Biking in Paris (bis)
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Biking in Paris,
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I wrote about biking in Paris some time ago. I mentioned that a new service would be offered to the Parisians; some 20.000 bikes available at some 1.500 “parking stations” around the city. The first 10.000 bikes at 1.000 stations are available as from July 15. You can subscribe for one day (1 €), for a week (5 €) or for a year (29 €) and then you can use a bike “free of charge”, as often as you wish, for 30 minutes or pay 1 € for an extra half hour etc. It gets expensive if you try to keep it for a longer period or “for ever”. The intention is that you shall use it for short distances within the city.Yesterday I tried one of the bikes for the first time. Quite nice, solid, a bit heavy perhaps, three gears… I actually made it from Place de la Bastille to where I live; I guess some 7 km (4, 5 miles). It took me some 35 minutes with traffic and red lights. Let’s see if they charge me an extra € for the exceeding five minutes! The red line corresponds to the biking part; the small green line represents the few meters from the closest “parking station” to my home.
By metro, this would have taken some 25 minutes, by car maybe 20 minutes (+ 20 minutes to find a place to park). Walking would have meant a good hour. ... and biking gives you some exercise!
Now I say “Nice Weekend” - I have some friends around, so I will be busy. – See you Monday!
Now I say “Nice Weekend” - I have some friends around, so I will be busy. – See you Monday!
18 comments:
Hoppas att du får en trevlig helg med dina vänner!!
I heard about this new bicycle lending scheme on the Candian TV News. I think it's a great idea, I wish it had been operating when I was in Paris in 2005. We spent a lot of time on the subway, seeing nothing but underground tunnels! Biking would have been a great way to see the city!
This is so cool Peter...:D Yes, have a wonderful weekend pal!
Hier, j'ai visité Ménilmontant avec quelqu'un dont c'était le quartier auparavant et ensuite nous sommes allés voir Paris plage sur Seine et à la villettee
C'était vu le temps assez tristounet
Je n'ai pas de belles photos comme tu as faites
Ni des péniches ni des "estivants" qui avaient déserté
Nous aurions pu nous croiser !
Une bicyclette nous aurait été bien utile, nous avons pris le métro mais aussi beaucoup marché (des quais, nous sommes revenus aux halles à pied par exemple), j'en avais plein les jambes !
A lundi et profite de tes amis...
Now thats quite an innovative idea and most importantly it saves quite a few of our important resources-our bleeding nature, pollution, reducing fuels and quite rightly as you have said, it helps in exercise, so biking also reduces obsessiveness.
Have a nice weekend.
Not just a convenience then, a kind of national excercise program?
--steve buser
New Orleans Daily Photo
A very good idea I must say, apart from the health benefits one gets from biking, the enviorement will be less polluted and you get to enjoy the sights!
Good weekend to you too!
Bravo, Peter!
You lead us by example ;-)
But there's nothing in the panier...no wine, no cheese, no baguette...How are we supposed to enjoy the weekend? (I live vicariously through you!!!)
Hi Peter!
This your post is very important for our environment, for our mother earth. Sounds very good and healthy.
Have a great time!
great idea! and i bet madame cergie will love it...actually i love cycling too...let me see when was the last time...10 years ago?
Ever practical...who got the bike contract and where are they manufactured?
Great post, Peter. Could be an historic "first"....well done.
Excellente présentation Peter !
Je suis de passage à Paris et j'ai vu un de ces parcs de stationnement de vélos près des Galeries Lafayette. Le seul problème c'est que tous les espaces étaient occupés et que quand 4 personnes à vélo sont arrivées, elles ne pouvaient pas laisser les vélos : pas de place. Il n'y a plus qu'à repartir vers le site le plus proche, en espérant que cette fois il y ait de la place !!! Pas évident.
Love the first shot. Very cool perspective!
I think it is a brilliant idea in France. I mean, you just can enjoy the beautiful scenery before getting to your destination. How wonderful. But it would be better for the local citizen to have their own bike- it would be cheaper rather than paying for riding the bike everyday, right?
I would love to ride on a bike and tour around my city. But it's tough because we have quite an amount of rude driver. Also, the smoke of some vehicles especially bus and lorry probably would choke me to death. Haha. :p
Oh and I bet you've enjoying with your fellow friends, aren't you? :)
A good idea with the bikes on the one hand, but on the other hand - in the city - and especially such a big one like Paris - it must be a bit dangerous to go by bike.
hmmm biking, that sounds so fun (if you know how to ride a bicycle)!!
#1.you are very good with computers to be able to put all these pictures in with added detail...I am impressed!
#2. you take wonderful pictures.
#3. you have a talent for writing
#4. I still am impressed.
#5. you are funny
nice job, buddy!
This is obviously such a good idea - I take it you can leave the bike at any "parking station" and it calculates the time when you lock it up. In Zurich there are free bicycles you can "hire" for the deposit of some id, but I think they are mainly aimed at tourists, whereas the Paris scheme is a real transport alternative, bit like Carsharing schemes. For me there would have to be good continuous cycle lanes for it to entice me into the traffic in a big city
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