My son is heading to China for his fall semester and I stumbled across some information about getting around by bicycle in Beijing in his student handbook.
The book says bikes are still very useful for going short distances in the cities. They're not expensive and “if you plan to stay for more than a semester, it may be wise to invest in one.”
That's apparently what a person who is selling her bike at TheBeijinger.com did. That bike is selling for 350 yuan, about $50-$55. It comes with that sweet front basket decorated with the butterfly, above.
The handbook suggests using a lock because bike theft is prevalent in China, but with this ironic caveat:
“Do not bring an expensive bicycle lock from home; the lock may be more valuable than the bicycle and the object of theft.”
I don't know how you can pry, cut, saw, cut or jimmy a lock from a bicycle and still have it usable, but I suppose anything is possible.
If you buy a used bike for $40 to $60 in China, that's comparable to the retail prices of many decent bicycle locks for sale in the US.
Rentals
Bicycle rental sites flourished during the Summer Games in Beijing in 2008. One source quotes 230 bike rental sites with a total 50,000 bikes.
These are reported to be available short-term or long-term with a 100 to 400 yuan deposit — $15 to $60. They're available for anywhere from $3 for a day to 70 yuan, about $11, for a week.
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