Rental Bikes in Paris

I visited family in France during the break between Christmas and New Year's, and we spent a few days in Paris. Bikes everywhere! (You mixte fans would go nuts.) Even though it was bitterly cold, there were still a number of folks getting around by bike, and their bike rental program seems quite popular. We pretty much walked or metro'd wherever we went, but next time I'm over there (when it'll be warmer, hopefully :p ) I'm gonna hop on one of these:

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...1/DSCN0292.jpg

What an awesome program.

I have some great photos of those bikes too from my trip in October. My one sister and I would have definitely taken them for a spin or two. But we were with our other sister who was on a chemo break, and she just didn't have the stamina. Plus she hasn't been on her bike since starting treatment and though she wants to get back on for some light riding, we didn't think that was the way to start. :) It really was so cool to see them every couple of blocks practically. Very neat!

That is so cool!

Velib is the name of the program. They work in Paris because the locations are numerous and Paris has developed an extensive network of bike lanes (they were not there when I lived in Paris 10 years ago...or I would have stayed! Okay, I would have stayed anyways if I could have found a job).

DC has a similar program, but the locations are spaced too far away from each other to make it really practical. Hopefully soon they will add more stations.

What I really like about it is that it's not so much a bike _rental_ service as a bike _sharing_. You become a "member" when you buy the card - for a nominal fee compared to the great benefits it procures, I think - and then you can take a bike anytime for free, as long as you bring it back to a station (any station) within 30 minutes. If you take it longer, you have to pay, and the costs increase with the time (so there is an incentive to return the bike quickly).

I really find this fantastic, and I can't wait to try it. I tried to last summer but I couldn't get my credit card to work with the machines. Now I have a chip on my credit card, so it will probably work. Worse comes worse I'll have a Paris friend get me the membership on his credit card.

I'm really excited.

I find it amusing though that they have to truck bikes up to stations in Montmartre and other high points because cyclists will take them to go down the hill but not to go up. :) I'm sure my husband will volunteer to ride them up the hill.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Grog

I find it amusing though that they have to truck bikes up to stations in Montmartre and other high points because cyclists will take them to go down the hill but not to go up. :) I'm sure my husband will volunteer to ride them up the hill.

---

There's a job in Paris that I would like (and they won't even mind that I have a US education...maybe)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tulip

There's a job in Paris that I would like (and they won't even mind that I have a US education...maybe)

---

Yeah but most likely you'd have to pass the "concours" #7934d.

:S

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Grog

Yeah but most likely you'd have to pass the "concours" #7934d.

:S

---

:eek: Zut! Pas le concours 7934d!! :rolleyes:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Grog

I find it amusing though that they have to truck bikes up to stations in Montmartre and other high points because cyclists will take them to go down the hill but not to go up. :)

---

I would be one of those people. Good gravy, that's a heckuva climb. :eek: