The city itself
Now, tackling Istanbul is a challenging task, even if you’re not adding a bike into the equation. But if you want to bring an innocent two-wheeled friend into the mix, you need to understand that Istanbul is not your average city. It’s not one of those cute, compact European towns where you can just pedal your way from the touristy church to the obligatory memorial sight. Nah, Istanbul is more like a sprawling, multi-layered labyrinth that lay at the edge of Europe only to outstretch its legs in Asia. And as you can imagine, this megapolis is a mix of everything… I mean everything.
Istanbul covers about 5,300 square kilometres. This is more than two times larger than Luxemburg. This behemoth of a city sprouts 150 km from east to west and houses more than 17 million people. If that’s not terrifying enough, it’s on two continents and has one of the busiest maritime passages in the world – the Bosphorus. So, when I say this megapolis is big, I’m not talking about Berlin or London, I’m talking big enough to take you two days to cross. And to be honest, you can’t do that, as neither the bridges nor the tunnel crossing the Bosphorus are particularly bike-friendly. In fact, they are forbidden. Luckily, there are enough ferries, most of which let bikes on board.
The point is that the whole idea of cycling in Istanbul is not precisely accurate. You’re cycling in a small part of this giant, and you can’t really just decide to go somewhere on a whim. You need to plan where you’re going, and you need to know where you can and can’t ride. But that’s not the only problem. There is also geography.
The hills are alive with the groans of cyclists
It’s easy to burst into songs from famous musicals when you’re not trying to climb one of Istanbul’s infamous hills. Oh, and it’s not just one. There are many. If you see the city from above, it looks like a stormy sea of rooftops. Now, living next to a 2,300-metre-high mountain, one would think that some hills wouldn’t be such a huge problem for me. But come on. I have no idea how these roads can be legal. Some streets in the city have attention signs that you might slip while going on foot. Riding a bike is practically impossible in the renowned Balat Neighbourhood, where flocks of tourists go for the colourful houses.
I have no idea how cars go on these roads either and why the streets are not stairs. The worst part is just as you catch your breath from one incline, there’s another one right around the corner, and it’s steeper and with cobblestones thrown in for good measure. These are the kind of hills that have you whispering under your breath, “Are you kidding me?” And if you think that you’ll at least get some gorgeous views… Don’t be silly. The city houses 17 million people. There are no such things as empty spaces for viewpoints.
Moreover, don’t get me started on the famous Galata district. If you think Alpe d’Huez is challenging, try to get to the famous tower from Karakoy or from Kumikapi station to Kapali Carsi, and you will learn what torture on two wheels means.
But don’t worry. You won’t be able to do that as the hills are not the biggest problem in the city by far. It’s the people.
The people
Most people in Istanbul are extremely friendly and open-minded. Speaking to a local is a genuine delight, especially when they learn you’re a tourist. It’s like they are eager to share this phenomenal monument of success with you. The problem occurs with the numbers.
Speaking as a cyclist, the 17 million population is definitely a problem. Add another 2-3 million tourists, and you get a bubbling pot of constant pedestrian traffic everywhere. The worst are the touristy and commercial hubs like Sultanahmet, Galata, and Fatih, and mostly around the Egyptian market. These places are difficult to navigate on foot during high season, let alone with a bike. The good news is that since a few years ago, bikes have been forbidden in Sultanahmet Square where the Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, and Hagia Sofia are situated.
Still, trying to go anywhere in the oldest part of the city with a bike is a total nightmare. Tourists are literally on every square metre and you know they are not looking where they are going. Riding a bike there is virtually impossible. Not to mention you will have to climb one impossibly steep hill to get to the top.
Istiklal Avenue is also off-limits for cyclists. This is the pedestrian street going from Taxim Square to the Galata Tower. Now, even if this place was allowed, the stream of people is so outlandishly high that you’d rather ride your bike in the middle of the Bosphorus rather than this emanation of pure chaos.
So, where do you ride?
Well, when it comes to Istanbul, most roads and boulevards are off-limits. The traffic is heavy, to say the least. Imagine the Czech and Slovak populations combined, stuck on a landmass roughly the size of Corsica. Most use cars as public transport, though pretty good, is far from enough to cover the entire population. The cherry on top is that the traffic laws are a mere suggestion, one that not many follow. Pedestrians seem immortal. I’ve never seen a man crossing a 12-lane highway like they do in Istanbul. It’s both thrilling and a bit scary. But why bother going the extra 250 meters to the nearest overpass when you can cut these 5 minutes of walk?
So, the main streets and especially the highways are off-limits. Most of the European part of the city is also pretty much off-limits, not just because you will have difficulty climbing it. It’s usually filled with people crawling around in the never-ending market of Fatih and the surrounding area. This leaves you with very few options.
If you’re about to rent a bike, there is only one very crucial rule – listen carefully to the person giving you the bike. They will tell you where to go and where not to go. You may even take some notes. It’s not a bad idea.
POV riding in Istanbul
My hotel was near the walls of Fatih, just a stone’s throw away from the Marmara Sea and Yenikapi port. So, when I decided to rent a bike, I imagined going on a bike tour around the main tourist attractions. Well, the steep hills were rather unexpected but doable. However, the guy who rented me the bikes explained that these parts are off-limits for cyclists and suggested going along the Bosphorus instead – a 35 km ride that would open some pretty nice views. He also suggested going on a ferry to the Asia side where you can ride along the Marmara seacoast and even go to one of the few beaches along the way. Well, since it was 13 degrees outside and strong winds, I decided to just take a strollalong the European part of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn.
Now, except for the Galata Bridge, the rest is pretty easy to navigate. There is a pretty neat bike lane and shared walkway along the coast of the Marmara Sea and the Bosphorus. With a few merges to the traffic, you can go all the way up to Osmanli Park. Luckily, the traffic near the Alibey River and the Golden Horn itself is not that heavy. So, while you do need to be careful when you share the road with cars, you won’t feel squeezed in any way.
Then you can cross to Araphan Park and go back to Karakoy on the other side of the Golden Horn. It’s crucial to avoid Kazim Karabekir Caddesi as much as possible. It’s a very busy boulevard, or at least it was when I was riding. You will eventually have to merge with it to cross a river along the way but there is a narrow sidewalk, which I urge you to use.
On your way, you will pass by the Miniaturk Museum, and if you have the time, it’s a nice place to visit and rest for a while.
You will have another 2-3 merges with the main road and one relatively big detour with some climbing, as there are some construction sites and industrial areas near the Golden Horn bank, most noticeably over the Zindan Arkasi Mezarligi cemetery. Now, I made the mistake of entering the cemetery and pushing my bike through it out of respect. Unfortunately, I received some not-too-friendly looks. Later, I found out you can actually go over it through Kasimpasa Haskoy Yolu.
You can also be tempted to go through Donanma Cd but the street is a bit busier and narrower. So, it’s better to make the short climb and then use the Nalinci Bayiri Sokak to get back to sea level. Now, you can try to navigate the complex streets of Galata and cross Refik Saydam Boulevard, which is practically a highway. Still, I opted for the ferry from Kasimpasa port to Karakoy. It seemed like a great way to check out the city from the water and avoid one of the busiest roads in the entire city.
From Karakoy, I went all the way to Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge and treated myself to a lot of stops for pictures and some fish durum along the way. While you do enter the traffic for a short time at the beginning of the journey, most of the way, you have a dedicated cycling path along the Bosphorus. Just be extra careful near Dolmabahce Palace where the tourist influx is just as serious as near Hagia Sofia and absolutely no one is looking where they are going. It’s total chaos. So, you can even get off your bike, look around, and take a few Instagramable pictures for the ages. Going back, I took the same route as it was too late to cross over to the Asian side. The only problem was the Galata Bridge where the pedestrian traffic made it a bit challenging.
Still, it was a great 8-hour ride with little to no conflicts along the way. But don’t be fooled into thinking that riding in Istanbul is easy. It took many hours of preparation, checking Google Street View, and reading on the internet to find the best places to ride.
Riding in Istanbul is not a joke and is not for beginners. It needs technique and awareness. It also requires a considerable amount of research, and it’s still not the safest thing you can do. The city was not meant for cyclists. It was not meant for cars as well but here we are, sharing the narrow lanes, trying to avoid the ever-present pedestrian traffic.
So, after 6 hours on the bike, I decided there would be no second attempt. It’s way too much of a hassle. But hey, all is well when it ends well… and with a lot of baklava to replenish the burned calories and then some.
