The bicycle dilemma

With visions of cruising the streets of Beijing for daily errands, Chinese lessons and sightseeing, I invested in a top-notch foldable bicycle from Bike Friday. The bike was delivered in August and is a dream to ride (and to transport) in its standard suitcase.

However, the clouds began to form around this project when I arrived in Beijing. The first issue of the City Weekend magazine I read - even before I had gotten around to unpacking the Bike Friday - reported on the huge incidence of bike theft in Beijing, regardless of the quality of the bike...

This report was confirmed yesterday at a local bike shop. I had taken the Bike Friday there on its maiden Chinese voyage to get a kickstand, lock and bike rack (for grocery toting). Great fun! I spent 2 hours there, and the 5 or 6 employees catering to my needs told me that my bike was too valuable to leave unattended – even with a lock – for longer than 10 minutes or so.

I am happy to have it to ride for fun, but I decided I will buy a cheap local bike for my everyday errands, where I have to leave it unattended. I can get a new one in the $50-100 price range, so it's worth it (I can store it here in the Lee Garden basement for future visits).