Korean Job Discussion Forums

jaybert06 · Joined: 01 Oct 2010 Location: seoul

i searched the boards, but i couldn't find any topics about bicycle riding in general. from what i have gathered from blogs, friends, pictures, etc, bicycle riding is pretty frequent over in korea. i am trying to get a job over there, and i love riding my bike, so i have some questions that will hopefully open up a discussion about korean bicycle culture in general.

from all that i've seen, people mostly ride mountain bikes. is this the case in your experience? i love riding my road bike in the usa, would it be practical to ride one in korea? any specific places that road bikes vs. mountain bikes may make a huge difference? also, i love riding fixie, any fixie culture you know of in korea?

would it be practical to bring my bike with me (i love my bike), or just plan on buying one when i get there. i got mine for $100 usd on craigslist, and it is worth way more than that. what are the deals like on bikes in korea?

any great/sad/funny biking stories or experiences?

optik404 · Joined: 24 Jun 2008

Fixies are starting to get popular here, theres a store in Hongdae called Fixie.

SNOTOSEOUL · Joined: 12 Apr 2010

I got a road bike for 200,000 brand new, the other one at the shop was 250,000. Lespo and Alton respectively.

As for fixies i have seen them new for 700,000+.

Maybe if you do a little research you could buy a cheaper bike and make it into a fixie.

jaybert06 · Joined: 01 Oct 2010 Location: seoul

yeah, that's what i almost did here until i got that great deal. maybe i'll just bring some of my favorite parts (the seat, fixed hub, etc.) and then try and get a cheap frame once i get there.

what about the biking conditions? from what i've heard it's probably not a good idea to bike on the roads because of the crazy drivers.

SNOTOSEOUL · Joined: 12 Apr 2010

I personally don't think that they are "bad" at driving, just different from the USA.
What I find is that the drivers here tend to go a little under the speed limits of about 60-70kph. Since there are so many scooters and other "bad" drivers they are always ready to hit the brakes or swerve. (So keep that in mind when following someone closely.) But it is accepted and many old men ride on the side of the road.
I haven't had any close calls in the three months i have been riding on the roads. And i feel safer on my bike then my scooter.
Also you don't get angry yells at people driving by. Maybe a little warning honk every now and again.
With that said most people will tell you that it is dangerous and not to do it...but those people usually dont bike themselves and if they do they have a cruddy mountain bike and ride on the sidewalks always due to their perception.
So just keep your wits and be prepared for bad, but dont let that keep you off the roads.
Also I am in a big city, just not Seoul, people their run red lights.

jaybert06 · Joined: 01 Oct 2010 Location: seoul

SNOTOSEOUL · Joined: 12 Apr 2010

In Seoul the taxis will run red lights with speed if they dont see any cars waiting on the other spurs. And also to a lesser extent in other cities.
So a green light for you when traffic isn't heavy could mean a driver pulling out without seeing you.
On a plus side it you can run reds on your bike, so if you see the coast is clear you can go through. that makes a bicycle nearly as fast as a car in traffic.

jaybert06 · Joined: 01 Oct 2010 Location: seoul

any great bike trails, favorite parks to bike in, great scenery? lets hear some stories!

Darkeru · Joined: 21 Apr 2010 Location: England

Just a quick note - I've only been here two months, but I've never seen someone ride a bike on the road, but plenty of them on the pavement. Maybe it's just the area I'm in though or something.

SNOTOSEOUL · Joined: 12 Apr 2010

yeah i've only see a couple sport bikers on the road, but daily i see old men with old bikes cruising down.
As for parks there are often long river walks in all the big cities, those can be nice and relaxing.

runthegauntlet · Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Location: the southlands.

I've ridden in Korea for the last two years. Probably depends a lot on the area. In Changwon (in the south) they've made a huge push to be more cycling friendly and put bike lanes on many of the roads and have rental bikes available all over the city.

I ride through the city quite a bit (and at night) and it's a bit hairy, but no more than it would be riding in a big city in the U.S. or something. And it's actually faster for me to ride a bike 10km across my city than take a bus.

Once you get out of the city, though, is where I think cycling in Korea shines. There are miles and miles of coastal roads near where I live plus some really great climbs. Gorgeous scenery.

Single track is a different issue as I've found virtually none in my area. I and a few other guys I know have ridden on the hiking trails a few times but that obviously comes with problems: lots of hikers, stairs, obstacles, etc. I bought a mtn. bike here in Korea but essentially only ride on the road and one dirt/gravel road that runs along a ridge here. Will probably put some slicks on it soon enough. Bikes here seem a bit more expensive than in the States, as is gear and other things.

There is quite a scene around the country, though, ro