You know that fair weather is here by the lines at the bicycle shops. Parisians are dusting off their vélos for repairs, or buying new ones for themselves or their tots. Why not join the crowd? If you’re saddle shy, here are 10 tips for becoming saddle sure, adapted from my book the Best Biking Guide to Paris.
1 Rent First Whether it’s for a day or a week, rent a bicycle before buying, or if learning or relearning. While more exist, I can highly recommend two agents in Paris: Paris à Vélo C’est Sympa (37 bd Bourdon, 4e, tel: 01 48 87 60 01) and Maison Roue Libre (95bis rue Rambuteau at Les Halles, 1er, tel: 01 53 46 43 77).
2 Take a Tour If you’re unsure about riding on the city streets, sample a guided tour. Paris à Vélo and Maison Roue Libre offer a variety of excellent tours in several languages. Bullfrog Bikes leads English-only guided tours from May to September (06 09 98 08 60). My husband, a house guest and I took Paris à Vélo’s “Contrasts of Paris” tour of the 19th and 20th arrondissements one Sunday afternoon. Everyone in our group, including our pack-a-day guest and French retirees, ascended the highest point in Paris, Télégraphe hill, and lived to tell the tale.
3 Shop for Substance Many shoppers look for style — a certain kind of saddle or handlebar. Look for a good-fitting frame. Straddle the bike. The top bar should clear those tender parts by at least a centimeter. Women beware: mass-market bikes are proportioned for men, who have relatively longer arms. We should opt for smaller frames to ensure a comfortable reach to the handlebars. First do reconnaissance at sports retailers like Decathlon or Go Sport, or even hypermarkets like Auchan, then visit your neighborhood bike boutique.
4 And Shop for Service As you know, commerce here is about relationships. If you buy a cheapo at Decathlon and seek a repair at your neighborhood shop, expect a refusal. It’s understandable, as these places are driving the mom and pop shops out of existence. If you’re a permanent Parisian and regular cyclist, shop not only for the bike, but also the store. Avoid sellers who don’t offer service.
5 Buy It Used There’s a hot market for “previously owned” bicycles. Many neighborhood bike stores also deal in used bikes or have bulletin boards. Paris à Vélo sells its stock of bikes yearly in the fall.
6 Repairing Your Wreck For new bikes, seek repairs at the point of purchase. For old bikes, try your neighborhood shop. If it’s declared it dead on arrival, try La Maison du Vélo (11 rue Fénelon, 10e, tel: 01 42 81 24 72), which has the best parts inventory in town, but is extremely busy and favors its regulars. You’ll need a rendezvous for a repair! Pros or owners of racing bikes frequent Cycles Laurent (9 bd Voltaire, 11e, tel: 01 47 00 27 47).
7 Timing Your Ride I admit it, it’s no fun biking in the rush hour on a Friday before a long holiday weekend. That said, weekends, major holidays, school breaks and the summer months are great for cycling in the city. On weekdays, I prefer the quieter hours, between 10am and 4pm. Go for a spin early on a summer Sunday morning when Paris on a bike is bliss.
8 Avoiding Accidents Most bike-car accidents are due to illegal maneuvers by bicyclists, primarily running red lights. Always wear a helmet; most serious bike injuries are to the naked heads of risky riders. In seven years of biking in Paris, my one minor accident occurred when I was unnecessarily hugging a row of parked cars on a big boulevard. Dah. A driver opened his door unawares; he was very apologetic. Take space on the road, you have as much right to it as a car. On narrow streets, “take the lane.” Make cars follow rather than pass. My other mantra: “When in doubt, dismount.”
9 Enjoying the City There are numerous park paths and 150 kilometers of city lanes for safer cycling. Try the bois de Boulogne or bois de Vincennes, the quais on Sundays from 9am to 4pm, May to December (barring floods, marathons and other acts of God or mayor), the Saint-Martin and de l’Ourcq canals, or the southern greenway starting at rue Vercingétorix and place de Catalogne in the 14th. A map of Paris’ bike paths (“Mini Paris à Vélo”) is available at your local town hall, the Hôtel de Ville or Maison Roue Libre.
10 Getting Out of Town If you have a car, buy a bike rack, or stow your bikes (front wheels released), in the trunk. If carless, board your bike on a train. We enjoy taking our bikes to the end of the line — any line — and exploring the nearby countryside. Boarding with a bike is always allowed when in a bag or case; rules apply if not. On RER and commuter trains (TER), they are permitted outside of rush hour. Stow bikes at either end of the train; some commuter trains have special bike compartments. For the RER A, B and D lines, boarding or deboarding isn’t permitted at stops in the city, until work is completed on refurbishing stations with elevators and special access doors for bikes, wheelchairs and strollers.
A freelance journalist living in Paris, Rose Marie Burke is the author of the “Best Biking Guide to Paris: And Day Trips Outside Paris,” an Insider Paris Guide electroncially istributed by Chez Frog. Comprising 10 self-guided tours to destinations like Chantilly, Giverny and Auvers, the publication is updated on a quarterly basis and is available for purchase at www.chezfrog.com as an instant download in several file formats or in CD-ROM.
