🎵 Song for this post: ONEWE – “Dreamcatcher”
On a Saturday evening around sunset, I rode from Wonhyo-ro in Yongsan, Seoul, along the north bank of the Han River to Youth Plaza in Nanji Hangang Park and back, without stopping. It’s a 20 km round trip that takes a little over an hour. Taking photos while riding isn’t easy, so this post walks through the route using my Strava data instead.
The ride at a glance
| Item | Record |
|---|---|
| Route | Wonhyo-ro → Han River north bank bike path → Youth Plaza, Nanji Hangang Park (round trip) |
| Distance | 20.13 km |
| Moving time | 1 h 7 min |
| Elapsed time | 1 h 16 min (about 9 min waiting at traffic lights and an elevator; no rest stops) |
| Average speed | 18.0 km/h |
| Max speed | 38.2 km/h |
| Elevation gain | 39 m (almost completely flat) |
| Bike | Samchuly Iris 700C (classified as a road bike) |
Following the route
1. From Wonhyo-ro down to the Han River
This is the trickiest part if you’ve never done it, so here it is step by step.
| Step | Directions |
|---|---|
| ① | Ride along Wonhyo-ro and go straight through the Wonhyo-ro 2-ga intersection. |
| ② | Do not take the overpass leading up to the north end of Wonhyo Bridge. Where the road splits, keep right. |
| ③ | Continue straight and cross at the traffic light in front of the Hyundai Wonhyo-ro Center. |
| ④ | Head to the pedestrian overpass in front of the Hyundai service center on the other side. |
⚠️ Step ② matters most. If you simply follow the traffic straight ahead, you’ll end up on the overpass to Wonhyo Bridge. It’s a car-oriented road that is unsafe for bikes, and it doesn’t lead down to the riverside path. Keep right at the split.
This pedestrian overpass has an elevator, so you can take your bike straight down to the Han River bike path without carrying it up and down stairs.
Here’s the view from the 3rd floor of the overpass while I waited for the elevator. At 5:57 PM, the sun was setting between the 63 Building and the towers of Yeouido, just beyond Wonhyo Bridge.
💡 When choosing an entry point to the Han River, check in advance whether it has an elevator. Stair-only entrances are hard work, especially with a heavier bike.
2. West along the north bank toward Mapo
Once you’re down at the river, ride west (toward Mapo). You’ll pass the stretch facing Yeouido across the water and keep following the river. The path is wide and flat, which makes it easy to hold a steady pace.
3. Past Hongjecheon Stream toward Goyang
After you pass the point where Hongjecheon Stream joins the Han River, keep following the signs for Goyang and continue west.
4. Turn around at Youth Plaza, Nanji Hangang Park
The destination is Youth Plaza in Nanji Hangang Park. I didn’t rest; I turned straight around and came back the same way.
💡 Bike lights are less about seeing and more about being seen. I switched my rear light on before leaving and turned on my front light on the way back after dark. The Han River path is well lit, so you can see fine without a headlight, but riders coming the other way may not notice you in time. If you start around sunset, bring both front and rear lights.
What the data says
Elevation: the river section is completely flat
- Along the river, the path stays between 11 and 14 m above sea level.
- The only climbs are right after the start and in the last 2 km, getting down from and back up to Wonhyo-ro.
- Total elevation gain is just 39 m, so even beginners can ride this comfortably.
Speed: chasing a faster rider and running out of steam
The speed chart tells the story of the day.
| Section | Speed | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| Start to 1 km | Very slow | I was walking my bike while downloading music for the ride on my phone. |
| River entry to about 7 km | 25–30 km/h | A fast rider was ahead of me, and I chased them. They rode as far as a riverside convenience store in Mangwon Hangang Park. |
| After that | Around 20 km/h | Chasing them wore me out, so I held this pace for the rest of the ride. |
An average of 18 km/h looks fine on paper, but it’s really the record of burning all my energy early and hanging on for the rest.
My usual goal: 22 km/h average
I normally aim for an average speed of 22 km/h. On this route, here’s how I hit that target.
| Section | Conditions | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Wonhyo-ro → river entry | City streets with lots of traffic lights, hard to build speed | Don’t push it |
| Han River bike path | No traffic lights, continuous path | Ride at 25 km/h or more to pull the average up |
That day, I spent the start walking with my phone, and on the river I wore myself out chasing another rider and couldn’t hold 25 km/h to the end. So I finished at 18 km/h, 4 km/h below my target.
Who this route is for
- First-timers on the Han River bike paths: almost no hills and wide paths.
- Anyone who wants an easy ride of about an hour: 20 km round trip at 18 km/h is just over an hour.
- Riders starting from Yongsan / Wonhyo-ro: the overpass elevator makes getting to the river easy.
Final thoughts
Wonhyo-ro to Nanji is an easy route almost anyone can do, since there are hardly any hills. If I could give one piece of advice: ride at your own pace, not the pace of the rider in front of you. I chased someone all the way to Mangwon, struggled through the remaining 13 km, and fell short of my usual 22 km/h average. Holding a steady pace you can keep up the whole way, around 25 km/h on the river section, is better for both your average speed and your legs.
Data: Strava. The start and end points are hidden on the map for privacy.