Having Limited Options in Jakarta, Avid Cyclists Choose to Stay Indoors
Jakarta. Cycling has been trending in Indonesia over the last few years, with many people arguing that it is a great stress reliever. However, with the heavy traffic and pollution of the country's main cities, this activity has become rather dangerous.
The sport only requires a bicycle, yet it is not easy to ride it in overcrowded Jakarta. Many of its inhabitants prefer to cycle when streets are clear of traffic, for example during Car-Free Day on Jalan Jenderal Sudirman in Central Jakarta every Sunday.
Given that bicycle paths are not available, cyclists cannot pedal at high a speed as they might want to, because of slow-moving traffic and road hazards.
"I average speeds [during cycling] of up to 40 kilometers per hour, and when I want to, I can reach 60 km per hour," Algerian expatriate Abdoullah Mitiche said during the soft launch of Fitness First health club in Senayan, South Jakarta, on Thursday (20/10).
Instead of cycling around the city, where he may risk injuries, Mitiche recommends cycling indoors.
"Now I do indoor cycling for almost 50 percent of my training. By cycling indoors I can avoid the risks posed by Jakarta's traffic," he said.
Some bigger cities in developed countries accommodate cycling or provide bicycle paths along streets, allowing people to use them at any time. But in Jakarta for now, the only place to safely cycle is indoors.
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