After the adoption of the decree "On the development of the digital economy", the Belarusian began to actively grow with new companies, and existing residents became even more willing to invite specialists from abroad. A significant part of the invitees are residents of the countries of the former USSR, for whom, despite the common past, some features of cycling around Minsk may come as a surprise. If you are thinking about moving to Belarus or are already in the process and want to use a bicycle as a means of transport, this material may be useful to you.
Traffic Laws
The biggest surprise for a beginner may be the ban on cycling on the carriageway. Yes, in Belarus you can only ride a bike on a bike or pedestrian path. You can ride on the road only when it is impossible to move on the sidewalk and bike path, whatever that means, according to the drafters of the Rules.
At the end of 2019, it is planned to adopt , where, in theory, they may be allowed to drive on some roads. But so far this is only a bill, and in what form it will be adopted, it is difficult to say. Therefore, keep in mind: for driving on the roadway, you can easily and quite legally be fined in the amount of ~12 to ~36USD equivalent. Naturally, it is not customary to negotiate with the traffic police and it is much more dangerous for the wallet than a regular fine.
Another feature is that it is also impossible to ride a bicycle along a pedestrian crossing if there is no special sign. That is, the cyclist must walk along the usual "zebra" and drive the bike nearby. Fortunately, there are more and more places where you do not need to get off the bike, and if the amendments to the traffic rules are adopted, then you will have to dismount only at unregulated pedestrian crossings.
Infrastructure
In the past few years, new bike paths on the sidewalks have been actively appearing in Minsk. They are simply painted with paint, as a rule, from the side of the roadway and are marked with road markings and signs.
In places where the bike paths are interrupted, the curbs are usually lowered, so you don’t have to buy some kind of special bike to “jump the curbs” - a regular city bike or a hybrid on a rigid fork will do.
Do not choose single-speed bikes if you are not confident in your abilities - the elevation difference in Minsk is more than 100 meters. The central part of the city is located in a lowland, so returning to the “sleeping bags” without a reserve of 3-5 gears can be uncomfortable.
In 2009, a 27 km long central cycle path was opened in the city. It runs through the whole of Minsk from the northwest to the southeast along the Svisloch River. It is convenient to move along the bike path in the central part of the city or go to it from the outskirts to get to the center, with minimal distraction from pedestrians and traffic lights.
It is not very convenient that many bike paths, which are simply marked on the sidewalk, are tiled. It would be more comfortable and faster to drive on smooth asphalt, but this can probably be explained by the lack of budget for laying individual tracks, and not by a conscious decision of the designers.
There is no modern bike rental in Minsk. There are seasonal sports equipment rental points, but the appearance of bicycle sharing services, to which residents of European cities are accustomed, is not yet expected in the city.
Stationary indoor bicycle parking is also still a rarity. Sometimes some advanced developer or the residents themselves can raise money and build a parking lot, but so far this is rather an exception. Most bicycles are stored either in apartments or in the entrances of houses.
culture
In most cases, there will be no problems with pedestrians and motorists on the way. People are gradually getting used to the fact that more and more cyclists appear in the city every year, so going out to the bike path or not allowing a car to pass at the crossing is a rather rare occurrence. Elderly people or ladies with strollers can walk along the bike path, but this is rare, and most often it is enough to honk a horn to get a person off the path. The younger generation and those who have been living in Minsk for some time already know the rules of conduct, and usually there are no problems.
In the photo: people walk on the side for pedestrians
There is no special attitude or disdain for cyclists, few people will judge the wealth or social status of a person by the fact that he comes to work on a bicycle. For example, in Belarusian villages, cycling is often the main mode of transport, so your cycling for business will most likely not cause surprise.
Security
Compared to major European cities, Minsk is a safe city and bicycles are rarely stolen here. According to a rough estimate, there are now 400 bicycles in Minsk, and about 400-600 thefts are registered a year. Bicycle racks in one form or another are quite common, but usually these are the cheapest designs with a front wheel mount.
Most owners secure their bikes with inexpensive cable locks, so if you use a chain or u-lock, there's little chance of your bike being stolen unless a thief is after yours.
As an additional measure of protection, the bike can be insured. In Minsk, two companies offer such services, on average it will cost 6-10% per year of the cost of a bicycle.
Service and Parts
So far, not everything is good with this in Minsk - mostly the cheapest components of Chinese, Russian, and sometimes Taiwanese manufacturers are sold in stores. The assortment is small due to the fact that the supplier of many sellers is the same. Ordering spare parts and accessories by mail is also not always profitable and convenient due to the low limit on duty-free import of international parcels - in order not to pay a duty of 30% of the cost, the goods in the parcel should not be valued above 22 euros.
Bicycle services exist, as a rule, at bicycle shops or in garages, but do not count on their high quality. Servicing and tuning a rare/expensive bike can also be problematic, including due to the lack of spare parts.
Conclusions
As a transport, not to mention fitness or entertainment, it is quite comfortable to use a bicycle in Minsk - there are more cyclists, and the infrastructure is developing after that. The climate allows cycling from April to November without problems, but some cyclists ride all year round.
In general, if you like cycling, Minsk will become a friendly city for you.
Source: habr.com