For many people in the west China is/was associated with bicycles. Visitors to the country soon find out that times have changed and the car is now also king on the streets of the Middle Kingdom. On many roads, cycling is not even a pleasant activity anymore, especially in and around the big cities. On the other hand, most people abroad that I know, don't associate China with "cool" activities like outdoor sports. The country is mostly seen as a place to visit for cultural, historical and economical reasons. People who are planning to come here and read the guidebooks will read a gazillion pages about temples, food and geographical features, but much less about things to actually DO in the open air. Of course there is trekking in Yunnan and Tibet, horse riding in Mongolia and closer to home, Guilin has the famous Yangshuo rock climbing scene. Some people are even crazy enough to drive their bicycle on Chinese roads. Strangely enough they do not encounter life threatening traffic and are not poisoned with exhaust fumes. Because if there is one thing Chinese has a lot of, it is definitely ... countryside. When living in a big city, it might be pretty hard to get outside of the city limits, but here in Guilin it is luckily pretty easy.
There are several ways to cycle. One way is to get a normal, cheap bike and cruise slowly over sealed or at least decent country roads, usually going from sight to sight. I am not criticizing this cycling style, but it is not the topic of this post. What many people don't know is that there is a whole other world out there. In places like Yangshuo it takes ten to twenty minutes to escape urbanisation. With some lucky turns or a good memory and sense of orientation, you are speeding over bumpy roads, crawling up hardcore slopes, or maneuvering on single track trying not to get catapulted in the rice paddies by that rock you failed to notice.
Unfortunately (from a cycler's point of view) many country roads have been sealed over the last couple of years, making the real off-road opportunities fewer and fewer. However with some scouting, google earth and accurate intel from the locals, it is possible to make all-day routes with a minimum of sealed or busy roads. Not that you are on the bike all the time. You are holding your bike while balancing on a narrow bamboo raft, ferrying across the river. You use all Chinese you have ever learned and more to convince a helpful local that you DO want to take that road where "it is not possible to cycle". You curse water of the river you are swimming in at the end or the ride for not being cold enough to cool you down. But best of all, you suffer, sweat and possibly bleed, now while having looking at, but while being devoured by one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world.
It might not be for you, but it exists.
