Biking the ‘Bul

There are two very good reasons not to cycle in Istanbul. 1) The terrifying prospect of facing the Istanbul traffic with nothing but thin metal frame and a plastic bike helmet to protect you. 2) Great big hills. But there are also two very good reasons to cycle in Istanbul. 1) Avoiding sitting in the aforementioned traffic for hours on end. 2) The lovely, lovely weather.

As we move into spring and the weather heats up, the public transport will also be heating up. So rather than spend the summer crushed against sweaty armpits in stifling buses and trains, why not take to the great outdoors. Not convinced? Keep reading…

Traffic and speed
Most people in this city seem resigned to the fact that they will spend at least 3 hours in sitting in traffic every day (4 on a Sunday). But if you get yourself a bike it need not be this way. Instead you could be speeding along a bike lane with the wind in your hair.

Here are a few examples of how bike beats traffic. The following bike lane routes should take around 50 minutes for the average cyclist – I’ll leave you to judge how long it takes on a sweaty, crowded bus, but I’d wager it’s not less than 50 minutes at rush hour.

• Kadıköy to Caddebostan
• Sirkeci to Bakırköy
• Ortaköy to Emirgan

And if you don’t live near a bike lane, it’s possible to combine cycling with other forms of transport. There’s ample bike parking all over the city and Istanbul public transport is also pretty bike-friendly. You can take bikes on the Şehir Hatları and IDO boats and some buses have bike racks at the front. You can also take them on the Metro but not during commuting hours (7:30–09:30 or 16:00–20:30).

Traffic and safety
We all know that Istanbul can turn even the most placid driver into rage-filled maniac, which is not a comforting thought for cyclists. But, thanks to increased interest from people and the sterling work of cycling advocacy groups like Bisikletliler Derneği, bike lanes are on the up in the city. As you might expect, on-road bike lanes are almost totally ignored by both moving and parked vehicles, but there’s an attempt to create more lanes which are either off-road or separated by bollards.

The seafront bike lanes are among the nicest: from Kadıköy you can get all the way to Pendik, from Sirkeci to Bakırköy, and from Ortaköy to Istiniye. The paths often hug the seafront so aren’t always the most direct route however they are largely separated from roads and in some places there’s not even a road is sight!

Another option for cycling safely is to join a mass bike-ride. The idea behind them is to cycle with a large group so that the cars simply can’t ignore you. Rides like this are sometimes marshalled by experienced city cyclists and are a pleasant way to cycle the city as well as sociable and enjoyable events.

Great big hills
The city of seven hills; and that’s just in the old town. If you take the rest of the city into account there are a hell of a lot more than seven and some of them are hard enough to walk up, let along cycle. However, if you plan your route carefully it should be possible to avoid the most gruelling roads. Some smart cookies at the architectural firm, Superpool, have actually mapped all the roads with low gradients allowing you to avoid the worst of the hills.

Helpful links for the budding Istanbul cyclist
Bisikletliler Derneği (Bicycle Association) has lots of info about cycling, runs regular cycling events and does lots of work towards securing bus lanes: http://bisikletliler.org/

Follow Critical Mass Istanbul for info on mass bike-rides: https://www.facebook.com/groups/criticalmassistanbul/?fref=ts

Superpool’s no hills bike map (European side only): http://www.superpool.org/index.php/istanbul-bike-map

A map of bike lanes and bike parking across the city (though not updated early 2013 it might still be helpful): İstanbul Bisiklet Haritası

Do you bike in the city? Where are your favorite places to cycle?

Beth Thomas is a contributor to Yabangee