To cycle in Jakarta is to rebel against the very nature of its blueprint. It means daring to face motorists who leave little room for the cyclist to navigate, even on so-called dedicated bicycle lanes. It’s about getting thoroughly drenched in sweat, induced by the city’s notoriously high humidity, and enjoying the rare cool breeze against your face—understanding, and sadly accepting, that it comes with the unavoidable reality of pollution.
Even so, years past its pandemic boom, cycling in the city has not lacked for enthusiasts. Road cyclists see Sudirman and Thamrin’s expansive lanes as a high-stakes track to hone their agility and endurance, weekend groups embrace the subdued bustle of the metropolis as they pedal from Blok M to Kota Tua, while casual riders enjoy the quieter, low-traffic pockets in the backroads of Cilandak, Dharmawangsa and other residential areas across The Big Durian.
Though existing in the minority, a rising number of people are embracing cycling as their primary mode of transportation. MANUAL’s photographer Devon Khusuma is one among them. Started as an eco-friendly way of running errands around the neighbourhood, he now cycles to the office, to weekend outings with friends and even to coverages, when the condition allows him to. These photographs document glimpses into the life of a cyclist in the city, as captured through Devon’s point of view.
“Once I started riding my bicycle as a hobby, I soon realised that cycling as a main mode of transportation in the city is surprisingly feasible,” said Devon, who ultimately committed to the cause to minimise his carbon footprint. That sometimes meant travelling great distances on a bicycle, even up to 70 kilometres a day—but it also brought him a newfound appreciation for commuting in the city. “It doesn’t get boring, it’s easy to switch up routes and hopping around town is super convenient.”
His day usually begins with a short trip to Bendungan Hilir’s wet market, where Devon’s Dutch-style city bike, equipped with a basket up front, comes in handy to carry his groceries of bright orange carrots, leeks tied together in a rubber band and a small paper bag of cassava fritters to snack back at home. Though personalised with stickers, the bicycle’s understated quality still easily blends with the streetside kiosks that dot the streets.
For work and heavier errands, a different bicycle comes out: a green army commuter bike decked with metal racks both on the front and back, as well as a pair of navy blue panniers sandwiching the rear wheel. “I built the bike myself so I can easily repair it when I need to—that’s one of the things that I love about cycling, being able to repair things you own,” shared the photographer. On that particular day, these compartments were stacked with used cardboard boxes, tied together with bright green cords, as he transported them to a waste station in Dukuh Atas. In a sea of pedestrians, Devon and his bicycle stood as the odd one out.
“Travelling on a bike, you don’t take the same route as everyone else, and it exposes you to your surroundings in ways that a car or even public transportation can’t provide,” described the 23-year-old. “It has allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the neighbourhoods I frequent in the city; their distinct characters, the businesses and activities that give life to these areas and the communities that populate them.”
Captured during a recent cycling trip to Jatinegara, the scene saw children settling on a quiet road off the Jembatan Item flea market and using it as their playground. Kicking a white plastic ball around in a game of football, their BMXes rested unceremoniously on the sidewalks. “When we think about cyclists, sometimes we overlook the elders who cycle around their neighbourhood to get around, or the kids riding on their BMXes to play after school—they’re cyclists too. We all share the same roads, but everyone rides at their own pace,” observed Devon.
It’s easy to dismiss his commitment to cycling as something only a dedicated few could stick to, but in a city that suffers up to IDR 100 trillion losses in a year due to traffic congestion, one starts to wonder if cyclists like Devon are part of the solution after all. While far from ideal, we’ve witnessed how our collective interests have led to the improvement of bicycle lanes along Jakarta’s busiest hubs. But whether or not Jakarta would ever see the kind of comprehensive, bike-friendly transformation that cities like Paris have enjoyed, there’s still a sense of freedom in cycling and finding one’s own way through the city lanes.
