They say once you learn, you never forget.
As my former roommates will vouch, I’m an avid biker and generally do all my errands by bike. Biking in Edmonton, however, is a far cry from biking in Phnom Penh! Within a few hours of arriving here on Friday morning, Jeff, Andrea and I were all proud owners of spiffy new (used) single-speed bikes. We spent the last three days visiting the Russian Market, supermarkets, restaurants, and church by bike—all without getting run over, thanks to our patient guides Steve and Jodi Chee!
Me and Bad Boy Veloil (named for the awesome stickers on the frame).
I may be a decent biker in Edmonton, but I’ve had to learn anew in Phnom Penh. Few people follow the actual rules of the road, yet there are unspoken rules that keep everything running surprisingly smoothly. Here’s what I’ve learned:
1. Lane markings are merely guidelines.
2. The bigger you are, the further left you ride on the road. This means cars, then tuk-tuks, then motos, then bikes. But all of the above can weave from side to side at will.
3. As a biker, you want to stay pretty close to the right...but you have to leave a bit of space for vehicles that decide to go the wrong way.
4. One-way? Nonsense! Go whichever way you like!
5. Right of way goes to whoever is willing to go farthest into the intersection and force those going in other directions to wait or weave around them.
6. Biking in 40+, very humid weather can make you very sweaty, so don’t forget to stop for fresh sugar cane juice!
With these guidelines in mind, Bad Boy Veloil and I plan to cruise the city in safety and style over the next five months! I’ll let you know where our adventures take us next.
Jeff surveys Phnom Penh's traffic from his new bicycle.
