First, you can’t go on the expressways anyway, because it is illegal. You have to stick to the regular roads.

As far as maps go, i use the online map at Yahoo Korea
http://kr.yahoo.com/r/p/ma
It requires a certain degree of Korean language ability.

Stores that sell hiking gear and stores that sell car accessories will often have maps of the country and the city you are in. However, they will also be in Korean.

I have never seen a detailed map of Korean roads in English.

Enjoy your bike. Have fun with the stupid, ridiculous license test, if you haven’t taken it already.

Appreciate any suggestions or contacts in local area.

Regards
Rob

1) I dress in enough armour and leather that I look like the terminator… Many people ask me why. A Few years back I did come off on a particularly icy road. The fact I was wearing 15 or kilograms of leather and plastic reduced what could have been serious to a cracked rib.

2) My bike always has fog lights, and extra stop lights. It drains the battery but I know that I between the chrome and the lights you would have to be blind not to see me.

3) I always assume that everyone is out to kill me. With that mind set you are 100% focussed on NOT getting hit. I always watch the taxis carefully.. they have an agenda! I’m sure they want to take out every bike on the road… (the buses aren’t much better.)

the problem is that black leather makes you virtually invisible at night and in low light conditions … wear a reflective vest or if you have the bucks to fork over for a bright colored jacket…do it….

This is a very good point. This is something that I do not do, but should. I have bene thinking more about it recently. There are reflective patches available that can be sewn onto jackets. I am considering getting on for the back of my jacket.

Night visibilit is a key issue, which leads to your second point.

Accessory lights…it isnt that expensive and if done right…will look cool too

My one concern about buying my latest bike was that it was designed to be black. virtually everything, including the engine, was black. About the only non-black thing on the bike was the handlebars. While I would not be seen with dozens of flashing red and blue lights on my bike, I did, as mentioned above, rewire the tail lights so that the rear light and both turn signals are always on, and the turn signals blink off when signaling a turn. For the front end, my halogen fog lamps will arrive and be fixed to the engine guard in the very near future. I threwn on some chrome accessories on the sides of the bike specifically to make it more visible from the sides.

As you are invisible already, there is no need to make yourself MORE invisible.

You final safety point:

LOUD HORNS

Yes. I always hated the horns on my earlier bikes. They were always soft, little squeakers. I was very happy to hear that the horn on my Harley is essentially a car horn. If the engine doesn’t alert you to my presence, then the horn certainly will.

I also want to add another suggestion or two:
1. Leather is definately a lifesaver and should be worn…the problem is that black leather makes you virtually invisible at night and in low light conditions (like rain or overcast days) which is exactly the time when you really NEED to be seen. If you can swollow your pride enough to wear a reflective vest or if you have the bucks to fork over for a bright colored jacket…do it….I don’t mean forget you are invisible….just try to increase the likelihood you will be seen.
2. Two things that some Korean cyclists do right:
a. Accessory lights…we have all seen them and marveled at these rolling christmas trees but there is a very logical reason for them…they help you get seen at night…Just don’t go overboard…as a car driver, I really hate strobe lights…but they DO help you get seen at night….it isn’t that expensive and if done right…will look cool too
b. LOUD HORNS … you may have heard them late at night Bada-BADA-bada-BADA…screaming down the street near your apartment…..DONT get one of those! PLEASE!!! but do get a nice loud horn that other drivers can hear over their radios, cell phones….I have known some Korean cyclists who put shipping grade air horns on their bikes for those special circumstances when you want someone to be startled awake thinking that there is a semi truck bearing down on them. Problem is, you may go deaf yourself :)

One last thing I learned as a result of my accident. Even thought the other driver hit ME, I was considered partly AT FAULT (about 10%) because I was driving in the lane closest to the center on a 3 (2.5 with the parked cars) lane road. Unless something has changed in the last 6 years to get rid of this ridiculous rule…you should just keep it in mind…I have, believe it or not, actually been stopped by a traffic cop for this little infraction. And to reinforce what Jeff said about between cars and next to the curb…not only is it dangerous but it is ILLEGAL and if you have an accident, you may find yourself partially at fault (YES korea does figure fault based on percentages and you are almost always partly at fault unless you are stopped legally)
Safe riding, I just wish I could be out there with you :(

If you are not some hot-rod biker with an over-inflated sense of self-worth and invulnerability who is diving in and out of traffic at high rates of speed, it really can be a very Zen experience.

Without sounding too hokey: You have to recognize your own Nothingness. EVERYTHING on the road can kill you. The largest container truck or the smallest unfortunately placed rock.

At the same time, you have to expand your own Awareness and Consciousness to encompass everything around you. You have to become aware of everything, but focus on nothing. You have to experience your environment without submitting to it or trying to dominate it.

Also, at the beginning of a ride, you are talking to yourself inside your mind. You review the days activities, vent about bothersome things, think about the weekend or whatever, etc. This internal dialog usually goes on for about 20 or 30 minutes. After that, the internal dialog stops, and as your mind quiets down and eventually becomes silent, your Mind and Awareness open up to everything. THAT is when biking becomes REALLY cool. It is quite literally meditating at 60+ miles an hour.

Zen, indeed! Mindfulness!

Kevin