Sergey Serganov
President of the Moscow Gravel Touring Club
Following the saying “Mend your sails while the weather is fine”, EcoTourism Expert spoke with Sergey Serganov, President of the Moscow Gravel Touring Club, about whether cycling tourism exists in Russia today and what hinders the development of this type of recreation.
- Is it possible to say that cycling tourism exists in Russia or not?
- Oddly enough, a cycling tourism is much more developed in Russia than in Europe...
- An unexpected statement ... Why?
- What is a cycling tourism in Europe? You’re on a road bicycle with a small bag and you’re riding along a good highway from one campsite to another.
In Russia, the way of thinking is different. Our people are quite rational and they understand: if you can get from one city to another by a paved road, why should you ride a bicycle - you can go by car.
- It turns out that we do not have cycling tourism?
- On the contrary! We develop a cycling tourism as a sport one! This is when people with backpacks and tents go by bicycle not along asphalt roads, but along unpaved country roads, or gravel roads - in a word, not along a highway. And in this sense, there is really something to see traveling by bicycle in Russia.
By the way, there is no such a thing abroad as a sports tourism at all. And most people who want to travel by ‘two wheels’ to some beautiful and stunning places are eager to get to Russia ...
- Today, it is not easy to do this, I must say ...
- Yes, I agree. However, in Europe, for example, you can’t even put up a tent in any place you like as the land is private, there is simply no state-owned land. And it is not known what kind of land owner you can encounter: he can shoot at you or invite you into his house.
- And what hinders the development of this type of recreation in Russia?
- The main obstacle is the transportation. Not that it interferes, but it always created a serious inconvenience, and still creates. For example, you can pay for an oversized cargo a price approximately equal to the cost of one piece of luggage, and fly. There are problems with how luggage dimensions are indicated, and some airlines demand to pay even more for an oversized cargo: the cost of your ticket plus the cost of your luggage. Some airlines accept a bicycle that must be disassembled or partially disassembled.
At the same time, the way of airfield luggage handling (loading/unloading) is disgusting! Bicycles are often simply thrown down to the ground from the airplane cargo hatch, and they are damaged and have to be repaired immediately after arrival.
- What about going by trains with bicycles?
- Trains quite often used to have cargo cars, but you almost never see them now. Previously, there were very comfortable passenger coach with reserved seats, where there were third upper shelves, open to the aisle, and bicycles could be safely put on them. Now, according to the rules, luggage should not protrude beyond the dimensions of such a shelf.
- But there are cargo compartments available!
- Right, one for the whole train. Imagine that, for example, two groups of 10 people each are traveling and they are trying to put all their bicycles into one compartment! Therefore, while traveling in organized groups, we often buy a separate compartment and leave our equipment there.
- You face many difficulties, I must say ...
- Yes, I agree. As a result, there are cyclists who understand how big the problems are and they are willing to deal with them. However, there are those who face the problems and say, “No, we, perhaps, will do something else”.
- What needs to be done to develop cycling tourism, so that there are fewer sceptics? For example, cycle paths should be improved, shouldn’t they?
- Those people who design cycle paths should, first of all, actively contact those who ride bicycles, be interested in their problems.
- And what are these specific problems?
- For example, mothers with baby carriages and ordinary pedestrians who believe that cycle paths are made especially for them and do not realize that a cycle is a vehicle of higher danger.
For example, a part of the bicycle lane was built from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Driving along it once was enough for me to ‘kill’ the desire to travel in this direction because of the above.
If bicycle lanes are made along the roadway, they must be separated from it by some border stones, otherwise cars use them without any problems to bypass traffic jams.
- What would you advise to a person who decides to take up cycling tourism?
- First of all, it is necessary to find some like-minded people and to determine in what format he or she wants to ride a bicycle as there are camping tourism and recreational tourism, as well as an unorganized (‘savage’) tourism.
If they decide to try cycling, they need to have at least some traveling experience, so I would strongly recommend to have some basic ‘travel training’ first.
