Han River Coat Hanger Loop on a Brompton Minivelo
Cycling · Published 6/15/2024 ·
The GPS track for a typical “coat hanger” loop looks like the image above. The distance varies depending on where you start, but the course itself comes in under 30km.
Hahaha — and here’s the coat hanger loop we actually rode. Somehow the hanger got way too big.
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We set out from Sangam-dong, took the World Cup Bridge, and crossed over to the south side of the Han River. From there we rode east. It was 31 degrees with a fair bit of humidity, so it felt brutally muggy. The wind was out of the west, which made heading east easy enough — but I was already worried about the ride back.
I had no idea the Rapha bottle I’d bought on AliExpress was sitting empty in the back pocket of my jersey… I’d packed nothing but an empty bottle and ridden off with it. No wonder it felt so light. Kind of like going backpacking and remembering the tent but forgetting the poles…
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At the CU convenience store just past Banpo Bridge, I grabbed some ice and a sports drink and downed them. Just in case, I also ate a few Bacchus jelly pieces — the ones that supposedly have taurine? Tauren? in them. Past Yangjaecheon, the east side of the Han was all new territory for me. The Jamsil area in particular was a first, so I rode a little tense — but the stretch crossing the river via Jamsil Railway Bridge after Jamsil Bridge turned out to be beautifully set up.
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After crossing a bridge that looked like a monster might crawl out of it…
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We climbed up onto the Jamsil Railway Bridge. It carries the subway Line 2, so no cars — just trains, bikes, and pedestrians can cross. We made it over the river in total comfort.
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The pleasant south end of the Jamsil Railway Bridge… and the view on the opposite, north end… You can practically feel the heat radiating off the photos.
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The north end of that monster-movie bridge… We took a short break at the north end of Yeongdong Bridge. Hot day, west wind. Holding our average speed was a struggle.
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Yongbi Rest Area, the holy site for cycling nuts. I poured another bottle of Pocari down the hatch. Now we just had to ride back to Mapo-gu. Straight into that west wind…
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The north end of World Cup Bridge. A bit of up, up, up, and you’re back in Sangam-dong. Total distance for the day came to 58km — just shy of 60. The weather was sweltering and the west wind was merciless. Still, I managed a 21km/h average. Not bad at all for a 16-inch minivelo. On a road bike I probably would’ve cleared 25.
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On the left… the shape our coat hanger loop came out to. On the right, the GPS track most people pull up when they search for the coat hanger course. We started way too far west, so we came home with an extra-large hanger.
To sum it up…
The coat hanger loop starts at Banpo Bridge and circles back around via the Jamsil Railway Bridge — a thoroughly pleasant ride. There isn’t a single traffic light to wait for, so you can ride nonstop, and there’s even an elevator up to the Jamsil Railway Bridge (something I only found out later). For anyone who rides near the Han River, it’s a course that absolutely deserves the love.
If you start from the west like I did, the shape gets a little weird, but you only have to stop for one light at Banpo Bridge — after that it’s 60-plus km of nonstop, bike-only path where you can happily burn out your thighs.
A great first ride on a course I’d never done before.
Thanks for reading.
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