Hong Kong

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Tollers

Tollers

Guru
Location
San Francisco, California
I've a few hours to kill before heading to Lan Kwai Fong for a few beers so i thought i'd put a small but slightly off-topic report in here.

I don't have my bike with me and my original plan of a cycle holiday in vietnam ended up being a city break in HK. However, i thought i'd give a general view of the city for cyclists.

Hong Kong is not a bike orientated city. Whatever problems we have in London, they are worse in HK...much worse. I think after 4 days here, i have probably seen maybe 5 cyclists! The roads just aren't geared for them and although doable, it just doesn't seem part of the culture. Tubes, buses and ferries are cheap clean and getting about in public transport is easy, so i guess that might explain it.

There are lots of parks north of HK with nice trails leading up to the various peaks, but i havent tried them yet and thats more mountain bike territory. Tomorrow i think ill take the ferry to a roadless island and hire a bike to get my fix.

On the shopping front...i visited a few cycleshops today in the hope of finding a bargain. Sadly, that was not to be. As it's not a racing city, bikes and european bits are at least as expensive as home. However, there are cheap chinese brand carbon bits etc available.

I wish i had my bike here! I would se so much more and explore further off the beaten track and not anxious about getting lost. Bikes really are an amazing invention!

Tollers
 
ianrauk

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
I love Hong Kong. One of the greatest cities/places in the World...
And would agree about Cycling there.. the drivers are all mad as it is without throwing in a mix of cyclists.
 
ttcycle

ttcycle

Cycling Excusiast
heheh - just an attempt to rub it in 'ey Tollers?

It's a fantastic city apart from the lack of cycling - there's an organisation that does cycling there - will have to look it up - think it's racing actually not MTB but not 100%.

Hope you get your fix on a bike soon!

BTW you know yoou've got it bad when you're still checking CC when you're on hols!
 
OP
OP
Tollers

Tollers

Guru
Location
San Francisco, California
Ah....there isn't much company during the day, only when out for beers in the eve with expats. So i'm on here before brekkie and before dinner....and when i get home drunk.

HK is OK....i prefer Japanorama by a country mile though. There i just wander around laughing at the constant insanity ;)
 
Keith Oates

Keith Oates

Janner
Location
Penarth, Wales
There is quite a bit of cycling in Hong Kong but I agree not on the Island itself. If you go out to the Tai Po area and other parts of the New Territories there are many places to cycle, both on the road and off road and also many shops where you can hire a bike for the day or half day. To buy bikes there is not particularly cheap but you can get almost anything you want from the Colnago, Trek, Giant and other top ranges down to the cheaper stuff that is not very good quality. There are some very good professional riders in Hong Kong and they do their training there, a certain David Millar did a lot of his early training in Hong Kong. Having spent 10 years living there and still go back as often as possible when on leave from work I can say that, for me, there is no better place. Staying in Wan Chai and getting drunk every evening is fun but there is so much else to do that it seems to me you've not taken full advantage of the time you've been there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
ttcycle

ttcycle

Cycling Excusiast
Keith Oates said:
There is quite a bit of cycling in Hong Kong but I agree not on the Island itself. If you go out to the Tai Po area and other parts of the New Territories there are many places to cycle, both on the road and off road and also many shops where you can hire a bike for the day or half day. To buy bikes there is not particularly cheap but you can get almost anything you want from the Colnago, Trek, Giant and other top ranges down to the cheaper stuff that is not very good quality. There are some very good professional riders in Hong Kong and they do their training there, a certain David Millar did a lot of his early training in Hong Kong. Having spent 10 years living there and still go back as often as possible when on leave from work I can say that, for me, there is no better place. Staying in Wan Chai and getting drunk every evening is fun but there is so much else to do that it seems to me you've not taken full advantage of the time you've been there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

+1:biggrin:
 
OP
OP
Tollers

Tollers

Guru
Location
San Francisco, California
Keith Oates said:
Staying in Wan Chai and getting drunk every evening is fun but there is so much else to do that it seems to me you've not taken full advantage of the time you've been there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Hey. Who mentioned Wanchai ;) OK...i admit i was out in Wanchai last night. Today's plan is Aberdeen, perhaps a sampan, then tomorrow take boat out to Lanta and hire a bike. I've been relatively busy out and about and have some great photos.....which is most important thing for me. Here's my cliche from the peak...

4129690782_cfedbbc67f_b.jpg



Tollers
 
Keith Oates

Keith Oates

Janner
Location
Penarth, Wales
Good photo from the Peak, did you go up on the tram?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Bay Runner

Bay Runner

Guru
I lived and worked in Hong Kong for two years back in the 70s, loved it, don't remember seeing many bikes out there. But then again I was not much interested in cycling then.

What I do remember is coming back from the Wanch at 5 in the morning, bacon, eggs & San Mig and watching the horses out training on HappyValley race course.

We are thinking of visiting again in the next few years, I bet then changes we see will be enormous ;)
 
ChrisBailey

ChrisBailey

Well-Known Member
Location
Hampton Hill, UK
A few years ago, I went out for a week long business trip and ended up staying eight weeks. Thought I would go crazy without some cycling and ended up meeting Gearoid Pierse, an Irish guy working out there. I told him about the crazyguyonabike web site that I use and he logged some of his favourite HK rides.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/Hongkong

I would recommend the cycle route around Lantau, did it a few times.

Chris
 
OP
OP
Tollers

Tollers

Guru
Location
San Francisco, California
ChrisBailey said:
A few years ago, I went out for a week long business trip and ended up staying eight weeks. Thought I would go crazy without some cycling and ended up meeting Gearoid Pierse, an Irish guy working out there. I told him about the crazyguyonabike web site that I use and he logged some of his favourite HK rides.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/Hongkong

I would recommend the cycle route around Lantau, did it a few times.

Chris
Click to expand...

Thanks Chris. Wish i knew that a week ago as i'm flying home in a few hours. No worries though. I found my bicycle fix and will do a full report when i get home.

I hear the weather back home is warm and sunny :biggrin:

Tollers
 
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