Vienna by Bike

Vienna by Bike

Look for the special pathways either in red brick or marked with a stylized cyclist image in yellow; there are also special traffic signals at some intersections. You can take a bike on the subway (except during rush hours) for an additional half fare, but only in cars with a blue shield on the door, and only on stairs or elevators with the "bike" shield, not on escalators. The city tourist office has a brochure in German with useful cycling maps, plus a leaflet, "See Vienna by Bike," with tips in English. At most bookstores you can purchase a cycling map of Vienna put out by a local cycling organization known as ARGUS.

It's possible to rent bikes and rickshaws in the Prater. Radverleih Hochschaubahn (12/729-5888) is open mid-March to October and is in the Prater amusement park by the Hochschaubahn, slightly to the right after the Ferris wheel. Pedal Power (Ausstellungsstrasse 3, 2nd District/Leopoldstadt. www.pedalpower.at. 01/729-7234) offers guided bike tours of Vienna and the surrounding vicinity in English from April to October, including the main sights of the city, or tours to the outlying vineyards for a glass of wine. It's also possible to rent a bike and do your own exploring (a half day, including hotel delivery and pickup, is five hours for EUR 24; a full-day rental is EUR 27. Rental for three hours including a guided tour is EUR 23).

The cheapest way to discover Vienna in a saddle is with one of the handy Citybikes,available with a Citybike Tourist Card, Visa, or Master Card. After a short registration procedure hop in the saddle and off you go. Pick up the bike at one of the 54 Citybike stations all over the city. When you're finished, just deposit it at a vacant station anywhere you like. The first hour on your bike is free, the second costs EUR 1, the third EUR 2, and the fourth through 120th hours are EUR 4.