The beginning of my visit to Moscow coincided with the Moscow Veloparade, a mass cycling event I learned about just the night before, reading the news. It got me thinking…
I landed at Domodedovo Airport at 7:30 in the morning, got home around 9 am, unpacked my Brompton and arrived at the gathering point of the event a few minutes before the official start. I was amazed that despite the cold and the rain, there were tens of thousands of cycling enthusiasts ready to roll around central Moscow. In the end, more than 30 000 people cycled the Garden Ring, making a full circle. Armed with a raincoat, I completed the 13 km ride in just under an hour. I was cold and wet but glad I participated.
In the following days, I took advantage of the sunny weather to re-acquaint myself with my hometown.
Embarrassingly enough, I realized I don’t really know Moscow and cycling around let me familiarize myself with it. It has given me a new appreciation for my birthplace: bustling, beautiful, modern.
There weren’t many cycling lanes but car traffic in the city center was surprisingly light, making excursions quite pleasant.
I didn’t come to Moscow to cycle, but to see my mom.
There was also a class reunion, fun times with friends, tons of ice cream, museum excursions, circus outing, attending an original show directed by a friend of mine.
Altogether, it was a very enjoyable visit.
Moscow in numbers:
356 km – distance cycled
1147 – the year Moscow was founded
214 – metro stations in Moscow Metropolitan
69 – billionaires live in Moscow