Kyiv is a cycling city

A few hundred cyclists gathered in Independence Square on that morning. Young ladies in hats, soccer fans with their teams’ accessories, athletes in colorful leotards were all talking, drinking coffee with croissants, and taking a lot of pictures of themselves. Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko joined the activists for the “Cycling to Work” flashmob in the capital. The event was organized by the Cyclists’ Association of Kyiv.

Olha Yupko, who took part in it, cycles to work only infrequently, because her home is quite far from her workplace. However, she rides as much as 50 kilometers at some weekends with her friends. She likes trips to Mezhyhiria, Pushcha-Vodytsia, and Vyshhorod, that is, locations abounding in greenery. “I   bought a bicycle two years ago,” Yupko told us. “Cycling is good for physical fitness and comes almost free. This year, I never ended my cycling season. Every winter month had a few cycling-friendly days. Most importantly, one needs to dress for the weather. A bicycle needs an inspection after every 1,000 kilometers of mileage as well.” She works for an IT company and is the only cyclist in the office, but hopes to encourage colleagues to share her hobby.

The “Cycling to Work” flashmob co­vered eight cities of Ukraine: Arte­mivsk, Kyiv, Lviv, Mukacheve, Odesa, Rivne, Kharkiv, and Khust. The capital hosted the event for the second time. It aimed to show that the bicycle could be used not only for recreation or sport, but also for everyday movements, such as to school or to store. “Our movement is growing more popular,” media coordinator of the Cyclists’ Association of Kyiv Olesia Storozhuk noted. “Kyiv is quite comfortable for cyclists. There are certain adverse terrain features, but they are not a barrier to the spread of this transportation mode in the city. We need to develop infra­structure. For instance, it would be easier to cycle if there were more bicycle tracks on roadways.”

The flashmob spectators’ attention was drawn to an elderly man who rode a rocket-like bicycle car. The car’s owner Volodymyr Khalaburda has built more than 50 such vehicles since 1977. The retiree owns four of them now, some equipped with an engine, others are water capable. The average speed of his vehicle is 20 kilometers per hour with the engine shut off, but it varies depending on conditions. “I got myself into a minor accident recently, crashing into some soldier’s car; I scratched it and had to pay a fine. Traffic police officers said I needed to have correct paperwork for my vehicle, even though I already have a motorcyclist’s certificate on me while riding my engine-equipped bicycle car,” Khalaburda said. “I follow the traffic rules, find common ground with dri­vers, and they respect me. Still, I do not abuse their respect and yield road to motor vehicles, because it is a hobby for me, while people rush to work.”