Cycling in China

Yangshuo, an hour south of Guilin by bus or fast train to Yangshuo station, is the easiest and prettiest place to ride in China. Hire shops along the main streets rent city bikes and mountain bikes cheaply by the day. The classic ride follows the Yulong River upstream on village lanes and dirt tracks to the Ming-dynasty Yulong Bridge, about 10 km each way, past water buffalo, rice paddies and bamboo rafts poled under the karst towers. Moon Hill, a limestone peak with a natural arch, is a short detour on the way.

The Ming-dynasty city wall of Xi’an is wide enough to ride on, a loop of about 14 km around the old city on smooth flagstones. The ticket is 54 yuan (about 8 USD), and bikes hired on the wall at the South Gate and other gates cost about 45 yuan for a single and 90 yuan for a tandem, with a deposit; time limits are a few hours. Go in the late afternoon and finish as the lanterns come on.

Dali in Yunnan has a mild climate all year at about 2,000 m, and the ride around Erhai Lake, about 120 km, is the most popular lake loop in the country. A dedicated lakeside path runs much of the west shore through Bai fishing villages such as Xizhou, with the Cang Shan range rising behind, while the east shore has quieter roads and the village of Shuanglang. Most people ride it in one long day or split it over two with a night in Shuanglang. Electric bikes are widely rented in Dali old town for those who would rather not pedal the whole way.

The loop around Qinghai Lake, China’s largest lake, is about 360 km at around 3,200 m, usually ridden clockwise in four to six days. Xihai, about 100 km from Xining, is the base, with clubs that rent bikes and run support vans. The route crosses open grassland with yak herds and Tibetan prayer flags, and the north shore has long stretches with few shops, so stock up at Heimahe. Ride from June to September; July brings yellow rapeseed fields and the Tour of Qinghai Lake race. Acclimatise in Xining for a couple of days first.

Hainan is China’s winter cycling destination, warm and mostly dry from November to March. The Tour of Hainan race has run on the island for years, and a coastal tourist highway now circles it, with a dedicated cycle path on some stretches. Popular stretches are the east coast from Haikou toward Wanning and the south around Sanya. Summer is hot, humid and typhoon season.

The Sichuan-Tibet road (G318) from Chengdu climbs over a series of passes above 4,000 m through Kangding, Litang and Batang, a rite of passage for Chinese cyclists. Foreigners can usually ride the Sichuan section, but entering Tibet requires a Tibet Travel Permit and a tour with a licensed guide, so independent cycling to Lhasa is not possible; some agencies run supported cycling tours inside Tibet. The Karakoram Highway from Kashgar past Karakul Lake toward the Pakistan border is spectacular but has many checkpoints and police registration, and rules change often.

• Share bikes: Meituan, Hellobike and DiDi bikes are everywhere for a few yuan a ride, unlocked by scanning with Alipay or WeChat. Some need a Chinese phone number; Alipay with a foreign card works for many.
• Hire and buying: tourist towns rent bikes by the day; Giant and Merida have stores in every big city for parts or a bike to buy.
• Trains: high-speed trains take bags up to 130 cm in combined length, width and height, so only a folding bike in a bag fits. Full-size bikes go as rail freight. Since May 2026 bikes are allowed on G trains between Beijing North and Chongli as a trial. See getting around China.
• Road rules: ride on the right, use the bike lane, and expect silent e-scooters in it, often riding the wrong way. Bikes are banned on expressways.
• Air and weather: check the air quality index in the north in winter, and avoid the southern summer heat.