Most Beijingers don't share the same stern spirit that 17-year-old A Gui did in the movie Beijing Bicycle. Most Beijingers also don't share last emperor Puyi's spirit, who owned over 20 bikes and ordered the removal of 30 door stoppers from the Forbidden City to ride freely within its grounds. Beijing Bike Week hopes to reignite some of this bike enthusiasm though. The three-day extravaganza will kick-off tomorrow with a display of high-tech and vintage bike models on Jinbao Jie. Nestled amongst the luxury car dealers, its less than subtle goal is to raise bicycles to luxury status and celebrate cycling culture in a city that has aborted the bicycle in favor of the car over the past two decades. The program also includes an alley cat race (an urban race open to anyone with a bicycle), bike polo, bicycle films and some seminars on bicycle maintenance and exercise. So do they face an easy ride?

"I don't know about Beijing Bike Week, but I haven't considered riding a bike to commute in Beijing," said Beijing native Zhang Qian, a 26-year-old banker. "It's very dangerous to ride alongside so many cars and buses. Moreover, vehicles take over the bike lanes. I won't invest in a bike that can be easily stolen," added Zhang, who takes the subway to work.

52-year-old Wu Sihan, who owns a launderette in town, took a different attitude. Wu is currently thinking about buying himself a bicycle. "I'll appreciate the exercise and that way I can avoid traffic congestion and get around much more quickly," said Wu. "I haven't done it so far because I can drive to work, which is less tiresome and a more decent way to travel," he confessed, then added: "Even if the city improves its infrastructure, it's important to educate people that riding bicycles is a way to reduce carbon emissions and traffic congestion."

Luxury wheels

By placing the most technologically advanced, limited edition and vintage bikes among Aston Martin and Ferrari showrooms, Beijing Bike Week wants to "reposition the modern bicycle as a high-end product." Organizers  want to "change the perception of the bicycle in China," by promoting cycling to new audiences in a city filled with five million cars. But even if they do convince people like Zhang and Wu that a bike is the way to go, it's likely that most Beijingers can't afford a top-range new bike, which can cost thousands of yuan. Or can they?

"More and more Beijingers find bicycles fashionable and see cycling as a healthy and fun lifestyle choice," noted Yang Mora, co-founder of the Fast Wheel Night Riding League, a group of bike enthusiasts that organize night rides around town. A 30-year-old marketing director, Yang himself commutes by using a custom-made bike. "I prefer to spread the word about bikes being a practical,  fun means of transportation. The bicycle is only just making a comeback as a recreational vehicle for the emerging middle class. It'll take time until people take this in and even though many can't afford a 5000 yuan ($790) bike, the change must start somewhere," said Yang.

46-year-old entrepreneur Wang Yong, owner of Beijing Bicycle Rental Services, isn't so optimistic about the high-end pitch. "I'm afraid it won't have any long-term effects when it comes to encouraging a significant return to bikes," observed Wang. His company provides a service where people can pick up a bike at any moment from around 100 service stations in Beijing, leave a deposit and after using the bike, drop it off at another station and get the deposit back. "Look at the people that are riding a bike these days - they're mostly migrant workers and poor people. The average Chinese can now afford the dream and comfort of a family car. At the same time, the city landscape has changed dramatically in the past 30 years, turning Beijing into a dangerous place to ride a bicycle." Wang added that most Beijingers, encouraged to cycle in their childhoods, now won't allow their children to go to school by bike.

The new golf?

"From New York with its hipsters riding fixed gear bikes through to CEOs cycling at Gran Fondo events (mass-participation cycling events) in the European Alps, cycling is cool again," noted Shannon Bufton, owner of Serk Cycling, a company that promotes cycling events and is organizing Beijing Bike Week in partnership with Chinabikers.com, a cycling website and media company. "Throughout many parts of the Western world cycling is growing in popularity, both as a recreational pursuit and for urban commuting. It's been said that cycling is the new golf," said the Australian organizer.

Bufton has no illusions, but is still optimist about restoring the image of the bicycle. "I don't think that Beijing will go back to becoming the 'Bicycle Kingdom' again. The urban structure of the city has been altered beyond repair, with a lot of decentralized areas that require traveling distances that are not feasible by bike," said the organizer. "I think we'll see the bicycle making a comeback in years to come, as traveling by car in the center is horrible and the crowded subway is not much better," he pointed out. However, Bufton rates Beijing as a bike-friendly city due to its high number of bike lanes, a flat landscape and only a few days of rain. "Beijing also has absolutely amazing recreational cycling in the mountains on the outskirts. I think we are going to see a lot of growth in this area in years to come," added the organizer.

Unlike Bufton, Wang believes that without the commitment of the local government, Beijing can't recover bikes. "The Green Olympics showed that the Chinese government has the power to make Beijing an example bike city like Amsterdam or Paris have done. But since the Olympics finished, bike lanes have been receding because the car industry and housing industry support the economy," he noted. Wang has even considered closing his bike rental service due to lack of profit. "It's unsustainable for a private company to support this type of public service forever," he said.

Beijing Bike Week

March 15 - 18,10 am - 9 pm

B1 Jinbao Place, 88 Jinbao Jie, Dongcheng district

For the full program and more information visit Beijingbikeweek.com