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I am staying near West Lake for a week in December and I love starting the day with a ride, so cycling around the lake sounds like the perfect morning routine. But I keep picturing Hanoi traffic, and I wonder if the lakeside roads are actually calm in the early morning or if it is still a free for all.
For those who have done it, is there a proper lakeside path, or are you sharing the road with cars and bikes the whole way? How long does a full loop take at an easy pace, and is there a good spot to stop for coffee halfway around?
Also, where do people rent a decent bike near West Lake, and is it normal to just lock it up outside a cafe? I am traveling solo and I do not want to rent something that falls apart after ten minutes.
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I cycled West Lake most mornings when we stayed in Tay Ho, and before about 7:30am it is genuinely calm. There are lakeside stretches where you have a proper path, and other bits where you share the road, but early on the traffic is mostly locals heading to work and it felt relaxed. A full loop took me about an hour and a half at a gentle pace, with a coffee stop on the north side.
Replying to Magrain Moodley
That sounds ideal, thank you. Where did you rent your bike, and was it easy to lock it up outside a cafe? I am a bit nervous about renting something unreliable and then being stuck halfway around the lake.
Replying to Amelia Foster
I rented from a small shop near the lake, the kind that also fixes bikes, and they let me swap the seat height and check the brakes before I paid, which told me it was a decent place. I locked it outside cafes every morning and never had a problem, just bring your own small lock if the rental one looks flimsy. Avoid the cheapest hotel bikes, they are the ones that fall apart.