieve your bike by returning the ticket.

I left my Trek back in California and never considered bringing it. Considering space limitations on airplanes, I'd say leave it. Most decent cities have bike shops and you can get any number of bikes from high to low end. My bike shop does regular maintenance. I just stop by and they fix whatever needs to be fixed free of charge.

Never had any problems with theft. Just be wary and lock it up in public, communal places where thieves are less likely to go.

Long story short, buy a bike in China. You can always resell it if you leave. I'll be moving to another city and will definitely be taking my bike with me.

[doogsville]

I would bring it with you, since the cost of buying a new one here will no doubt be higher than the cost of bringing the one you already have. Plus the nostalgic reasons you mention. As to security, those four, or even three locks will help a little, but determined thieves here will crack anything. I only ever use my bike for commuting to work, where it's locked safely, and I keep it on the balcony at home, or for going out for bike rides where I pretty much stay on the bike or sit/stand very close to it, so I don't need to lock it up. It sucks that I can't take it to my local supermarket for instance, but I just don't want to take the chance of having it stolen.

[Quite]

Bikes are dirt cheap in China and if you bring your bike on a plane, it will cost you $300 for the shipping cost. And if you have a really good quality bike like a Giant, or Fuji, it will get stolen here within a month. Save your money and buy one here.