Bike Tel Aviv: Moutain Bikes Without The Dirt, Slick Road Bikes Too

Tel Aviv racing clubs annual race around Kikar Ha'medina. This annual event brings fans from all over the country. While the city was virtually sleeping on a Friday morning, enthusiasts were having a time of their life. World class cyclists did not attract much crowd. / © 2010

Tel Aviv has more dirt bikes on the streets than road bikes. They are simply more popular. The roads are actually fine, smooth and clean. The biggest problems in biking Tel Aviv are traffic during rush hours and theft in big tie-in areas (like the Arlozorov train station.) The weather is great for bicycling all year around. The city is flat and there are plenty of shops to buy and fix bikes. So why is Tel Aviv not like Amsterdam? Why can't Tel Avivians simply hop on bikes and get around the city easily? (instead of driving cars and searching for parking) Some think it is an emotional state of affair. Bicycling is not cool or is stigmatized as a lower class form of transport. But city hall is out to change these notions and they are taking a practical approach. The last few years the city put in nice bike paths, encouraged bike rental schemes and sponsored biking events. To the bikers all of this is really nice. I am not sure if it even nudges 100 drivers to abandon their cars for a nice bike.

Tel Aviv biking commuting is popular in the center of the city. On weekday mornings, from Ibn Gvirol to the tayelet (beach promenade, Ha'yarkon street) the sidewalk biking lanes are full of riders. I estimate about half of the riders are in their 20s. Biking is a cheap and fast way to get around town. Young people who move to Tel Aviv usually rent apartments. If you have the flexibility of renting an apartment within a riding distance to your work, if you don't have to impress anyone at work with a new car, than biking is the way to go. Into the city on any given day, very few bikes are scene coming from the suburbs. The main streets into central Tel Aviv a clogged with cars and mopeds. Mopeds are more popular than bicycles, you can see them zooming between cars and taking off at green lights. Mopeds are also used by the 20 something set and are the staple of delivery couriers of all kind (pizza to legal documents.)

From an outside perspective, city hall's push for biking as a major form of transportation seems more like envy for other cities than a real transportation solution. Tel Aviv tries to portray itself as a cosmopolitan city in a European mold. It is also a city which tries to keep up with trends, today it is the green trend. Seeing how people use bikes in Amsterdam and even in Paris and London is definitely something to envy in Tel Aviv. But for the most part, the biking traditions in Europe are not government driven, they are also not the latest trend. They are cultural phenomena. They reflect the way people have lived and moved in cities in Europe for hundreds of years. Tel Aviv does not have this tradition, if anything, bicycles are identified with rural kibbutz travel and kids way to get around home. But that does not mean we can not learn and adapt smart ideas from other places. This is what city hall is hoping to do. The most recent buzz is low cost bike rentals a la London style. Before that, a few years ago it was additional bike lanes on wide sidewalks and boulevards. City hall even improved a nice bike path along the Yarkon river park, cutting Tel Aviv east to west along the northern edge. From the residential neighborhoods on the west to the technology business park in Atidin on the east.

If you come to Tel Aviv as a tourist or for a few months on business there are plenty of places to buy bikes. There are a few shops offering bike rentals and you will find a few stands with bikes to rent along the promenade and main streets (try Dizengoff and Iben Gvirol.) Ask the local businesses or hotel concierge for details. The biking shops area in Tel Aviv is along Ha'cheshmonaim street and part of Menachem Begin Boulevard. Here you will find from the latest racing and road bikes in the thousands of dollars to used bikes at $250. Cheaper bikes you will have to look at Internet listing sites like Yad2 (Craig's list is not that popular in Israel.) Bike theft is one of the most annoying issue in Tel Aviv. Nobody is sure who steals the bikes and where they all go. But police on patrol will tell you to lock your bike with a good lock and to take everything off the bike: pumps, water bottles, bicycle computers. You will also be advised to lock your bike in a public place where it is visible. In front of a shop or on a busy street is the best place. If you are looking for a riding group, there are plenty sponsored by local biking shops and organized by local enthusiasts. The road biking scene in Israel is small but vibrant. There are also lots of off-road clubs. Specially in the summer there are events all over the country. Israel has lots of parks and there are many trails to bike safely and see great scenes.