June 15
Running and Biking in Bandung
There’s a lot of runners and bikers in Bandung. They are amazingly dedicated and brave given the traffic in the city.
Early mornings the temperature is cool and the traffic hasn’t become crazy yet,. so you see runners and bikers on the road. There’s also a park with a number of athletic facilities, including a track, and that becomes a focal point for runners in the morning.
When I arrive around 6:15AM at Saparua Park, there are very few people around, but by 7AM there’s always a good crowd going around the track.
Biking is also a popular activity. Some of the biking is utilitarian and used to commute or run errands. There are also a lot of high-end mountain and road bikes as well, with riders dodging traffic and emulating scooters on the streets.
The city of Bandung also has a bike sharing program called BOSEH. It has been in place for a couple of years but isn’t that well maintained. BOSEH is an abbreviation for “Bikes On Road Everyone Happy” although I’ve noticed that car drivers are not all that happy around bikes.
A downhill mountain bike race near one of the volcanoes
An organized run going through town
Closing down the streets for a run seems sensible given the traffic.
These young men were running in formation and really fast.
BOSEH, the city's bike sharing program
Some retro bikes from the 1940's and 50's
One of the really great restored Dutch bikes
Running at Saparua park in the morning
Life, Health, and Leasure
The neighborhood in town full of bike shops
Independent bike repair shops operate on the sidewalk by the bike sales shops
Bike shops mainly sell commuter and kids bikes
There are some shops that sell higher end bikes too