Biking in Bogotá: A City With a Mission

A person riding their bike in Bogotá, Colombia. Photo taken by Ally Lord.

Introduction  

The first thing I notice as I arrive in Bogotá on a temperate February afternoon, are the colours. Balmy browns, and muddy red roof tops make the city feel naturally built in a way I haven’t observed in many other urban capitals. The second thing I notice, of course, is the bikes. People swirl through cars with little hesitation. Cyclists embark on freeways with unpretentious road bikes, confidently taking up space. It is not uncommon to see a mother with an infant on her lap, her arm wrapped around them tightly as she goes about her day. Seeing so many children confidently riding bikes without helicopter parents monitoring their every move feels foreign. Such a contrast, I think to myself, that Bogotanos are able to navigate a city filled with so many cars so comfortably, and most without specialized equipment, while in many North American cities, we may feel the need to be perfectly equipped for our rides, spending money on specialized clothing, bikes, and equipment: think MAMIL (Middle Aged Men in Lycra).

Bogotá is home to 11 million people and has some of the most explosive traffic jams in the world. However, it also boasts a city-wide cycling network that covers more than 600 km of streets – making it the most extensive in Latin America and one of the largest in the world.

I wonder what it’s like to be a female cyclist in Bogotá? I contemplate as I stroll through the city, finding myself face-to-face with a bike share station right away. I am already impressed with how little effort it took to locate. Additionally, there was a cargo bike available to rent, which I’ve never seen so freely available in any North American cities.

Tembici bike share in Bogotá, Colombia, offers cargo bikes, e-bikes, and road bikes to rent. Photo taken by Ally Lord.

So, how was the ride, you ask? I was impressed with the number of bike lanes, and separated from traffic, no less. Even though I was navigating the city haphazardly with half an iPhone signal and a wonky SIM card, I never felt unsafe due to cars. My safety only felt compromised when men hurled objectifying comments at me. Apparently women can’t escape the effects of Machismo culture, even when we’re going really fast on our bikes.

Later, I spent an afternoon with Bogotá Bike Tours and got a chance to learn more about what it’s like to bike as a group in the City. We spent about three hours weaving through the streets. It was a beautiful experience of bringing people from all across the world together to experience the city on the seat of a bike.

A woman rides a bike past graffiti art in Bogotá that reads, “Les Calles son Nuestras” which means, “The roads are ours” in English. Photo taken by Ally Lord.

Meet Joha

While on this tour, I got the opportunity to speak with a local named Joha, who was born and raised in Bogotá. She says that car-free Sundays have revolutionized the biking scene.  “Bogotá, Joha confirms, is a place where traffic is insane.” 

Ciclovía, which in Spanish means “Bicycle Way,” allows Bogotanos (and Bogotanas!) to enjoy the streets without the added stress of cars taking up space. This ritual of closing major streets on Sundays so Bogotanos can engage in more cycling, walking, and rolling has been taking place for 30 years. 

Bogotá is 28 meters above sea level. Being able to withstand the high altitude levels is a challenge, Joha shared. She views biking as a way to get exercise and move between places with ease. 

Joha, a Bogotana, enjoying a bike ride 😚 Photo taken by Ally Lord.

How the city of Bogota is trying to get more women on bikes 

In Bogotá, 880,000 trips are made every day on a bike, yet only 24% of trips made by bicycle in the city of Bogota are made by women. This ratio isn’t that much different than in Canada, where only 8% of women are likely to ride a bike once a week, compared to 25% of men. 

The mayor of Bogotá has proposed an initiative through the Global Project on Urban Governance for Health of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) to achieve gender parity by 2039, which means that in the next 15 years, women will (hopefully) be making up to 50% of trips by bicycle. One example included in this initiative involves supporting women to enter employment in the bike messenger industry through training and subsidization of materials.

A woman rides a bike in a two-way cycle track in downtown Bogotá. Photo taken by Ally Lord.

Conclusion

As I bid adiós to Bogotá after a full week of empanadas, bandeja paisa, and joyful bike rides, it occurred to me that cycling is an activity that relies on balance. We need balance to ride our bikes, and we need balance in numbers so that people of all genders can enjoy the benefits of cycling. 

While Bogotá has the most extensive cycling network in Latin America, and one of the largest in the world, the country still struggles with gender disparity and increasing female and non-binary, ridership. As we wait and see how the World Health Organization initiative plays out in real time, I’d like to encourage cyclists in the Global North to take a note from Colombians. Do we really need expensive cycling gear, and a perfect bike to enjoy our rides? Or can we simply just be on our bikes, however they look and feel, and enjoy the journey? Perhaps, it’s about finding a balance.