Why isn't cycling more popular in Cambodia?
Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2019 10:01 pm
With most of Cambodia being incredibly flat, I often wonder why cycling isn't a lot more popular than it is, especially Phnom Penh.
Safety? You're no safer on a moto than you are on a bicycle. In fact, I'd say you're a little bit safer on a bicycle. Because you're going at a slightly reduced speed, both you and the SUV motorist who's doing her make-up in the sunscreen mirror have slightly more time to react when a potential collision occurs. Plus, cyclists often sit a little bit higher on their saddle than moto riders, giving both the cyclist a slightly better view and the motorist who's texting his wife that he's working late while on his way to meet his mistress, slightly more chance of noticing you.
Speed? You may ride a bit slower than a moto on a long, straight, flat and empty road, but how many of those do you get in PP? When you take into account the myriad of junctions you have to negotiate, the traffic lights, the dogs and kids running out into the road, the traffic that just appears from side roads with no consideration to oncoming traffic on the main road, cycling is not any slower than riding a moto.
The heat? One of the great advantages of cycling is that you don't have to encase your head (where 70% of your body heat escapes) in an enclosed shell. The natural 'wind through your hair' breeze you get while cycling is often enough to keep you cool. Even if you choose to wear a cycling helmet, they're specifically designed differently to motorbike helmets to allow air through. And in a worse case scenario, just slow down a bit.
I gave up my moto about 10 months ago for a bike and have never looked back. I use it every day to ride about 3km to work and 3km back again. It takes the same amount of time it did on my moto. It cost me $100 as opposed to the $1000 my moto cost me, and I can do almost all of the maintenance myself. The odd occasion I've had to take it to a repair shop, it's cost me riel as opposed to dollar. Plus I don't have to fill it up with petrol. Ever. And for those times when you're travelling with a friend, get a pass app and go halves. It doesn't come close to the daily savings you make by not having to run and maintain a moto.
I often find myself breezing down a road on my way home, wondering why more people don't choose this as their daily form of transport, so thought I'd just put it out there...?
Safety? You're no safer on a moto than you are on a bicycle. In fact, I'd say you're a little bit safer on a bicycle. Because you're going at a slightly reduced speed, both you and the SUV motorist who's doing her make-up in the sunscreen mirror have slightly more time to react when a potential collision occurs. Plus, cyclists often sit a little bit higher on their saddle than moto riders, giving both the cyclist a slightly better view and the motorist who's texting his wife that he's working late while on his way to meet his mistress, slightly more chance of noticing you.
Speed? You may ride a bit slower than a moto on a long, straight, flat and empty road, but how many of those do you get in PP? When you take into account the myriad of junctions you have to negotiate, the traffic lights, the dogs and kids running out into the road, the traffic that just appears from side roads with no consideration to oncoming traffic on the main road, cycling is not any slower than riding a moto.
The heat? One of the great advantages of cycling is that you don't have to encase your head (where 70% of your body heat escapes) in an enclosed shell. The natural 'wind through your hair' breeze you get while cycling is often enough to keep you cool. Even if you choose to wear a cycling helmet, they're specifically designed differently to motorbike helmets to allow air through. And in a worse case scenario, just slow down a bit.
I gave up my moto about 10 months ago for a bike and have never looked back. I use it every day to ride about 3km to work and 3km back again. It takes the same amount of time it did on my moto. It cost me $100 as opposed to the $1000 my moto cost me, and I can do almost all of the maintenance myself. The odd occasion I've had to take it to a repair shop, it's cost me riel as opposed to dollar. Plus I don't have to fill it up with petrol. Ever. And for those times when you're travelling with a friend, get a pass app and go halves. It doesn't come close to the daily savings you make by not having to run and maintain a moto.
I often find myself breezing down a road on my way home, wondering why more people don't choose this as their daily form of transport, so thought I'd just put it out there...?