The Scoop on Velib

This afternoon at a spiffy station just off rue de Rennes, two cheerful Velib staffers were on hand to explain the system to curious passersby. Curious is my middle name, so I stopped for a chat.

Velib, of course, is the much-touted new "free" bicycle rental program putting thousands of bikes on the streets of Paris.

Here is the scoop. Sit down, put up your feet.

First, the bicycles are sturdy and attractive; and while I wouldn't go so far as to call them beautiful, it is a case of function defining a pleasing form. Except for their weight, they seem to be eminently practical bikes. Baskets, lights, locks, the whole package.

The preliminaries

In order to ride a Velib, you must be at least 14 years old. (No upper age limit. Whew!) Between 14 and 18 you must have parental (or equivalent) permission.

To sign up for the one-year subscription (29 euros), you have to fill in a form and have your Velib carte mailed to you. The form is available at http://www.velib.paris.fr/ and takes about 15 days.

If you already own a Navigo pass, you can have the 29 euros charged to that and can swipe it as you would you Velib carte, at the electronic docking stations.

In order to sign up for Velib for a one-week (5 euros) or one-day (1 euro) pass, you have to have a credit card. You get this pass at the "borne" -- a kind of tall freestanding ATM found at each station. I'm embarrassed to admit that I forgot to ask if foreign credit cards will work (the ones that are sans puce, without a little microchip). This could be critical.

Enrollment requires a deposit of 150 euros, none of which is removed from your account unless you fail to return your Velib at the appropriate time. The borne will issue you a magnetic Velib Ticket which you swipe at the Velib electronic post (point d'attache) in order to unlock your bike.

This gives you unlimited use of the Velib for precisely 30 minutes, at which time, in order not to be charged more, you must either

1) return it to any Velib station in the city,
2) swap it for another Velib at any station in the city,
3) return it to a Velib station for 2 minutes (connect it to its electronic stand) and then take it again, or
4) get charged for the additional minutes.

The specifics

The additional minutes are the key part to this program.

First half hour over your free initial 30 minutes: 1 euro
Second half hour after that: 2 euros
Third half hour beyond that: 4 euros

Better get that bike back on time! The point of the program, they explained, is for Velib to be an alternative to public transportation or walking. It is not "un velo a balade" -- not for leisurely day-long bike rides. That helped calm my concern about all the wonderful bike rental shops and bike tours in Paris which already do such a great job.

The Velib has a small electronic dashboard which tells you the status of your available minutes. Kind of like being on the bicycle machine at the gym, but this time you're actually going somewhere.

Locks and Security

Since you won't be keeping your bike idle for very long, the lock system won't be that necessary. But it is practical. The temporary lock is permanently attached to the bike.

So if you, for example, are just stopping by the boulangerie for a baguette, you simply flip down the kickstand (kind of like a motorcycle kickstand) and attach the lock around the nearest pole. The lock key is released once the lock is well attached. Don't lose the key! And you'll hope that the boulanger is speedy, because the minutes are ticking away one your dashboard minuterie.

Next scenario. Your 30 minutes are up and you've duly arrived at the nearest Velib station to dock your bike. But wait -- the Velib station has no free space! What to do without getting nailed for the charge for the extra 1/2 hour? Aha! They have anticipated that. The all-knowing borne knows when its station is full, so you go up to it and in Oz-like fashion ask for mercy. It grants you a 15-minute reprieve and also tells you where the nearest empty Velib station is located.

Rules of the road

They didn't have any information in English, but siad there will be some on the website and perhaps at the big official launch on July 15.

Meanwhile, there will be Velib helpers every day (except July 14) at various stations around town to explain the rules and how Velib works.

Voila. Have I confused you enough?

P.S. I asked the young staffers if the sporty Velib-logo Tshirts they were wearing would be for sale anywhere. "Euh..non, " they said with a grin. "In fact, we have to return them at the end of the day."

http://www.velib.paris.fr/

Velib by the Numbers

The City of Paris has just conducted a customer satisfaction survey about the Velib bicycle program. Here are some of the results:

94% are satisfied with the service
97% would recommend it to a friend

20 million Velib rentals to date (since the program began last July)

190,000 subscribers

18 minutes average length of use

39% of Velib users are between 25 and 35 years old
33% of the users come from the suburbs

58% of long-term subscribers are men
65% of short-term subscribers are women

19% of riders say they have used a Velib for a trip that they wouldn't have taken if Velib weren't available.

61% of long-term subscribers use Velib to commute to school or work.

96% say it gives a positive image of Paris
94% say it makes Paris more pleasant

88% say it's good for their health

No official mention of Velib stations' reputation for being good for your love life --a great place to pick up a potential date.

Read more here.

Velib Hits the 'Burbs

Good news for denizens of greater Paris: Vélib is heading to the 'burbs. The ever-popular bicycle program, inaugurated in July 2007, has been comprised of 20,000 bikes circulating in Paris intramuros. That is all about to change.

Soon residents and commuters to or from the 30 communities peripheral to Paris will be able to avail themselves of the bikes as well. Work begins tomorrow on Vélib stations in Boulogne-Billancourt, and is expected to finish within about four weeks. Next will be Les Lilas, Gentilly, Issy-les-Moulineaux, Vincennes, Suresnes, Vanves, Saint-Ouen, and Pantin. By the end of 2009, some 300 new Vélib stations (about 10 per city) will have been constructed, all within 1500 meters of Paris city limits, adding 3,300 bikes to the current total.

View Larger Map

Inaugurated in Paris in July 2007, the Vélib program has logged an astounding 41 million rides.

For more posts about Velib, click here.

Velib': Bikes for Everyone

The Baby isn't born yet, but Mayor Delanoe has announced its name: Velib'.

The much anticipated new bicycle lending program for the city of Paris www.paris.fr has been officially baptized. A raccourci of velo and liberte, the monniker seems a little forced now but I'm sure it will soon be rolling off our tongues.

At these prices, we simply have to love it:

1 euro for one day

5 euros for a week

29 euros for an annual rental fee.

Bikes are sturdy and have ample baskets. They should be in place during the course of this summer.

Learn to be a City Cyclist

If you haven't tried the fun of bike-riding in Paris yet because you're not confident about cycling in the city, don't worry, you are not alone. Or maybe you've made the happy plunge -- either on your own velo or on Velib --but want to make sure you're obeying the rules of the road (and avoid those costly moving violations!).

The City of Paris, in conjunction with three bicycle associations, is offering workshops on theory and practice of bike-riding in Paris. The courses, which will take place from now until December 15 on selected Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, are open to everyone over 14 who already knows how to ride a bike. They are offered in French, and are available by pre-registration only.

You can take just the theory lessons, which are free. About 25 people per class.

To take a practice session, you must have already taken one of the theory classes first. Practice sessions feature hands-on, real-life riding and last about 2 hours. Cost is 2€50 (to cover insurance). Space is limited to 10 - 12 participants, so it would be best to sign up early.

You can bring your own bike for the practice sessions; and if you're not a bike owner, you can have free use of a Velib for the course.

Theory classes only:
Call MDB (Mieux se déplacer à bicyclette) to register at 01 43 20 26 02
Held in the 1e arrondissement.

Theory and practice:
Right Bank: call Cyclo-Pouce at 01 42 41 76 98 to register
Left Bank: call Voiture & Co at 06 59 55 62 99 to register.

Check here for full schedule and details.

Happy pedalling!

Velib Fashion

While the fashionistas of Paris ramp up for fall Fashion Week, the rest of us ladies have one burning question: how to sport around town by bike and still look chic?

Now that the Vélib bike rental program is such a smashing success, Vélib fashion is next to follow... we hope. There's a little issue of rain in Paris. Intermittent rain, of course, so you never quite know when you'll need protective outerwear. That collapsible umbrella I always carry just doesn't do it while steering my bike through Paris traffic. In the Madame Figaro edition of August 24 I spotted a hint that more vélo-appropriate attire may soon become trendy . The guide featured an elegant poncho, kidskin driving gloves, and sporty little boots, touted as perfect for Vélib outings.

Whether it's by vélo or Velib, having something practical but non-embarrassing to wear while braving the elements would be a welcome relief. I keep returning to the images of Laetita Casta in "Le Grand Appartement". In the movie she pedals furiously around the 7e arrondissement in a disposable plastic poncho (which looked like an expanded version of a rain bonnet). Of course, she'd look gorgeous in anything. The rest of us...naah.

So let's hope our Vélib attire for the Fall/Winter 2007-2008 fashion season doesn't all have to come from Decathlon. Fashion designers: on your mark, get set, pedal!

Steee-rike!

With the planned transportation strike Thursday fast approaching, residents are looking for ways to make their appointed rounds. The strike is anticipated to begin late tomorrow evening and end Friday morning at 8 am.This will be the first time that the Velib program has been put to the test. Already, savvy commuters have been lining up alternative methods of transportation. Automobile traffic is understandably expected to be a mess. The carpooling initiative has decided not to charge its normal rates for the duration of the strike. Taxis, motorcycle taxis, and boats along the Seine are all expected to pick up a lot of the movement, but are already maxed out with reservations, according to news sources. Even Segways are expected to be booked solid.

Lacking those resources, it may be time to haul out your own rusty two-wheeled steed, be it bicycle or trotinette. Or else your most comfortable sneakers.

Uh-Oh. Velo.

PrettyLady downstairs has stopped smiling at me when we pass in the vestibule or on the sidewalk. I won't say that she sneers, but she's tight-lipped and cold. Naive moi, I had thought she was a new friend.

I guess she only smiles when she wants something. What she wanted was for me to get rid of my bike.

Yesterday the residents of our building got the following note on our doorsteps (click on image to enlarge):

Roughly translated

"A reminder that parking bicycles is only "tolerated" in the courtyard. We are going to create a space in the basement, with an easy access by the building off the courtyard. In the meanwhile, we ask for your most respectful cooperation in order to make life better for everyone in the building (parking bikes on the street when possible, taking them down to the basement when not being used, etc.).

[The rest is about how to recycle your trash]

Well now, I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. She, I, we, they, all know that it is 99% impossible to take a bike into the basement. Tiny narrow stairs, no light. Lotsa spiders. Heavy bike. C'mon.

Bikes on the street? Well, they tend to get vandalized or stolen, peed on by pooches, and anyway, there are sometimes other randomly enforced laws about where parking of bikes is allowed on sidewalks, not attached to fences, etc. You apparently can get ticketed.

I consulted a few web sites. Evidently a law was proposed in July in the Conseil Municipal of Paris, to require building owners to allow bikes in the courtyard, but it was struck down for unclear reasons.

Yes, of course Velib is a good solution in general, but what about people who have child seats or simply need a bike for longer? Or who already own a bike? It seems to me that if the City of Paris is really set on making this city a paradise for bicyclists, they could help us out with fussy neighbors who are trying to run the show ... simply because she lives right on the courtyard, is the head of the Condo Association, and doesn't want to have her view spoiled. If I hadn't asked before I bought the bike, I would feel remorse. Instead, I'm just steamed.

Anyway, now I am going to join Velo 15et7, an association for bicyclists of the 15th and 7th arrondissements, which has helpful information for bike owners in similar predicaments.

Fashion

I used to think that life would be perfect if we could only return to the days of glamour and elegance as in this Parisian photo.

I still do, in some ways... Just don't take away my cell phone, WiFi or Velib, s'il vous plait. Besides, lest we forget, when the glam shot was taken of this model, she and other françaises had only gotten the right to vote 5 years before.

For Auld Lang Syne

For old times' sake, here is a round-up of the Polly-Vous Francais all-time top twenty posts, according to feedback from all sources. In no particular order:

20. The Flirting Game in France and others in this category
19. What Drives French Men Wild. Wild!
18. French Lingerie . The men gaze and ponder.
17. Wonderbra in France, in case the other lingerie needs a boost
16. French Baby Names in case of great success in four above categories??
15. French Facial Gymnastics, not just for the boomers. Now a DVD!
14. The Houseguest from Hell. Funny, I haven't heard from him since.
13. "I love it when you speak French!" Oh, Gomez, darling...
12. Gimme Back My Umbrella. I still haven't found it.
11. Going Postal. Wow. Now there are TVs when you wait in line. Love it!
10. Gypsy Ring Scam in Paris. As sure as death and taxes.
9. More Begging. Just say "please," s'il vous plait.
8. Learn French in your Pajamas. Madame Lazybones gives away her trade secrets.
7. Unpronounceable French. No matter how hard I try.
6. 99.9% fluent. Those darn vowels.
5. Velib hits the streets. A star is born!
4. Where I want to be if I'm not in Paris.
3. My New Best Friend. Really! She is actually very sweet. An update is in the works.
2. A different kind of flirting. I still daydream about this one.
1. The post that started it all. Or should I say the post-it that started it all?

Paris Biker Babe

I did it. I finally have a bicycle to ride in Paris. It's been on my to-do list for months, but somehow I just haven't had the nerve.

I have been observing, for a year now, those chic Parisiennes who maneuver their way through rush hour traffic, in high heels and stylish skirts. How could they be so oblivious to the dangers around them, I wondered. I envied their bravada. I envied their ability to look so glamorous and put themselves in the spotlight -- sitting so tall and gorgeous astride their velos, being admired by all the men in cars and buses.

But I wasn't ready. I needed time to understand the city, to get the flow of life here, to know others who rode their bicycles around. Even then, I just wasn't prepared to make the plunge. Why was I being so cautious? I wondered where I could I keep it. I asked my gardienne if I, too, would be allowed to park a bike in the courtyard, where there are already four in permanent residence. "Mais bien sur," she replied, "comme tous les autres locataires." Of course I had the same rights as the other tenants. Why was I being so anxious? Despite my happy-go-lucky exterior, I clearly am not as adventurous as I might appear.

Part of it was that I had heard how often bikes are stolen here. Or parts of bikes. Still, that's not a huge deal. Also I had seen how close the bus or other cars pass next to the cyclistes. The cyclistes don't flinch. Was I ready for a game of chicken? I also had heard from my friend Vincent that he had once gotten a ticket from the gendarmes for running a red light on his bicycle in Paris on a Sunday in August. August! A 300 euro fine, and they would take away his automobile driver's license if he didn't pay it. That story was scary, but I was hanging onto it simply for justifying my procrastination about getting a bike. I had written about Mayor Delanoe's new Velib program, where bikes will be available for daily rental next to nothing, starting this summer. Maybe I should wait and just rent a bike, to see how it goes. Oh, come on. I was stalling, and not happy with myself for doing so.

What was I waiting for?

Then Saturday I was heading home from Montmartre on the 12 Metro line and when we reached the Madeleine stop I knew it was now or never. I jumped off and prayed that Decathlon was still open. 19h30 and the store was open til 20h00. This is it.

I went straight to the bike section, which I had been perusing for months. To my surprise I beheld what looked like a bike parade. Dozens of people riding bikes in the aisles, examining accessories, discussing with the bike techs their various options. The fabulous staff were jovial and actually laughing, because it was such a madhouse.

"How many bikes have you sold today?" I asked. "C'est incroyable!"

"Trop!" they chorused.

But they were young, energetic and helpful, and cooperative with each other. A real travail d'equipe. Thierry (forgive me if I got your name wrong) was tremendously patient despite clearly having had a very very long day, eager to begin his Saturday evening. He recommended all the right locks. "This you attach to something tres solide," he warned, about the heavy-duty lock. "Then this cable you attach permanently to your seat (selle). The third lock is to attach to your front wheel, when you are parked for a long time. Les voleurs like to steal front wheels." He showed me how to shift the gears (it's a 7-speed), and other features my Decathlon City bike. It has a panier that removes in a click, a headlight that runs on a dynamo instead of a battery, and I learned the word for kick-stand, which is "la bequille" -- same as the word for "crutch".

Then he sent me along to the caisse and it was a done deal. Suddenly I felt kind of the way I had felt 20 years ago when taking my first newborn home from the hospital. "You mean they're letting me leave here with this without any further instruction or permission?"

And off I went. After carrying my bike up the stairs to the place de la Madeleine, I climbed on and started pedaling down the cobblestones of rue Royale, in Paris traffic. Me? Me.

A feeling of sheer exhilaration perfectly blended with blinding panic radiated from every pore. 'This is so cool!" I shouted to myself, "I can't believe I'm finally doing this!" as I reached the mayhem of place de la Concorde. I was so happy. I felt so free. So much a part of Paris. The wind flowing through my hair. Complete bliss, while gripping those handlebars with white-knuckled fear. I found a bike path (piste cyclable) and flew down the streets, and over the bridge.

Watch out, Paris. This crazy American lady has started singing while riding her bike. Somewhere near les Invalides I spontaneuosly began belting out "I have con-fi-dence in confidence a-lone!" a la Julie Andrews. Stay tuned.

Who is the Parisian male?

THE PARISIAN MALE…Who is he? Where does today’s Parisian man go for nightlife, to dine, for entertainment, or to shop for clothes?

Of course we are all salivating to know the answer to these burning and relevant questions. Aren't we?

Through its annual survey, Le Figaroscope a few months ago offered a quick sketch of the typical male denizen of Paris: "at once perfectible but seductive, snob yet distinguished, lighthearted yet erudite."

The survey had some interesting responses: the vote came in for the handsome and talented Edouard Baer as the icon of French male-ness. Can't argue with that. And details of his favorite haunts and habits are spelled out for you. Even if your French isn't le top, you can read the article here and find out the cool, hip places to be a man in Paris. And statistics about the runners-up.

Ah, then the tables turn! None other than Inès de la Fressange opines in the article, offering her view of the typical Parisian man. I didn't want anyone to miss this, so I translated it all for you.

According to Inès, the typical Parisian male

• takes his car to go exercise (e.g. jogging in the Luxembourg Garden) ;
• goes to cafés but only drinks coffee at the office;
• never wears brown suits;
• uses neither an umbrella nor a hat;
• buys his books in a local bookstore, even though he spends his life in front of the computer screen;
• has lunch on the Left Bank on weekends, but on the Right Bank during the week;
• reads the International Herald Tribune and subscribes to it when away at his vacation home;
• has a taxi-service subscription because he knows it’s delusional to think one can hail a taxi in the streets of Paris;
• drops his kids off at school but is never the one to pick them up;
• has two cars, including one Smart Car, but makes everyone think he arrived by Velib;
• votes in the countryside, where he has a second home: the only way to have his voice heard;
• skis in Megève, vacations on île de Ré or at Cap-Ferret, because there are plenty of Parisians there;
• makes snide comments about people whom he will then greet ceremoniously at Brasserie Lipp;
• is on a diet (he is a personal friend of Pierre Dukan);
• doesn’t manage to lose weight because the gym is under renovation, or too far away, or closed, or whatever…;
• loves going to London, IF it’s for work;
• doesn’t want to change residences, but his wife does;
• has a dog (more so than in any other city), but no place to walk it without a leash;
• wants to live in the 5th arrondissement in order to enroll his son in the Lycée Henri-IV (“you will be in the elite of the nation, my boy");
• “never goes” to the Marché aux Puces (« it’s too far, too expensive, no good finds») ;
• has furniture that comes exclusively from the Marché aux Puces;
• goes to Habitat to look like an American;
• buys his swim suits at Ralph Lauren, to look like Bobby Kennedy;
• “never” goes to the hairdresser (even though his hair is always short);
• doesn’t have a mistress, only « co-workers »;
• doesn’t have a guest bedroom;
• goes to bed early and gets up late, then is in meetings and unreachable;
• wasn’t born in Paris;
• starts out spearheading the search for child care for the new baby; and then, ultimately, asks his wife to figure it all out;
• doesn’t carry a plastic bag to pick up after his dog;
• never sees high chairs for the baby in restaurants; but since he isn’t Swedish it doesn’t surprise him.

Eh, oui, those fascinating, inscrutable Parisiens!

Edouard Baer image via Wikipedia