Korean Job Discussion Forums

[canuckistan]

I don't think you can take bikes on the subway. At least, I've never seen anyone do it. Major pain in the butt if you want to get out of Seoul for some sane riding. You never know though, maybe it's time for some foreigners to get the subway guys used to the idea. In Montreal you're allowed to but have to use the last subway car...doing this in Seoul could be a good way to avoid invoking the wrath of the powers that be.

[Wangja]

Normal bikes I have never seen, but there is the occasional folding bike on view ...

[Pyongshin Sangja]

I've seen bikes on the subway a couple times. Bear in mind that the subway is EXTREMELY crowded. Waiting for the next train is not always an option. Your bike counted as TWO pieces of baggage on American?

Rip-offfffffff.

[Intrepid]

Bikes are available, yes, but if you're over 5'10 you'll want to bring yours as all the abovementioned foreign bikes are about double what they'd be at home. The largest Korean bike I've been able to find makes me look like a weighty gargoyle perched on a substandard roost. I overextended the seatpost and now kindly fellow bikers warn me about the bend said post seems to be acquiring. I just use it to get to the subway, at the moment.
I wish I'd brought my GT Airstream with me--what a great bike that was--perfect for Seoul city riding.
The south Han river park in Seoul has contiguous bike paths from the far eastern part of Seoul all the way to the far western. They're pretty narrow, and in the last few years have become overpopulated with inline skaters, but get up early and you can do a nice 30-40 mile loop.

[Atkinson]

[Wangja]

Interresting to know ... but I still don't think I'll chance it on line 2 at 6:30pm .... maybe at weekends it's less of a problem.

[Son Deureo!]

I've actually been stopped by the subway people for trying to bring my bike on the subway. They told me that it's because of the size. It's a damn shame, too, because I've always wanted to be able to take my bike to the Yellow Sea Islands, but there's no way for me to get it there.

Seoul is definitely not a bicycle friendly city.

[Cedar]

I have been in a serious MTB club for a few years. Some of our members have 8 m. won bikes. Most of them ride 4-5m. versions. A lot of Klein, a lot of full suspension... bikes in Korea, the real deal bikes I mean, are NOT cheap. In the US you can hit the yearly sale, the Easter sale, the end of biking summer sale, but not in Korea. And big size bikes are harder to find. I brought mine here, always been glad.

I have seen people with bikes in the subways twice now.

[the saint]

[Atkinson]

[hari seldon]

I saw a nice racing bike on the subway a couple months ago. It would be asinine if they banned bikes on the subway. Talk about not being eco-friendly. Public transport should work hand-in-hand with bicycling.