Personal convenience
Many young professionals in Beijing treat the weekend as a time to unwind. For Duan Di, a man who works in the financial sector, that means waking up early, strapping on a helmet, and heading for the hills with his folding bike and a subway ticket.
Duan started cycling around 2015 while studying abroad. "I was new to the environment and found it hard to make friends," he said. "Joining a cycling community gave me a simple, genuine way to connect with people."
He brought that sense of connection back home in Shanghai in 2019 and moved to Beijing a year later. Duan likes to tour the western and northern suburbs. In summer, he starts before dawn to avoid the midday heat.
A weekend ride often totals 100 to 150 kilometers a day. "For road cycling, that distance is quite reasonable," he said. "The outskirts have good roads, less traffic, coffee shops, restaurants, and medical services. It feels safe."
On May 10, Beijing launched a "rail + cycling" pilot service on four subway lines to better accommodate cyclists. The trial covers 11 designated stations on Lines 6, 17, the Changping Line, and the S1 Line.
Passengers are allowed to bring two-wheeled bicycles with a wheel diameter no larger than 28 inches (about 71 cm) on board. According to the Beijing Commission of Transport, the service will be available only on weekends during normal operating hours, excluding public holidays.
The 11 stations were chosen for their proximity to popular cycling routes, relatively low rail passenger flow, and station facilities suitable for bike integration.
"The pilot is a service innovation based on existing connectivity improvements," the transport commission said. Throughout the pilot program, it is monitoring operations and collecting passenger feedback to gradually optimize services.
