Now that's what I call a bike lane!

Back when the bicycle really was the favoured mode of transport in Beijing, these bike lanes, like the one on the right of this photo, were probably crammed full of cyclists. Now there are many fewer people using them but in the majority of places they are still reserved for bikes and slow electric scooters. I thought this might allay fears for me riding around on my bike.

Having said that, this example shows a short section where cars are allowed in the bike lane in certain circumstances and it's probably an indication of how things will go in the future. I suppose they are like the managed motorways of China.