Pandemic Fuels Sports Biking Boom in Cycling Nation China

Members of the Qiyi bicycle club climb a hill on a rural road during a group ride through the Baihe River Canyon in the northern outskirts of Beijing, Wednesday, July 13, 2022. Cycling has gained increasing popularity in China as a sport. A coronavirus outbreak that shut down indoor sports facilities in Beijing earlier this year encouraged people to try outdoor sports including cycling, which was only a major tool of transport before 2000. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

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By Associated Press

August 9, 2022 at 4:30 AM UTC

Updated on

August 9, 2022 at 9:34 AM UTC

Beijing (AP) -- Lindsay Mo couldn’t go to her gym after Beijing shut down indoor sports facilities in May because of a coronavirus outbreak. So she started cycling — and soon fell in love with the sport.

“I realized a racing bicycle was quite different than a regular bike," she said. “It’s very fast and exciting, and I couldn’t stop anymore.”