Bike – Is Road Cycling in the Dominican Republic Safe?
I have a sister who spends 6 months of the year in Dominican Republic and 6 months of the year in Prince Edward Island. In the DR, she helps run a La Hacienda Hostel in Las Galeras, and in PEI she does much volunteer work with the PEI Food Exchange. She’s a bit of a hippie. She’s never been on a Cruise, and claims to hate them. I don’t know if she earns any money, but guess she earns between $3,000 and $12,000 per year.
A year or two ago my Mom began requesting that we do a family trip for her 80th birthday. We have never traveled as a family. We began brain storming idea’s. Of course a family cruise was an option. Florida was an option. Perhaps Britain. However, it became evident that if the entire family would be attending, the party would happen at the end of the road on the Semana Pennisula, in Las Galeras, Dominican Republic. (A kind of Eco Village.)
The little bit of googling I did on biking in DR, only brought up two types of results:
-Options to join Mountain Bike Tours;
-Touristy type information on how cycling in the DR is extremely dangerous. (Generally you could tell the writer was some sort of travel agent who thinks cycling means riding a beach cruiser on a bike path.)
My 19 year old son, currently in a gap year, decided to go a month early to Cabarete, DR to Kite Surf. His first time in the 3rd world … he pretty much conferred with my sister, the roads are dangerous. When I asked for more info on what made them dangerous, he responded; “There are people everywhere, manholes are missing, the houses are really close to the road, there’s loud music, there’s donkeys, horses, chickens and beeping mopads, poncho’s, cars and buses. It’s crazy! I really don’t think it is a good idea to bring your bike.”
I’ve travelled a lot. In 1986 I spent three months in Dhaka, Bangladesh. I would commandeer the rik shaw whenever I could. In Nov 2014, I left Banff on my cycle cross bike and road to Vancouver Island then flew to Bangkok and cycle toured in Thailand & Laos. In June of 2015, I won the Cat 3 devision of a 145km Gravel Grinder, The Ghost of the Gravel.
These roads sound interesting.
You see, if there are donkeys, chickens, children and houses all along the road … then it must be at least as safe to cycle here then on many of my very familiar rides in Calgary, Alberta. One of my standard longish rides is leaving my home in Central SW Calgary (Altadore / Marda Loop) and ride to Bragg Creek via Springbank – 90km. I used to feel very comfortable doing this ride about 5 years ago. These days, depending on how much riding I’m doing … I mostly feel less comfortable due to the fact that so many people are beeping and buzzing on their smart phones. However, I continue to ride this route.
What is Safe?
It felt very safe to ride in the DR to me.
Yes – I might die sometime while riding my bike.
However, there is a much greater chance I will die in my car in a car accident.
I could also get run over by a car in a parking lot at Safeway. Chinook Mall is even more scary. I think parking lots are very dangerous.
I could get the new Zika virus.
I guess the chances of me getting cancer and dying are greater then me dying on my bike.
One thing is sure; I will die.
My focus on this trip was family, kite surfing, and then cycling. Over the 14 days, I rode 700km and climbed x vertical. Every ride was spectacular. The only thing that would have made it more enjoyable is to be riding with some friends, in a peloton … where I would have been travelling faster and punching the uphills with increased vigour.
Most of the rides were coastal, with just one inland ride from Cabarette into the mountains. This was particularly spectacular. I’d like to return and do more riding in the Central Cordillera.
My jumping of spots were Puertto Platta and Semana. These are quite small towns compared to more popular tourist spots like Punta Cana and Santo Domingo. However, I would feel comfortable bringing my bike to these cities and exploring.
I guess the moral of the story is we have to phrase our questions a bit more carefully. We cannot ask, “Is this safe?”
Safety depends on your experience … and your ‘feeling’.
I feel like it is my right to ride a bike in my city. I feel like I should be able to commute nearly anywhere. If I had the time, and the motivation, I would ride without hesitation anywhere in Calgary. I would have to do some research on the safest route … as it would suck to land on Deerfoot Trail.
Do you feel like this?
-If you can imagine riding from Central Calgary to Springbank Airport, the 22x, and certainly Bragg Creek … then cycling in the Dominican Republic is safe for you.
-If riding from Evergreen to Millarville along the road to Nepal is safe for you – you’d be fine in the DR.
– If you can ride from South Rustico to Prince Edward Island National Park along the #6, then you will feel very safe riding in the DR!
-If you can ride from Downtown San Diego to Cabrillo National Monument – you’ll be fine.
-In Las Vegas … from Boulder City to Hoover Damn – then you’d be fine riding in the DR.
-Riding from Victoria, BC to Sooke … you’d be fine.
If your ride means loading your bike onto your car, and driving to do the Glenmore Reservoir loop, then cycling in the Dominican Republic would be dangerous for you.
I love traveling in new places with my bike. I’m not particularly knowledgeable on technology … but tools like Garmin, Suunto, and Strava are making exploring on your bike easier and more fun. In the coming years, we can expect this to get even better and easier.
Go explore – take your bike.
Recommended & Related Posts:
A road ride from my bike saddle near Cabarrette, Dominican Republic
Why I like to lend my bike box
Being Stoic – some ‘how to’s’ on traveling with a bike
Tags: cycling
