I am prepared for guffaws and general laughter for daring to ask the following safety questions:
1. Can you get a helmet with your bike?
2. Are bikes equipped with bells, horns or other warning device?
3. Is there a headlight?
4. How about a tail light or rear red reflector?
Incidentally, if our Mayor Bloomberg wants to implement a similar system here in New York City, all these things will be required.
For those who can read French, the Vélib site provides a lot of information. Otherwise:
1. No, you need to provide your own helmet.
2. Bells
3. Yes
4. Yes
Here's a bonus tidbit regarding bikes in Paris: Not all bus lanes in Paris are open to bike traffic, so be sure to check the street markings and/or signs before entering the lane.
For those who can read French, the Vélib site provides a lot of information. Otherwise:
1. No, you need to provide your own helmet.
2. Bells
3. Yes
4. Yes
Here's a bonus tidbit regarding bikes in Paris: Not all bus lanes in Paris are open to bike traffic, so be sure to check the street markings and/or signs before entering the lane.
Merci de votre réponse, M. ou Mme. iff. Je suis vraiment désolé que je n'ai pas lu le website avant de poser ma question.
Tried Velib for the first time today. Honestly, Velib is one of the worst bikes that I have ever ridden if not the worst. Brakes, both the front and the rear, were poorly responding. The brakes were made by Shimano, which is also my bike's brake manufacturer. However the braking performances of Velib and my bike were so different to make me say that Velib's brakes are not-functioning. In general, there were many defective bikes, so watch out for them. 30-minute limit is kinda pushing, so it is necessary to check time often. In a nut shell, Velib is okay although there are a few shortcomings.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iff
See post #17: AMEX cards are accepted.
Unless things have changed recently, French chips are programmed differently than chips issued in other countries, so a US-issued chip card wouldn't work for you anyway. (I have one, and cashiers usually look at me strangely when I swipe it instead of using the chip reader)
Because neither my non-French Visa nor MasterCard worked, I had to borrow my dad's card. He suspended his French chip CB-card due to scamming, so I had to try his non-French chip MasterCard. It did work.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iff
Just a comment that may help save you some frustration: Verify if you can that the bike you want to take is in working condition before you do your transaction.
On my first experience with Velib, I got a bike from the rack only to discover that its chain was off. Then I had to wait 5 minutes to get a different one.
Many Velib riders have taken to turning the saddles backwards on bikes that have chains off, flat tires, or other problems so that other riders as well as the Velib maintenance crew know there's a problem.
Yes, please do yourself a favor by checking your bike condition. The first one that I picked was decent. However, the second one had a flat-tire. So I wasted my time to locate a Velib dock. The third one had a shaky front set, which caused more loss of time. Like iff said, turning the saddle upon return would be thoughtful when there is a problem.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Falco Peregrinus
Are Velib's heavy? Why do so many Velib' users totter and struggle with their Velib'? Velib's are sturdily built as each of them will be used between 10 and 15 times a day. A Velib' weighs 22 kg (48.5 pounds), 22% more than a commercial bike, yet in line with the choice of materials used, which have to be extremely hard-wearing.
Besides, most Velib' users are not experienced bikers, that probably explains why they don't look very self-assured every time they move off.
When I first got on Velib, I felt the bike was very heavy, compared to my bike at least. It was difficult to balance the bike for the first few minutes, but I got used to it pretty soon.
Unless things have changed recently, French chips are programmed differently than chips issued in other countries, so a US-issued chip card wouldn't work for you anyway.
Canadian chipped Visa cards work fine in France in chip 'n PIN terminals.
__________________
"I have a fear of flying. I fear flying in the back cabin" My Flight Memory
- Is there a cunning spot to get the bikes from near the Gare du Nord? The rather excellent realtime map is a great feature - and often shows zero availability around the station - but I won't be able to use it from the train.
- I note there's quite a lot of bike lanes around on some of the larger roads, but I'm a little confused about their use at junctions. From looking at Google Maps, you seem to need to stay right when turning left, and then cross the road again? It's unclear. How does it work? I've no problem turning with the traffic (I commute by bike in London - I'm happy to do so anywhere!) but MrsStut is more of a beginner...
- Is there a cunning spot to get the bikes from near the Gare du Nord? The rather excellent realtime map is a great feature - and often shows zero availability around the station - but I won't be able to use it from the train.
- I note there's quite a lot of bike lanes around on some of the larger roads, but I'm a little confused about their use at junctions. From looking at Google Maps, you seem to need to stay right when turning left, and then cross the road again? It's unclear. How does it work? I've no problem turning with the traffic (I commute by bike in London - I'm happy to do so anywhere!) but MrsStut is more of a beginner...
I cannot answer the first question. However, I think a couple of bikes should be readily available if you wait for a few minutes when there is none.
For the second one, I guess it is up to you. I saw people turning with the traffic although it is not clear to me if this is legitimate. Some large roads have bike lanes mostly sharing with bus. I find only few roads have dedicated bike lanes. Anyhow, I would discourage any beginner from riding a bike with the traffic. I have ridden bikes for 15 years, but it is challenging to do it in Paris with the traffic. Always stay vigilant when you ride a bike with the traffic here.
Anyhow, I would discourage any beginner from riding a bike with the traffic. I have ridden bikes for 15 years, but it is challenging to do it in Paris with the traffic. Always stay vigilant when you ride a bike with the traffic here.
I would discourage any beginner from driving a car with the traffic in places like Etoile and Concorde.
I would discourage any beginner from riding a bike with the traffic. I have ridden bikes for 15 years, but it is challenging to do it in Paris with the traffic. Always stay vigilant when you ride a bike with the traffic here.
If you do not bike that often, Paris may be not the best place to start (and specifically with Velib bikes, which are quite heavy and with most of the weight in the front wheel).
But if you know riding without problem, Paris is not more difficult than in any other big city (biking in Rio was the most challenging for me)
I would discourage any beginner from driving a car with the traffic in places like Etoile and Concorde.
Concorde is a piece of cake. Just stay on the left side if you need to turn left, or the right side if you need to turn right.
Place de l'Etoile : not that easy. First drive to the centre in a 45 degree angle (to let cars from the right side getting in and cars from the left side turning around) and move to the right in a 30 degree angle ONLY at the second last avenue before you have to turn right
Remember that Place de l'Etoile is the place in Paris where whatever accident you have, you will have 50% responsability shared with the other driver involved in the accident.
Remember that Place de l'Etoile is the place in Paris where whatever accident you have, you will have 50% responsability shared with the other driver involved in the accident.
I've heard it explained differently: that you wind up responsible for your own damages so long as the other party's insurance firm agrees to do the same for their client. Not sure what happens if that's not true ...
Concorde is a piece of cake. Just stay on the left side if you need to turn left, or the right side if you need to turn right.
Place de l'Etoile : not that easy. First drive to the centre in a 45 degree angle (to let cars from the right side getting in and cars from the left side turning around) and move to the right in a 30 degree angle ONLY at the second last avenue before you have to turn right
Remember that Place de l'Etoile is the place in Paris where whatever accident you have, you will have 50% responsability shared with the other driver involved in the accident.
I have done Concorde few times, and it is doable since the traffic is usually not fast. However, I would not dare to do it on Etoile given how fast the traffic is.
Note that some of bikes are really shaky. I was paddling the bike while maintaining stand-on position two days ago, and the chain suddenly fell of from the rear gear. Immediately I lost balance and crashed down on the street. Luckily, there was no traffic behind me. It could have been disastrous.
