Biking Adventures Ep. 1: Han River

In my last post aboutbiking, I shared how Changwon City is making some mean green moves with its public bicycle rental scheme, Nubija.

I also mentioned how I've bought myself a new bike and how I plan on becoming the next Captain Planet by cycling everywhere. Well, I didn't exactly say that but that's how I envision it in my head. It's a bit of an exaggeration, but my intentions are noble.

Photo credit:Bad Haven

While I haven't gotten quite as adventurous as Captain Planet, I have explored a few different parts of the Han River now.

Along the Han River, which is the major river that cuts through Seoul, there are long stretches of parks and bike/pedestrian friendly roads. It's the best place to go in town for people watching and observing things you might not see on an everyday basis, e.g. an 80-year-old man on a unicycle.

Biking around the Han River offers fantastic views of vast skylines, the sparkling water and greenery all around. According toKorea.com, there are 48 interchanges that connect the Han river Park to areas farther away from the river and elevators on seven big bridges make it possible for cyclists to cross the river and have access to all 12 Han River Parks.

The other day, I took my folding VLUU minivelo for a ride to the Han River from my house in Gwangjin-gu.

View of the Han River along the way

Once I got there, I whipped out my tent, a good book and of, course, snacks. For the uber lazy, you can get food like fried chicken delivered right to you, wherever you are at the park!

You can see what's it's like to bike there through a video that bike enthusiast and writer Steve Miller posted on his blog, theQiRanger. Steve's been living here in Korea for about four years now and originally hails from Arizona. Some of his favorite bike spots are Olympic Park, around Yeouido, and of course the Han River.

He even recently raced his friend from Yeouido to Jamsil in an ultimate showdown – bike vs. subway.See who won in this clip.

Even former U.S. Ambassador to Korea, Kathleen Stephens, is a fan of biking around the Han River. Here's avideoof her talking about cycling in Seoul.

So from the out-of-shape, novice (me) to the enthusiasts to even the U.S. Ambassador, the Han River's got something for every bike rider.

Do you enjoy biking? Share with us where your favorite cycling spot is!