Recent rise in fuel prices, coupled with coronavirus restrictions hindering commutes, plus increased government support, are proving to be a boon for bicycling
A contestant on a popular reality dating show in China soared to fame – or perhaps infamy – when she declared back in 2010 that she “would rather cry in a BMW than smile on a bicycle”.
It was a hot take on materialism that reverberated through the country. But more than a decade later, the statement appears to stand in sharp contrast to a growing trend seen on both social media and city streets, as the wheels of change are hearkening back to a bygone era when the nation was known as the “Kingdom of Bicycles”.
“Fluttering hair, swooping poses, cheerful smiles and flashes of scenery beside you” – comments like these are rife on social media in the country as trendy users and influencers share and revel in their rekindled love affair with two-wheeled transport.