Cycling in China

In China you drive on the right hand side of the road and you cycle predominantly on the right as well, however it is allowed to cycle on the left. You very quickly learn that someone coming towards you is not really someone cycling on the wrong side of the road, but someone cycling on the right side of the road with a negative speed. So they will stay as close to the curb as possible (as they go slower than you do) and you go around them (just as you would do with a parked car, except that a parked car doesn't normally move).

Cycling over here is interesting. The first thing I needed to learn is to cycle with blinkers on, basically look what happens ahead of you and make sure you don't hit anyone else, other people will make sure they don't hit you. It sounds scary and strange, but most of the time it works perfectly. Of course when you are overtaking a cyclist, who is overtaking a cycle taxi, who is staying about a meter of the curb because someone is coming towards him, it is wise to make sure you are not just then being overtaken by a car or a motor cyclist and actually quickly look over your shoulder (not too long, as things change very quickly ahead of you).

The second thing I had to learn is that most people cycle very slowly, often just about fast enough to stay upright. I however like to cycle a bit faster, this means that it is wise to know how the bell on your bike works. People don't expect you to approach as fast as you do and will just step out into the road as they think they have time to do so before you reach them. Cycling at night is also a little scary for the same reason, so I have invested in a light on my bike, as only motor bikes have lights I hope it makes people a little more wary when I approach.