In the saddle, Shanghai is an egalitarian city, its bike lanes welcoming to all.

There is grandpa, creaking along on an ancient Phoenix, the seat wrapped in plastic bags and the rusty kickstand jutting out at ankle level. There is the flashy racer with their socks pulled high, the kid chugging home from school with an oversized backpack, the hipster with their single speed, and the rich hipster on their Brompton. Then there is the people's champ: the shared bike, welcoming to all, although perhaps with dodgy brakes. And down some hidden lane, propped against a milkman's box, a Mobike, waiting for its one final ride.

Here are five bike routes to enjoy Shanghai's fall weather.

Route 1: The East-West Express - Zhongshan Park to the Bund – 7 kilometers

Following a general straight line, albeit over six different roads, this route takes you from the leafy, café-lined Yuyuan Lu, through Shanghai's central business district, to the hectic backstreets of Huangpu. This route is good for riders who want to see the full range of Shanghai city life, or need a direct East-West biking route in between the no-biking zone of Beijing Lu, Nanjing Lu, and Huaihai Lu.

The route begins at Exit 8 of Zhongshan Park Metro Station.

From here, ride east on Yuyuan Lu, one of Shanghai's trendiest streets for café hopping among historic villas. Once you cross Wulumuqi Bei Lu, you begin to enter busy downtown Shanghai. Jing'an Temple will be on your right, CP+ mall on your left, and a million delivery drivers zooming lunch to office workers all around you. Yuyuan Lu ends at a T-Junction with Tongren Lu. Here, turn left, and then almost immediately make your first right onto Nanyang Lu, home to the original window stall location of Manner Coffee. After two blocks, Nanyang Lu turns seamlessly into Fengxian Lu. The Art Deco Majestic Theater, built in 1941, will be on your left. Follow Fengxian Lu until it curves into a T-Junction with Fengyang Lu, where you turn left.

Fengyang Lu runs underneath the North-South Elevated Road, and here the tree-lined lanes of Jing'an turn into dense Huangpu. Soon you will cross Huanghe Lu, one of Shanghai's classic snack streets, where the scent of toasted butter fills the air from the palmier cookies sold at the Park Hotel Deli. Keep going through a major intersection with Xizang Zhong Lu, and the road changes again, into Niuzhuang Lu, and then Ningbo Lu. These are dense, gritty blocks, full of tiny shops and restaurants with laundry drying overhead. At Sichuan Zhong Lu, two blocks from the Bund, Ningbo Lu ends, but you can follow a little curving alley to Huqiu Lu and the Rockbund Art Museum, the terminus of the route.

Download the .gpx route file here:

Route 2: River to River – 7.5 kilometers

Starting on Suzhou Creek, this route winds south on quiet roads through Jing'an and Xuhui, ending on the Huangpu River's West Bund Park. This route is good for riders who want a long and easy cruise.

The route starts at Exit 5 of Zhenping Lu Metro Station. From here, walk down to the river and cross the small pedestrian bridge (not the large Zhenping Lu bridge). Start biking down Xikang Lu, where you will pass by what I call Shanghai's taco district (with La Coyota, Burrito El Patron, and Tacolicious all within a few blocks). Continue on Xikang Lu for two kilometers until you turn right on Xinzha Lu, and then make your first left on Changde Lu. Here, on the right tucked among Shanghai's mega malls, is the Art Deco Changde Apartment, where Eileen Chang wrote her most famous works in the 1940s.

Once you cross under the Yan'an Elevated Road, you are back on leafy streets, this time hip Fumin Lu. Bike south past Changle Lu and the small triangle park on your right, then veer left onto Donghu Lu. Cross Huaihai Lu and you are now on Fenyang Lu. The mansions of the Shanghai Conservatory will be on your right. In a few blocks, the road splits, and take the left-hand fork onto Taiyuan Lu, another peacefulpedal. Taiyuan has some of Shanghai's trendiest coffee shops, including O.P.S. and Captain George Flavor Museum, as well as a famous ivy-covered apartment building known as the Green Castle.

Ride on Taiyuan until you reach the busy Zhaojiabang Lu, what used to be a canal that formed the southern boundary of the Old Xuhui. Here, cross diagonally to Xiaomuqiao Lu, and keep riding south under the Elevated Inner Ring Road. Pass by the construction sites of "Shanghai's New Downtown" as the billboard aspirationally claims, and once you see the orange shipping cranes, park your bikes and stroll along the Huangpu Riverfront.

Download the .gpx route file here:

Route 3: Suzhou Creek River Ride – 9 kilometers

This route allows you to ride along the banks of Suzhou Creek to the Bund, shifting from quiet riverside apartment communities to industrial sites being redeveloped into artistic and lifestyle hubs. With few traffic lights to get in the way, this route can be great for bikers who want to lean into a ride and pedal hard.

The route starts at Exit 3 of Longde Lu Metro Station. Ride west on Guangfu Xi Lu, passing under the golden statues atop the Wuning Lu Bridge and eventually the Shanghai Mint, altogether 3.2km. Soon after, the road splits, with a bridge (Jiangning Lu Bridge) to the left, and a ramp descending below on the right. Here there is no riverfront road for a brief period, so take the bridge, and then take your first left on Aomen Lu. Ride two blocks, and you are back on a riverfront road, now Xi Suzhou Lu. For a brief diversion, turn left, as both M50 Art Center and the 1,000 trees building are within a block. Otherwise, turn right and continue along the river for 1.3km. When the river road bends to the right, make the first left on Kangding Lu, at the Butterfly Castle. Keep going on Kangding Lu, which soon becomes Nan Suzhou Lu.

Here is where the redevelopment of Suzhou Creek begins to show, with cafes, record shops, and bars on the riverfront path. Ride until you reach the Wuzhen Road Bridge (the one you can't ride under). Here you have a choice to continue the ride on the north or south side of the river. On the north bank (Guangfu Lu/North Suzhou Lu), the buildings are more interesting, including Fotografiska Museum and the grand Embankment Building apartments, but around half of the ride is on bumpy cobblestones. If this is the preferred route, cross the bridge and make an immediate right turn. On the south bank (South Suzhou Lu), the road is smoother, but the scenery is not as interesting. If this is the route, just go around the bridge, and the bike path begins again. Take note on the south bank that a construction project currently requires a slight detour, turning right on Zhejiang Lu and then an immediate left on Xiamen Lu to rejoin the riverside road. Either way, the ride ends at the Zhapu Lu Bridge, with views of the Pudong Skyscrapers in front of you.

Download the .gpx route file here:

Route 4: Old City Ghost Town – 3.5 kilometers

While Shanghai usually hides its redevelopment behind gray concrete walls and blue construction doors, down in the Old City the destruction and rebuilding work is so vast that you can bike through eerie, silent roads, past flatbed trucks piled high with the broken-down refuse of Shanghai's history. This route follows one path through what used to be the center of Shanghai, what tomorrow may be luxury communities, but today feels like a ghost town. This route is good for riders who want to see a unique moment in time in Shanghai's urban history. If you are further interested in this area, check out the website and books of Katya Knyazeva, who exhaustively documented and photographed the area prior to, during, and after its redevelopment.

The route begins at Exit 7 of Laoximen Metro Station. From here, head south on Zhonghua Lu (what used to be the old city wall) for two blocks until you get to the arch-covered entrance of Wenmiao Lu. Head in, passing Shanghai's shuttered Temple of Literature on the left. Bike to the end of Wenmiao Lu, turn right on Henan Lu, and then make your first left at the traffic light on Penglai Lu. Follow Penglai Lu until you run into a blue construction door, where you turn right on Ninghe Lu, then take your first left on Qiaojia Lu. Bike down Qiaojia until it almost ends, where on the right you can see the 35-meter-tall Xiaonanmen Fire Watch Tower, now in the middle of a construction site (of course). Turn left on Xundao Jie, whose northern half was still occupied by residents as of two years ago, but is now abandoned, and then at the end of the road, right on Fuxing Dong Lu, then your first left back onto Zhonghua Lu. Ride for 500 meters, noticing on your left the three-story, central-tower-topped building that is the former Shanghai United Market.

At the traffic light at Dongmen Lu (the old city east gate), cross the road and head west under the arch onto Fangbang Zhong Lu. This was until five years ago a major food street. Ride along Fangbang Zhong Lu, past the Sipailou Arch on the left, and the lion statue fronting Danfeng Pavilion on the right, until you eventually arrive at the back of Yuyuan Garden. After riding through the ruins, the faux-ancient architecture of the tourist mecca looks particularly hollow. Turn right on Houjia Lu, and then when it ends, turn left on Fuyou Lu, which takes you to Yuyuan Garden Metro Station.

Download the .gpx route file here:

Route 5: Old Xuhui Zigzag – 6.5 kilometers

This is the bike route that makes visitors want to move to Shanghai, meandering back and forth under the plane trees and between the boutiques, cafes, and heritage architecture of old Xuhui. This route is good for riders who want an easy ride through the most beautiful part of the city. Take note that if you do this ride in reverse, it has to be slightly modified, as biking traffic is only allowed one way on Ruijin Yi Lu, and you will be riding against traffic on Jianguo and Nanchang, which can be annoying.

The route starts at Exit 6 of Shaanxi Nan Lu Metro Station. From here, bike east on Nanchang Lu, passing by the iconic Art Deco Astrid Apartments, and turn right on Ruijin Yi Lu. Go south on Ruijin Yi Lu for two blocks, past the gardens of the Ruijin Intercontinental Hotel, then turn right on Yongjia Lu. This enters the heart of the city's café zone, where it is likely that multiple cafes may both close and open between me writing this and you reading it. One of the highest-rated isMetal Hands, on your left, but cheaper and less Instagrammy options abound. Also worth stopping at is Old Park Vintage, full of old Shanghai maps, books, photos, and memorabilia.

Continue on Yongjia Lu until you reach Anting Lu (one block before Yongjia ends). Turn right on Anting, which only runs for one block, then turn left on Jianguo Xi Lu. Ride on Jianguo for two kilometers. While a bit more developed than Yongjia, there are still historic gems, like the Cite Bourgogne apartments. When you reach Sinan Lu, turn right, and then make your first right again on Taikang Lu. Here on your right is Tianzifang, an old lane neighborhood redeveloped into art galleries, tourist shops, and cafes. At the end of Taikang Road is Dapuqiao Metro, where the route ends.

Download the .gpx route file here: