About Us
STC was formed in early 2010 by a small group of friends passionate about cycling and their city - Beijing.
With over 4 million cars appearing on Beijing’s roads in a relatively short period of time (it only took 2 years for last 2 million cars to appear) there is no doubt that this city has rapidly moved from the capital of the bicycle kingdom to the capital of the new car kingdom.
This rapid rise of the automobile has brought with it congestion, air pollution, health problems as well as liveability and sustainability challenges.
These challenges are not only an issue for Beijing and China but an issue of global significance when you stop to consider these two facts ;
- 20 - 25 % of world energy production and carbon dioxide emissions come from transportation systems and 60-70% of this is passenger transportation with the private car being the dominant mode.
- Car ownership in China is hovering at around 10% of a population of 1.3 Billion and the other 90% of the population are aspiring to own a car. The World currently has some 750 million cars and will soon have a lot more if China continues on its current path.
It is quite ironic that Beijing was once the ultimate bicycle city and as a result a huge amount of bicycle infrastructure still exists. There are also stubs of a new bicycle culture 2.0 that are emerging on the streets and out in Beijing's mountains.
The Chinese Government are very aware of the problems posed by a booming car culture and have paired consumer appetite for automobiles with an impressive investment in public transportation. The urbanization program in Chinese cities has been awe inspiring, however in its thirst for modernization China has overlooked the humble bicycle which for so many years made transportation in Chinese cities incredibly sustainable. This is in contrast with the trend in many progressive cities in the world which are realizing that bicycles can play a significant role in transportation modal share and subsequently create more sustainable and liveable cities.
STC believes that bicycle culture in Beijing is at a cross roads. The city still has a high ridership rate (19%) and bicycles are still in abundance but their use and status is declining rapidly. If urgent action doesn't occur soon the culture could become completely extinct which would make it significantly more difficult to resurrect at a later period in the city’s development.
STC was set up as a platform for promoting cycling, the bicycle life and preserving Beijing’s unique cycling culture.
Our long term aims are quite ambitious, the founders believe a new bicycle 2.0 culture can be created in China and that this is of great worth in not only improving the liveability and sustainability in Beijing but providing a model for other Chinese cities to follow - which is of relevance to the global sustainability movement.
STC regularly organizes social rides, lectures and other events. We also work with a range of partners to provide information about cycling in Beijing.
