As a positive alternative to relying on public transport, it's worth renting a bike . Many of the cheaper hotels rent bikes on a daily basis and will negotiate weekly rates. Shops tend to be cheaper but rent only by the hour or the day. Figure on a daily charge of ¥10-50 and a deposit of ¥200-500. Always test the brakes before riding off, and get the tyres pumped up. If you have any problems, there are plenty of bike repair stalls on the pavement.

 

Chinese cycling pace is sedate, and with good reason. Chinese roads are unpredictable and at times fairly lawless, with traffic going the wrong way round roundabouts, aggressive trucks which won't get out of the way, impatient taxi drivers in the cycle lane, buses veering suddenly towards the pavement, and jaywalkers aplenty. Still, riding around Beijing is less daunting than riding around many Western cities as there are bike lanes on all main roads and you are in the company of plenty of other cyclists, indeed several million at rush hours. Ringing your bell or shouting is rarely effective; urgent noises that would have all other road users scurrying aside in other cities hardly merit a backward glance here. At junctions cyclists cluster together then cross en masse when strength of numbers forces other traffic to give way. If you feel nervous, just dismount and walk the bike across - plenty of Chinese do.

If you have a new bike or a mountain bike you should get a chain and lock as well, as theft is common. You are supposed to park your bike at the numerous bike parks , where you pay ¥0.2 to the attendant, though plenty of people don't, risking a rarely enforced fine by leaving their vehicle propped up against railings or on the pavement. The parks outside subway stations are open all night, and as most of the rental places are far from the centre you can save yourself a lot of cycling by arranging to rent a bike for several days at a time and instead of cycling back and forth, leave the bike at one of these parks for the night.