The altitude is about 2 miles high and the city is surrounded by mountains, but still bicycles are still the best way to get around Lhasa, Tibet.
In the US I almost never rode a bicycle. Most of my life I lived on a country road where people routinely drove 90 mph. So there wasn't an appeal to ride.
Now I live in a much more crowded city (more than 250,000 people) but yet bicycle is the best form of transportation!
Generally as a rule, people drive slower in China than in the US. But as anyone who has visited China will know; the rules, although actually apparently similar to the states, aren't actually similar in any way.
In the US we pay a lot of attention to the rules and trust the rules. In China it's not the rules you are paying attention to but rather the other drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, dogs and whatever else could pop up. Now, while this does make for a more stressful drive,in a way, it is a much safer as a cyclist. This may seem strange because while people aren't paying as much to the rules but are paying attention to all the other moving vehicles and people.
Lhasa traffic is heavy, although not as bad as an LA or Beijing it can get very congested. This especially is the case when primary schools begin and end. As you pass a primary school you will see cars double and triple park on the main streets while waiting for their kids. So driving around 8 am and 6pm can be a nightmare. However, on a bike those parked cars still give you plenty of room to zoom by and you can get through the city much faster than any other form of transportation.
One thing I never realized is how much you fit on a bicycle. Bungie cords are worth their weight in gold when your main shopping rig is your bicycle. Another side effect of the bike life is a "need" for various sizes of backpacks. Finding the perfect bag for each shopping trip or excursion is key. It is quite the contract to the US. I remember when I was shopping for a car thinking, " I need to get the car with the bigger trunk." Now my life involves asking myself, "What backpack should I take to go shopping today?"
Now a days bicycles are easier to get than ever. If you have a Chinese app WeChat or Alipay you can rent bicycles for about 1 yuan per hour. (12 cents an hour) And these bikes are everywhere and everyone uses them!
Living life on bicycles does make me realize how little I ride in America and how much time I spend in my car. I know for many situation it is not possible or all that safe to ride, but if you can, do it! It might take a little more effort in many situations but I never regretted having to ride my bicycle. I will miss my time on a bike and hope there will be a chance in the future to ride on a more daily basis.
-s
