Cycling wherever the road leads me: City Cycling in Spain

Calle Caballeros, Valencia

While on holiday in Spain this summer, I had a chance to visit three of its major cities: Barcelona, Valencia and Bilbao. This was not a cycling holiday but, as an avid Montreal cyclist, I could not help but observe the state of bicycle culture in these centres. While the levels of cycling activity vary from city to city, I was pleasantly surprised by the overall presence, which city cycling is displaying on the transportation landscape in these urban areas.

My expectations about what I would see in Spain were rather clichéd. I imagined hot-headed Latin drivers screeching and honking through the narrow city streets. I found instead that drivers in Spain are generally very respectful of cyclists and pedestrians, although they expect the same courtesy in return. This contrasts with my experience living in Montreal, where cyclists and pedestrians feel they take universal precedence over cars, and where crossing against traffic lights is common. Such action would be hazardous in these Spanish metropolises, where motorists drive efficiently and quickly with the assumption that cyclists and pedestrians will observe the rules of the road.

The roads did not seem congested and the air quality was very good. This may be partly explained by the fact that I saw these cities in August when most Spaniards are away on holiday. It may also be due to the excellent public transportation systems, which provide frequent and inexpensive services on clean and air-conditioned metros (subways), trams and buses. If travelling on public transportation in Canadian cities were as comfortable and affordable, more motorists might be lured out of their cars.

Bicing Stand, Barcelona

Barcelona and Valencia have public bicycle-sharing systems. In Barcelona, the system is called Bicing and has been in place for about three years. It is designed for residents of the city, who have to buy an annual membership. There is no day use feature as with the Bixi in Montreal. Their system has triggered some controversy. There have been issues regarding the maintenance of the bicycles and problems with the stands where they are secured. In addition, some citizens have expressed opinions online of the municipality favouring the service over offering facilities for cyclists with their own bicycles. However, I did see a lot of people using the funky red and white Bicing bicycles around the city. There are also a lot of bicycle rental companies where tourists can rent by the hour, day or week.

Valenbici Stand, Valencia

Valencia inaugurated its own bicycle sharing program, Valenbisi, in June of 2010. In August, stations were still in the process of being installed around the city. In contrast to Montreal and Barcelona where the stations are moveable structures, Valencia is building the bike stands into the sidewalks, demonstrating a strong commitment to the program. The Valenbisi system allows for annual membership, but also offers a weekly pass, which will make it attractive to tourists visiting the city.

While not as extensive as the bike routes in Montreal, where cycling is increasingly a means of commuting for residents, the network of paths in each Spanish city demonstrates that efforts are being made to establish routes for riders as a means of transport rather than for recreation. However, the limited number of bicycle paths, combined with excellent public transport systems and the extreme heat in the summer, particularly in Barcelona and Valencia, may deter residents from commuting by bicycle for the time being.

Bike Path along the Nervion River, Bilbao

This situation is similar to Montreal where the initial bicycle paths were geared towards recreational use such as the Lachine Canal path. As bicycle culture becomes more predominant, and bicycle-sharing programs grow, the network of paths will become more extensive and functional. One of the most positive aspects of bicycle-sharing programs is the constant visibility of the stations and bicycles throughout a city, creating a visual imprint in the minds of citizens and reinforcing the image of the bicycle as an integral component of urban transport.

Christopher Columbus Column, Barcelona

Roy Lichtenstein Sculpture, Bacelona

One common sight in these cities is that of cyclists mingling with pedestrians on sidewalks. In Montreal, this engenders outrage and bad feeling among pedestrians upset by cyclists looking for quick routes to get to their destination. In Spain, I saw cyclists and pedestrians sharing the space without any consternation. There are probably several reasons for this, but I think the primary one was that, given the warm weather, cyclists were moving at the same languid pace as the pedestrians themselves. We could perhaps learn a lesson from this: that part of the enjoyment of cycling is taking the time to enjoy our surroundings, rather than speeding from A to B.