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Bonjour!
Ready to ride your bike in Paris? This stretch of road between the Hôtel de Ville and La Bastille is a favorite for cyclist because is goes across the city. I started this ride in front of the Hôtel de Ville (on Rue de Rivoli) and rode east, ending just before Place de la Bastille. In the middle of the ride the name changes to Rue Saint Antoine. Rue de Rivoli stretches a long way to the west.
See how fast some bikes are zooming by? Notice how only some of the bike red lights are respected and how most pedestrians don’t pay attention to the bikes? Can you spot the guy who’s pedaling with only one leg?
I used a Vélib’ bike made available by the city of Paris. They have both regular and electric bikes. These are NOT amazing bikes, but if you inspect the tires and see if the seat holds up, you’ll be in good shape. Unlocking the bike took me a couple of tries, don’t freak out, be patient.
Beware of pedestrians! The breaks aren’t great if you’re used to a bike with disk breaks. On the plus side, they are easy to find and there’s nothing to reserve. Do read up about the service here: https://www.velib-metropole.fr/en_GB
This guy reviews the service and app that goes with it, he’s more negative than I would be: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H64N30x4uWI
I recorded this in June 2021, not much has changed since then. As you can see most people are mask-compliant even when walking outside. I saw 99.9% compliance in the metro and in stores. Cyclists are not required to wear a mask in France.
Questions? Feel free to ask, I’m happy to help!
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