Features

Five cities... to cycle in

30 Sep 2009 by Mark Caswell

For a healthy and eco-friendly way to see a city, you can’t beat cycling. Business Traveller selects five destinations to get on your bike.

Rotterdam

The Dutch have the right idea when it comes to city cycling, with separate lanes and crossings for those on two wheels. Rotterdam is suitably spread out to warrant jumping on a bike, and it’s an easy way to see some of the city. From Central station, keep the Westin hotel on your left and within moments you’ll be on Mauritsweg, alongside a canal lined with quirky sculptures, which leads to Museumpark. Turn west along Westzeedijk and meander through the park to the bottom corner. Here is the entrance to the Maastunnel, an art deco treat – on the other side you can explore the green south bank or head back under the river and right to the Erasmus Bridge. This is the only “hill” in Rotterdam, so use the descent to freewheel left off the bridge along Stieltjesstraat, past De Hef (the classic lifting railway bridge from 1878) and on to Willemsbrug. Stop on the far side for one of the best views in Rotterdam. In front of you is the pre-Second World War old centre and White House, and behind you are the bridges, port and developments on the south bank. From here you can zigzag your way through town back to the station. Visit rotterdambycycle.nl

Toronto

Torontonians love cycling, and the city’s bike schemes mean it is truly set up for pedal power. There is an extensive bikeway network with on- and off-road cycle paths increasing in number each year, as well as an annual festival of cycling culture. There’s even a bike-stop next to Union station, which opened earlier this year, for members to store their cycles in and take a shower. The city’s grid system makes it easy to navigate, although, as with Rotterdam, watch out for the trams. Get out of the city and head south to the harbour front and along Queen’s Quay to Cherry Beach. From here, head for Leslie Street and the entrance to Tommy Thompson Park (the gates are open only at weekends, but you can take the path around the side any time). This is a man-made spit and nature reserve, still under construction, and makes for a beautiful ride. Go all the way to the lighthouse at the end for stunning views of the city. Visit toronto.ca/cycling

London

London has come a long way in terms of cycling in the past ten years, as demonstrated by the large rise in the number of bicycles on the roads. It is still predominantly a capital devoted to the car, and congestion charging has done little to reduce the amount of traffic, or increase the speed of vehicles inside the zone. But at many traffic lights you’ll find a green painted box reserved for cyclists, there are many marked cycle lanes – some of them physically separated from the main traffic – and Transport for London publishes cycle maps both online and in paper format (visit tfl.gov.uk). Many of the royal parks have cycle paths and, from next year, the first of the Cycle Superhighways will be launched for those commuting by bike into central London. There are also plans for a 24-hour TfL cycle hire scheme next summer, which will allow people to pick up a bike, use it as they like, and then drop it off for the next person.

Santiago

Santiago, which is surrounded by the snow-capped Andes, follows the course of the Mapocho river from east to west. The financial district (“Sanhattan”) is in the east, while many of the historical buildings and museums are downtown in the west. At weekends, the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Sanhattan offers cycling tours through districts including well-heeled Vitacura, El Golf and Providencia. These run from 9.30am-12.30pm and 8pm-11pm, with frequent stops for refreshments and photos. More adventurous cyclists could try to conquer the 880-metre Cerro San Cristobal hill overlooking the city. There’s a winding road to the top – keep an eye out for araucaria araucana (monkey puzzle trees) native to Chile. The views on a clear day will make it worth the sweat, and the ride down is exhilarating. Visit labicicletaverde.com, ritzcarlton.com, tourismchile.com

Paris

Laid-back Parisian chic means travelling on two wheels, and the city has two enticing parks to cycle in, to the east and west of the centre. Bois de Boulogne runs along the western edge of the 16th arrondissement, and features manicured lawns and a lake with rowing boats, while in the Bois de Vincenne, part of the 12th arrondissement, you will spy the medieval Château de Vincennes as you zip by. To encourage more people to get on the saddle, Paris has introduced more than 10,000 Vélib bikes, which are dotted around the city and available for rent. They’ve proved popular with visitors and locals alike, with the first half-hour free and E1 for a day ticket. Visit en.velib.paris.fr

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