Name: Rangga Panji
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
Occupation: Architect, bike mechanic, proud father

Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
I live in Jakarta, one of the cities in the world that has terrible traffic. Believe me, here, mountain biking is a lot safer than urban biking! The streets are clogged up with motorcycles, and nearly all of them can’t tell the difference between red lights and green lights. Their handling skills are horrible, too. It’s amazing if you have a car that doesn’t suffer from scratched doors or mirrors.

We have no bike lanes here, and I never expect the government to build them. It’s hopeless. Soon, those pesky motorcyclists will take over. Having no bike lanes does mean that I can ride my bike everywhere, including the fast lanes (where motorcycles are forbidden).

What was your favorite city to ride in, and why?
I’ve been to Denpasar for a couple of months. It’s nice to ride there, but I just can’t stand the sun—it’s much hotter than Jakarta.

Despite the traffic, Jakarta is still my favorite city to ride in. Imagine the sheer happiness of being the only person that can still dodge around in such speed, while anyone else is stuck in traffic jam. Ah, you catch my drift?

I also like to ride in Jogjakarta, where time passes by so slowly…

Why do you love riding in the city?
I ride every day, whether to work or to go anywhere else, as long as I have to go alone. Just like I said, in Jakarta urban biking is more dangerous than mountain biking, but it’s just as fun. Besides, can you impress anyone on the traffic light by pulling endos if you’re driving cars or riding motorcycles? It’s my chance to mock them.

Sometimes my job can be so depressing, so for me, riding bicycles is a safe alternative to crack.

And by riding bicycles, I’ve met a lot of friends with similar interests and lunacy…

Check out mine-ranggapanji.blogdrive.com