Many cyclists waiting at an intersection in China. | Photo by Gwydion M. Williams, Flickr

Drivers, cyclists and pedestrians all have to share the road. In an effort to encourage sustainable transportation, Vancouver has recently invested in new bike lanes around the city. Cycling is an eco-friendly and inexpensive way to commute, and in places like China or Vietnam it has been a central feature of urban transit for decades.

While cycling may be the norm in cities like Beijing or Hanoi, many Asian communities in Vancouver are less enthusiastic about hitting the road on two wheels.

“Chinese people, especially immigrants from mainland China, do enjoy biking in their home country because it’s a popular means of transportation,” says Kelly Ng, interim chief operating officer of S.U.C.C.E.S.S, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the well-being of immigrants and new Canadians. “However, the traffic/road system is different here and you don’t see as many people doing that in Vancouver.”

Cost vs. Efficiency

For some immigrants, the cost of acquiring a bike in Vancouver is a significant deterrent.

“People use bikes in China for commuting whereas Vancouverites use them more for recreation,” says Luke Liang, another S.U.C.C.E.S.S. staff member. “Bikes in China are generally simpler, heavier and much cheaper. The idea of spending over $1000 for a bike is very foreign to many Chinese.”

Liang suggests if bikes were $100, it would probably entice more Chinese people to ride them.

For others, bicycling is simply not something enjoyed for its own sake but a response to the expense or unavailability of other transportation options. Nathalie Sangil, who arrived from the Phillipines two months ago to work in Vancouver, suggests that bikes are not inherently popular in her country – scooters and motorcycles are a more popular form of transportation in the Philippines because they are cheaper than buying a car and it was dangerous to ride a bike due to heavy traffic and the lack of law enforcement on the road.

“[Scooters and motorcycles] are faster than riding a bike and you won’t get as tired,” she says.

She feels that most Filipino people would opt for a scooter over a bicycle.

Lifestyle Impacts on Cycling

Ron Choi, an immigrant from Hong Kong who has lived in Vancouver for 15 years, feels that one reason Chinese people choose not to bike here is because of the lifestyle differences between China and Canada. He suggests Chinese people are not as interested in doing exercise, while Vancouverites are more into fitness. Furthermore, Choi says new Chinese immigrants are generally less concerned with the environment and being green, giving them one less reason to ride a bike.

“New [Chinese] immigrants right now are very rich, they feel that [riding a bike] is inconvenient,” he says.

Despite the effort to make Vancouver a bike-friendly city, many immigrants still feel that lifestyle and culture here are still focused on the car. Anny Butt, a Pakistani-Canadian, feels the lifestyle in Vancouver is more catered towards driving and drivers greatly outnumber cyclists.

“People want to buy a car for status,” she says.

Butt believes riding bicycles is commonly perceived as a means of transportation for the less wealthy. It appears that for some Asian communities in Vancouver, cycling is more of a hassle than a convenience. Major lifestyle differences between Eastern and Western cultures also contribute to the lack of Asian cyclists. However, one thing everyone can agree on is that biking can be good exercise and fun.

Cyclists on Dunsmuir Bike Lanes in Vancouver