Before arriving in Paris I kept hearing, “Oh the best way to see Paris is on foot, walk the whole city, it's really the only way to experience it.” I'd rather be shot and thrown into a dumpster by the Seine. Walking is not for cyclists – it sours the guns, it's slow as hell. We are not walkers, we are rouleurs.
Enter the Velib – the word is an amalgam of velo and liberty, 20000 bikes, 1800 stations spread around the city. This was conceived to get cars off the streets and judging from the number of people using the bikes, it must be doing something right. These are not intended for sightseeing as much as they are a 24/7, nearly free way to get from point to point without a car and its associated pains. The bikes were custom-designed, 3 speeds, adjustable seat, a cable lock, basket, front and rear lights driven off the hubs. The coolest part is the sturdy male tab that easily mates with the base station. Post-ride you dock your bike into any open base, it locks, and you walk away. Brilliant.
Having been here for two days makes me an expert in all things Parisian, of course. The city is rather flat so the three gears are enough, the tires are tough, it's no speedster but really who cares? It's not your bike. No emotional attachment; use it and walk away. There is always another just like it waiting for the next ride. I've ridden a few of these bikes that needed some love but almost all of them have been great.
One subscribes to this kind of service. I bought a one week service for 8 euros. A whole year is only 29 euros. The first half hour is free, the next is 1 euro. You log in, grab a bike, adjust the seat, no time lost in adjusting the helmet as none are provided. Then you accelerate into the maelstrom that is Paris traffic; a torrent of motos, scooters, trucks, buses and bikes. Exciting and dangerous-absolument. But I figure I'll still last longer than that cyclist with headphones and cigarette.
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/j.andrews3@comcast.net/velib photos/”/]
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
@Pedale.Forchetta
I love that the room glows yellow!
We have these rentals in our town too. Not sure which bank sponsors them but every time I see one it is in need a many repairs. I seen one where the front brake didn't even work and the person riding it had no clue. Not even sure if they even have lights on them.
fasthair
Is Gianni Bjarne Riis?
Not gonna happen down here in Australia with our mandatory helmet laws.
We visited Dublin last Christmas but didn't use the system because.... Rule 9?
@frank
Merckx Will Be Done. Note the sign on the wall containing original velomiskrit teachings describing the location of the Bidons that to this day hold water carried upon His Bike. Legend tells us the water in these Bidons is considered sacred to all Velominati, and thus could not be trusted to any one rider. Hence, they were distributed in various locations about the world, and only by deciphering the clues (from the original Velomiskrit) could their locations be found. A map to these locations is rumored to be inscribed in invisible ink upon a map buried beneath the Roubaix velodrome.
@eightzero
All you need is Nicolas Cage (ugh) or Tom Hanks (meh) to star in it, and you have the makings of a summer blockbuster.
@mcsqueak
Can Tom Cruise play Clentador?
I like the Velib. Anything to get a 20-something-year-old Parisian girl in a sundress to ride around Paris on a bike. The only things missing in the basket are a baguette and some flowers.
Merci, Gianni.
@Harminator
Sure, they're about the same size so that should work.