Will Cab Drivers Let You Put a Bike in the Trunk?

[Duncan Leung]

Hi all,

So...

I ran into a flat tire (actually, someone slashed my tire and ran off with my bike-computer mount...) and the bike shop that I need to get to is in AnDingMen, while I'm located in WuDaoKou. I tried to use my handy-dandy-little-portable-tool-kit to try to remove the wheel, but the wrench provided is too small is is stripping the nut (sad- just a bad day all in all).

Has anyone had any experience trying to talk a cab driver in letting you put a bicycle in the trunk?

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

[gougou]

There certainly will be some that will let you do that. But wouldn't it be cheaper to just get a replacement locally? Or do you need a special kind of tire?

[roddy]

Or just get a local place to take the wheel off.

You'll need a friendly taxi-driver, but no reason why you can't do it. Stand by the side of the road with your broken bike looking forlorn, they'll decide whether to stop or not.

[adrianlondon]

There are bike repair places everywhere. Unless you need a specialist place Id just get the puncture fixed or a new tyre locally. However, as Roddy cleverly suggested, you can always ask a local place to remove the offending wheel and simply take that to the place you want.

I can understand someone stealing something (but a computer mount? They're relatively unique to each make of computer) but slashing a tyre? That's not the sort of thing I'd expect to happen in Beijing; one thing I liked about living there compared to London was a very low level of bored vandalism.

[roddy]

If it's a nice bike with a decent lock, the tyre may have been slashed in the hope that it would be left there for longer, hence facilitating future theft when they come back with better tools.

[Brian US]

What is a bike computer used for? I looked at some pictures and it seems it may have several functions. If they just took the bike computer mount, wouldn't that just be a bit of plastic or metal?

Seems people will take anything if it's not bolted down...or they just get tools. I left an extra 10 kuai U-lock in my bike basket for 5 minutes to later find it stolen. I only assume someone wanted it for scrap, as it doesn't serve much function without a key. I'm surprised more bike seats aren't stolen.

[Duncan Leung]

Thanks for the feedback guys- I'll try flag down a cab and see if the uncle will let me put the bike in the trunk. If not, then I guess it's off a street repair vendor to help me take the wheel off.

I thought it was strange for the plastic mount to be stolen too since there really won't be much use as the mount is specific to my computer. Luckily I checked online and a replacement is only $3.50USD. Also glad that the wheel magnet and receiver was left in place too!

Thanks again for the replies.

[Scoobyqueen]

Yes I have asked a taxi driver in Beijing to put a bike in the trunk and it wasnt a problem. I paid him extra for it.

[amandagmu]

I traveled with a bike case and dealt with it in two fashions:

the honest way: standing on the side of the road and negotiation, still paid a higher price (this may take a bit of standing around and talking to more than one driver)

the easier way when in a rush: hide the bike behind you or something else or leave in the apartment while you flag down a driver, then tell him you have special luggage you need to put in the trunk. When he gets out to open the trunk, produce the bike, negotiate quickly, pop it in the trunk and go. Sneaky, but it works.

[Brian US]

How much extra are you offering the cab drivers?

Does the same go for when you have lots of luggage, or is it just items that are dirty/may scratch?

[imnotblue]

I managed to put my bike in the trunk a few times, usually late at night. But also happened before that I got a flat tire, and was pregnant, and got rejected all the way long!

[Duncan Leung]

Hi all, thought I'd give my experience on trying to get a cabbie to pick me and my bike up.

I ended up taking my bike to a random electrical repair shop (I was on the way to a bike shop and just saw the electrical shop) and asked for a 扳子 (ban3zi) wrench that would fit my wheel nuts and took both of the wheels off. This was kinda a necessity since I'm 6'3" and my bike is huge too, and wouldn't have fit into a taxi trunk.

Regarding grabbing a cab- I think it's just based on luck. Two cab drivers passed me by and waved a, "no" at me, but one cabbie stopped and was very enthusiastic in helping me put the frame and wheels in the trunk; no issue with the wheels or frame being dirty either (by dirty, I don't mean dripping with mud or mud-caked, but definitely dirty from riding on Beijing roads). I didn't have to pay the cabbie anything extra, or negotiate either.

Best of luck to those who find themselves in a similar situation!