Cycling conditions in Poland?

Does anyone have any experience bicycling in Poland?

We are planning a trip there in late spring or early summer, our first
trip to continental Europe. Naturally, my wife and I planned to take
our new folding bikes. The idea is not so much long-distance touring,
but rather exploring areas after arriving by train, rental car, etc.

But one very knowledgeable Polish cyclist (living in America) said he
didn't recommend biking there. He claimed roads are narrow, crowded
and poor, drivers are fast, aggressive and often drunk. I was
surprised, and disappointed, especially since this person really is an
expert cyclist.

Since then, I've talked to others familiar with Poland, but not so much
with biking there. Most have expressed surprise and said to definitely
take the bikes, but a couple have given dire warnings. Still, those
folks might warn me not to ride my bike around my own block...

The recent tour descriptions at
http://www.cs.unca.edu/~boyd/touring/tour05/.... etc. seem fine to me,
but I'd like more information, especially on cycling within cities.

Does anyone here have experience and advice?

- Frank Krygowski

wrote:
Does anyone have any experience bicycling in Poland?

We are planning a trip there in late spring or early summer, our first
trip to continental Europe. Naturally, my wife and I planned to take
our new folding bikes. The idea is not so much long-distance touring,
but rather exploring areas after arriving by train, rental car, etc.

But one very knowledgeable Polish cyclist (living in America) said he
didn't recommend biking there. He claimed roads are narrow, crowded
and poor, drivers are fast, aggressive and often drunk. I was
surprised, and disappointed, especially since this person really is an
expert cyclist.

Since then, I've talked to others familiar with Poland, but not so much
with biking there. Most have expressed surprise and said to definitely
take the bikes, but a couple have given dire warnings. Still, those
folks might warn me not to ride my bike around my own block...

The recent tour descriptions at
http://www.cs.unca.edu/~boyd/touring/tour05/.... etc. seem fine to me,
but I'd like more information, especially on cycling within cities.

Does anyone here have experience and advice?

- Frank Krygowski

I have driven there a bit, though never ridden a bike. I don't think
I'd be going for too many rides there unless I was staying in one place
and knew specific places that were good to ride, or if I was visiting
someone who knew. If I were just picking random places, forget it. Bad
surfaces, a courtesy habit of slower drivers driving half in the
shoulder so faster drivers can squeeze by increases your likelihood of
being mowed down. The fast agressive style is much different that say
Italy where everyone just goes fast yet seems aware of the other cars.
In Poland they subscribe to the Russian Roulette school of driving.
Some people just pull out into the oncoming lane and drive to pass
others with no possibility of seeing/knowing the road ahead is clear.
They just hope it works out. Not good for cyclists.

Bring the bikes if you want, but don't be too disappointed if you don't
get to use them that much. Cities might be better, but most cities in
Poland are either super-charming medieval old town where walking is
best, or places that were obliterated in WW2 and rebuilt in a way (to
put it tactfully) is not very bike friendly.

All that said, I'm sure there are plenty of beutiful places to ride
there, but unless you know where they are, I'd say the default is
no-go. Not to get down on Poland, but if you have never been to Europe,
do not let yourself think Poland is entirely representative.

Have fun!

Joseph

wrote in message
ups.com...
Does anyone have any experience bicycling in Poland?

We are planning a trip there in late spring or early summer, our first
trip to continental Europe. Naturally, my wife and I planned to take
our new folding bikes. The idea is not so much long-distance touring,
but rather exploring areas after arriving by train, rental car, etc.

But one very knowledgeable Polish cyclist (living in America) said he
didn't recommend biking there. He claimed roads are narrow, crowded
and poor, drivers are fast, aggressive and often drunk. I was
surprised, and disappointed, especially since this person really is an
expert cyclist.

It has been over a decade since I rode from Germany to St. Petersburg in
Russia, so I can't comment on what the situation is today. But at the time
cycling was absolutely fabulous. People were friendly, roads were great,
countryside was beautiful. I crossed the border near Forst. I don't remember
the exact route now, but I guess went kinda north first (remembering I went
through Elblag (sp?)), then headed east. The 'Masuren' are gorgous and I
believe there may be quite a few organized bike tours there. I do remember
going through one bigger city. It wasn't that the traffic was scary, but the
old cars did their best to prevent us from breathing...

I continued on to through the Baltic Countries, were people were even nicer,
if that's possible.

So overall I had a great time, and based on my 1993 experience I
wholeheartedly disagree with the expert opinion.

bjorn



th biking there. Most have expressed surprise and said to definitely
take the bikes, but a couple have given dire warnings. Still, those
folks might warn me not to ride my bike around my own block...

The recent tour descriptions at
http://www.cs.unca.edu/~boyd/touring/tour05/.... etc. seem fine to me,
but I'd like more information, especially on cycling within cities.

Does anyone here have experience and advice?

- Frank Krygowski

On 19 Jan 2007 13:02:44 -0800, wrote:

Does anyone have any experience bicycling in Poland?

We are planning a trip there in late spring or early summer,....

But one very knowledgeable Polish cyclist (living in America) said he
didn't recommend biking there. He claimed roads are narrow, crowded
and poor, drivers are fast, aggressive and often drunk.

I run about 500km in Poland, summer 2006.
I have been riding by bike from south border with Slovakia to
Warszawa, along the path of river Vistula. My experience is very
different than your Polish cyclist said.

Provided that when I planned the trip I selected very carefully small
and secondary roads in order to get out of traffic (as general rule of
my whole trip) I found biking in Poland very comfortable and safe.
Traffic is light even in main roads - sometimes I could decide between
a large, main communication road and a smaller secondary countryside
road, it meant to decide between light or zero traffic. Driver
behaviour was always "normal" I mean they didnt pass over me on the
other side of the road (risking an accident with incoming cars :-)
like in Germany or Austria, but safe for the biker - not particularly
fast or aggressive at all.
If you plan to explore countryside areas, expect to run on narrow
roads with almost no traffic.

Entering big cities like Krakow and Warszawa I didnt have really any
problem untile getting the crowded traffic of city center, like you
could find anywhere. People was always very friendly.

The main problems I can report a

1) not many hotels spread in the countryside. This should be not your
problem if you plan to stay in a place exploring surrounding areas.

2) Bad road condition. Asphalt is not very flat, not big holes that
might damage your bike (pins or wheel damage) but an infinite sequence
of small "waves" that bump your bottom all the day long...

3) in the countryside very few people speak foreign language. It
depends on how much you need to ask directions.

For any detail see my website (signature), click to Europa est 2006
then english version (UK flag on the right side). You can find
description of every stage day by day. The last week is about Poland.

Have a nice ride on Polish droga ("road" in Polish language) :-)
--
bikerfab

Viaggi in bicicletta, report foto e informazioni
Travelling by bicycle, report, pics and information
http://bikerfab.altervista.org/

"bikerfab" wrote in message
...
On 19 Jan 2007 13:02:44 -0800, wrote:


The main problems I can report a

1) not many hotels spread in the countryside. This should be not your
problem if you plan to stay in a place exploring surrounding areas.

Hehe, I had a tent, so that was cool. There seemed to be enough campgrounds,
though the very first day I couldn't find one. Tried asking at a house for
"kemping" in the direction I traveled and they tried sending me back to
where I came from... Turned out that there was a town with a similar name
and I butchered the pronounciation enough that they misunderstood... But
they were so nice and let me pitch my tent in their big yard!!!



2) Bad road condition. Asphalt is not very flat, not big holes that
might damage your bike (pins or wheel damage) but an infinite sequence
of small "waves" that bump your bottom all the day long...

Depends on where you are, I guess. Roads were mostly good in the area I was
(east, northeast, north, and north west). A few towns after the border had
cobble stones, but between towns pavement was good. Of course 10+ years w/o
fixing could make a difference...
Things were worse in the Baltic countries - though still manageable.


3) in the countryside very few people speak foreign language. It
depends on how much you need to ask directions.

I had one of those phrase book. As the example above shows I still had a
hard time pronouncing stuff. czcczcz doesn't roll too naturally off my
tongue

bjorn

But one very knowledgeable Polish cyclist (living in America) said he
didn't recommend biking there. He claimed roads are narrow, crowded
and poor, drivers are fast, aggressive and often drunk. I was
surprised, and disappointed, especially since this person really is an
expert cyclist.

Hahaha . Drivers are often drunk It is not a truth. On the whole polish
roads are not in good conditions. There are many crowded routes, that is
right. But I have ridden thousands kilometers on polish roads and I have
never had an accident. There are many beautiful, calm local roads and if you
will choose this type of roads you don't have to affraid about many cars on
roads or your safe.



Provided that when I planned the trip I selected very carefully small
and secondary roads in order to get out of traffic (as general rule of
my whole trip) I found biking in Poland very comfortable and safe.



Exactly

Tomek...from Poland
www.travel.ovh.org