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[title]If you cycle around Seoul, most likely you bike around the Han River. The bike lanes there (with the exception of a few places currently under construction) are fairly easy to ride along, don’t have any tough uphill or downhill routes and are wide enough to ensure the safety of the rider. There are many well-known cycling routes and the Han River Bike Path (Seoul section) allows you to travel east to west, all the way to the Gyeongin Ara Waterway, with the wind in your hair and your eyes soaking in all the sights of the Seoul’s bridges along with the nature enveloped in the cityscape. It’s highly recommended for novice riders.
However, when fall comes with its crisp, cool breeze, these cycling routes are not the best for biking. People swarm to the Han River to walk, and with joggers running along the riverfront, there’s a higher risk of getting into accidents. Bugak Skyway is no exception as the amount of cyclists and cars on the road cause traffic jams at times. Still, if you haven’t had a satisfying cycling session, then I recommend going the extra mile and taking the route that starts at the Han River Bikeway and ends when you reach Namhansanseong Fortress.
This is the course I regularly take since I can start from my front door. You can ride straight along the Han River, and the more distance you put between yourself and the city, the less riders there are on the road, making it a more pleasant journey. Not to mention, you can bike alongside the gentle stream and travel with mountains of all sizes by your side. The highlight of this route begins as you enter Namhansanseong Fortress. As you continue to travel along the path on a gentle hill, it gets a bit steeper, requiring you to summon your secondwind. But as you enter the calm, one lane road, you will find yourself surrounded by the various colors of autumn leaves. There’s also the route that starts at Jamsil Ferry, passing though Hanamdong and up to Namhansanseong Fortress, all the while taking in the rich fall scenery. Of course, this is not the best route to take if you are a first-timer. A round trip on this course roughly totals 58km. At an average speed of 20km/h, it takes longer than three hours. On top of that, as you approach Namhansanseong Fortress, you need to pass through a city street, which requires some cycling experience. After the long, hard journey, the cool breeze blowing in your face will make you forget about all of life’s worries.
By lee Kyung-bin(WATTS Cycling Marketer)