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A conversation with Dutch cyclist Bas

 

Foreign resident Bas Willem Jacques Kragt is the founder of Routes Busan, a website and community on cycling.

In this interview with Daily Busan, Mr. Bas introduces his favorite cycling routes in the city and shares his thoughts on Busan’s 15-minute city initiative.

To learn more about Mr. Bas and Routes Busan, watch "Riding Bikes In Busan Is A Challenge," a documentary on Busan’s official YouTube channel.

Q. Please introduce yourself and Routes Busan to Daily Busan subscribers.

Hi everyone. I'm Bas from one of the most bicycle-friendly countries in the world, the Netherlands. I've been in Korea since 2017 and have lived in a couple of different places in and around Busan. My wife and I just bought a house in the area, so it looks like we’ll be here for a while! 

Just like many other people in my country, I like to use my bike to commute and to exercise. That’s why I’m very happy to work as a technical advisor at Korea Randonneurs, the Korean federation for long-distance cycling. I love to exercise, watch football, listen to music and collect LPs. 

Routes Busan is a platform that strives to let more and more people ride bicycles safely and worry-free in and around Busan. It was also created to promote actively using bicycles as a means of transportation as well as exercise, bringing us one step closer to carbon neutrality. We organize activities, share information, advise about safe cycling and cycling culture, and receive questions and remarks about the state of infrastructure. 

We try to solve mobility issues, empower the community, businesses and tourism, promote cultural exchange, and advocate for the health and happiness of citizens and future generations. Routes Busan works with a holistic approach, respecting the interests of all stakeholders: from (new) bike riders to all other traffic users and parties involved—both in Korean and English.

Q. How did you first create Routes Busan?

During the start of the COVID-19 period in 2020, there was less work, and I decided to spend some time developing the platform. I was working with cycling route recommendations based on my own experiences. When I came to Busan, I could see that the area was extremely attractive; every time I stopped to take a picture, the views were amazing, but I struggled to find safe roads to exercise on. With the help of the cycling community, I learned a lot about the area. I asked local riders of all levels for their favorite courses and created a platform with about 80 different courses. What started as just a website grew into the platform it is today.

Q. Do you think Busan is good enough for cycling?

I would love to give a very positive answer, but I think it’s a widely held opinion that Busan is a dangerous city to ride your bike in. Dedicated cycling infrastructure is simply absent in most parts of the city, and Busan drivers are notorious for being impatient with cyclists. However, the city has a lot of potential for cycling! The Busan area is extremely attractive for bike riders, because of the variety in landscapes and scenery: seaside, hills, mountains, rivers, forest, urban areas, temples—you can see so many amazing things during a ride around Busan. Our challenge is to make Busan a better place for cycling.

Q. Among the routes you’ve developed, is there a particular route you recommend most to the general public? 

Definitely! The route called “Birdview” is only 24 kilometers and goes through the heart of Busan. In fact, it almost looks like a heart on the map! This route goes around Yunsan Mountain to 100 meters above sea level. This road passes three temples and connects to the bike paths of the Oncheoncheon Stream and the Suyeonggang River, the only real bike paths in the city. It is a bit of a climb, but after you’re over the top, it launches you down and up the hill like a falcon in flight, with really nice views of the Dongnae area of the city. 

If you want a completely traffic free ride, I advise riders to check out the Nakdong River section of the website, and expert riders might find themselves a surprising challenge in the South Ulsan section.

Q. You have created courses for Korea Randonneurs, a non-competitive program where participants ride over 200km without external support. Developing those courses must have been quite challenging. How was the process of creating them? Did you ride through both courses yourself?

That’s right! As I work for Korea Randonneurs, I actually create and ride most of the courses around Busan. Some of the rides are based on a tradition of existing rides over the last 15 years, but things in Korea change very fast, so there is almost always a reason for a new or updated course. We also see it as our task to show riders places they haven’t seen before or usually don’t go, like the Junam Reservoir or the Upo Wetlands. Riders often stick to their known courses, often on busy motorways or coastal roads. I see it as my task to create fun and safe alternatives for them and use lesser known and quieter roads. 

Q. Just like you have moved to Busan, it is becoming more global than in the past. Do you have an idea for making Busan more global?

Busan City is joining the global trend to become a 15-minute city. These are cities where citizens can reach all essential facilities within 15 minutes of travel from their home, which goes hand-in-hand with efforts to eliminate carbon emissions. Bicycles have proven to be essential in cities around the world for the successful implementation of this policy, with countless examples in cities such as Paris, Milan, Barcelona and closer to home, Tokyo and Singapore. To become the 15-minute city Busan aspires to be, a lot should be done to accommodate getting from A to B by bike. 

The good news is, this doesn’t have to take long. In Paris, for example, they managed to create a 15-minute city over the past few years, mostly by simple changes in infrastructure. Studies showed that most citizens of these cities were happier with their life after changes were made, including car owners and other traffic users. If Busan can do this, I think it will become even more global than it already is.

Q. As a foreign resident, do you have any recommendations for enhancing the city's appeal or amenities?

I have a clear vision on how non-motorized mobility could be improved in Busan, so City Hall can always get in touch with me! It should be attractive for people to ride their bikes to work, to go shopping and to go to their doctor's appointments. Busan has an amazing subway network, and it would be great if people could bring their bikes on the subway more often. Of course, this might not be easy, but it’s possible in Gwangju, so why not here? It would also help if there was an adequate, inexpensive, easy-to-use bike rental system available. Studies show that with the combination bike/train or bike/subway, citizens can enjoy great freedom without having to walk a lot or rely on vehicles. 

The bike riding should then also be safe. Through small changes in infrastructure, I hope that in the future citizens and tourists can ride their bikes in “safe zones” across and out of the city, in all vital directions: For example, from Hadan to Songjeong, from Deokcheon to Gijang, from Busan Station to Nopo and from Yonghodong to Jeonggwan!

Q. Do you have any goals as a bicycle rider?

I ride every day, but I’m not very competitive. I enjoy riding with friends and being fit enough to do long bike trips in adventurous places, like Mongolia. I’ve done some endurance riding and challenges that I’m proud of. My wife and I will have a daughter soon, so I think my goal as a bike rider is to show her great, fun and safe places around Busan by bike together!

◎ Route Busan: routesbusan.com

◎ Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igw325ntuAI

◎ Instagram: @routesbusan

◎ Facebook: @routesbusan

◎ Kakao Open Chat: https://open.kakao.com/o/gKpeW8Mf