Suffice it to say that our friends think we’re crazy. Perhaps they are right. Cycling in Cuenca, Ecuador is not for the timid or the infirm. But let’s give cycling a chance. Rachel and I are 60 years old, so I think that means that you don’t have to be Lance Armstrong to cycle in Cuenca. As far as the self-confidence thing is concerned, this activity is certainly south of rock climbing, surfing, hang gliding, skateboarding, and many other extreme sports on the roadmap to reckless living.
I’m going to tell you how to have a reasonable chance for survival without injury while maintaining your healthful living through exercise. Along the way you will eschew both public transportation and owning a budget-busting SUV to get from Edificio Palermo to Parque Calderon and beyond. The principles of survival (and fun) are applicable in any foreign city for expats. Oh and yes, you might cop an adrenaline rush while you’re at it.
Common Sense
Common sense and angels will keep you safe. I sometimes lack the former so I rely heavily on the latter. Daily prayer never hurts. Every now and then I get called before the Board of Angels for pushing the safety envelope. I am typically cited for exceeding my personal allotment of Heavenly Intervention for Idiots. I am then compelled to use common sense along with all my other senses to establish a personal safety zone.
The Culture
There are a few ground rules you need to be aware of. First, you must understand the lay of the land. This is Ecuador. You play by their rules. There are no rules. If you're a gringo, you must learn fast that all the rules and etiquette you thought were universal in the world of driving, simply are not. Ecuadorians as a people are extremely polite, considerate and caring. Put them behind the wheel and they are Darth Vader. Driving here is a blood sport. Ecuadorians do not accept the concept of coasting. Their right foot is always crushing the accelerator or the brake. The horn is a socially accepted relief valve for driver irritations. Here drivers are always irritated but especially when they spot someone on two wheels without a motor. The good news is that people don't get killed from road rage because they can honk at you until they feel better.
Actually, I understand their angst. Sitting in my $40,000 Toyota watching someone on a bike whiz past me while I'm stuck in traffic would just make my blood boil. Cycling in Cuenca is at its best when the traffic jams! It's like the Beatitudes of Bicycling. Blessed are the Bicyclists for they shall be the first through every traffic light. Just be sure to watch for doors opening on parallel parked cars. Oh, and watch out for drivers trying to parallel park. They don't know how to back up! They are unpredictable and can end up snarling traffic for eternity invoking a honk-a- thon heard from here to Vilcabamba.
The largest enemy of the cyclist is the big blue municipal bus. These are known collectively as the Blue Angels of Death (BAD). Their drivers must graduate from the Academy of Anarachy. They must show no remorse when they deck their standing passengers. Erratic swerving, slamming on the brakes and diesel belching acceleration is a hallmark of the Academy's finest. The bus drivers eat cyclists for snacks. Beware of the BAD.
Smile at the Enemy
Where the BAD is the biggest enemy, the Yellow Hornets (taxis) are the most annoying. I'm told by locals that people honk at you to let you know that they are there. It is a polite way of suggesting that you should be cautious. That may be true but the Yellow Hornets wait until they are right beside you and then blast you into old age. The first couple of times it's disconcerting then you reach a state of brazen deafness. The Hornets however have a heart. If you actually make eye contact with them and smile they will be your amigo. This is actually true of every driver I've encountered on the streets of Cuenca. Smile and wave, you'll get a pass to survive another day.
Circles of Death
Otherwise known as traffic circles, roundabouts or rotaries, the Circles of Death are at first as scary and lethal to the cyclist as an enormous thunderhead is to the novice pilot. You just have to know how to negotiate them.
My first two weeks here in Cuenca I avoided the circles as if my life depended on it. Then I started to watch the traffic carefully and saw a pattern of relative safety unfold before me. Here's the trick. The first thing you must do is get along the right side of a vehicle about to enter the circle. They must be in a holding pattern waiting for the magic moment to enter the circle. You remain right in their hip pocket and look through their windows to see what their driver sees which is oncoming circular traffic to his left. Once it subsides you sense the driver readying himself for the big dive and you must go with him. This driver is your body guard and protection. You must have your bike in a gear that you can bolt out of the blocks right with the car and stay with it until you are well into the circle. Once you're in the circle, you're king. You own the circle. Life is good.
If you ever ask a Navy pilot about landing on a carrier deck at night they'll tell you that there's a moment of terror every time they land. This isn't that bad.
Sidewalks
Sidewalks offer a relatively safe alternative to the harried streets of Cuenca. You must however realize how your role changes quickly when you leave the street. You are no longer the prey, you are the predator. Be careful of pedestrians. They are not expecting you and they will make sudden changes of direction without a hint of warning. It's not uncommon for bevies of girls four abreast to form an impenetrable gauntlet. Reduce your speed and give them a wide clearance when meeting or passing them. A courteous "dando su izquierda por favor" or similar vocal admonishment is always in order.
As you become more proficient in riding the streets you will realize that sidewalks are typically not needed or used except in isolated situations. I have been known to jump the street in favor of the sidewalk in situations where the road is so congested that even a bicycle can't thread its way through the snarl. This is fairly rare. In any event, sidewalks always offer an alternative when the road is too rough, too congested, or too dangerous for two wheels.
Cobblestone Streets
I call them the roads to 'rhoids. The obvious posterior discomfort inflicted by these quaint roadways is sufficient license to jump the curb to the sidewalk. The bumpiest cobblestone street in Cuenca is Avenida Doce de Abril. Fortunately there is a wide smooth sidewalk that runs along the street that is a cyclist's dream ride. Along the walkway is the beautiful Rio Tomebamba. If you become a cyclist in Cuenca, let this be your first ride. You'll be hooked.
Riding Downtown
Cuenca is aesthetically one of the most beautiful cities I've been in. You will marvel at the colonial architecture, the cobblestone streets. There are numerous street vendors and quaint cafes are abundant. If you want the best ice cream in Cuenca, you must try Mixxes Heladeria in Parque San Blas. For your first ride downtown, try Sunday! The streets are not busy and you will build your confidence riding in light traffic.
There are obvious hazards to riding bicycles in Cuenca Ecuador. You have the big blue buses, the yellow taxis, the roundabouts and the cobblestone streets to name a few. We've been doing it for almost a year and simply put, it's the best way to get around in Cuenca. When the traffic is heavy I can get from one end of town to the other quicker than a taxi or a bus. I have enormous fun, get great exercise, see more of everything than anyone else, and I have no operating cost. Use common sense. Start slowly and build your urban biking skills and savvy. Safety is always first. Two weeks of daily riding and you will feel comfortable and in shape. I guarantee you that your non-riding friends will be envious.
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