Will it be too cold to ride a bicycle in late November? Do the locals use the Velib system during this time of year? I%26#39;m considering obtaining an AMEX card just for this purpose.
MERCI.
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Hi...I am a cyclist. I live in the UK. I am a 58 year old female. I cycle to work and to the shops every day because I have to. It saves money and keeps me fit. If I don%26#39;t cycle regularly I would not be fit enough or have the muscle power to cycle. Now the weather is becoming colder I have to wrap up warm, wear gloves, extra layers and put cream on my face for protection against the wind, however you do get very hot cycling, but it does not occur to me NOT to use my normal method of transport. The only thing that drives me to my car is snow, which is rare in Paris
I would imagine the cyclists of Paris do the same thing. So the answer to your question is,how cold does it have to be to stop YOU cycling? If you are not a regular cyclist perhaps you could do some training before you go.
Enjoy.
Denise
Love from England
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Thanks Denise! Good for you!!! I wish I could ride to work everyday, but since I have to dress up in the office, it is hard...can%26#39;t have helmet head all day! LOL. Thus, I am only a %26quot;weekend warrior%26quot;. I would not say I am a %26quot;regular%26quot; cyclist, but I do ride up and down Lake Shore Drive (beautiful lakefront path in Chicago) whenever I can and when I lived in San Fran I often rode across the Golden Gate Bridge and up the headlands. However, the bike stays in storage once the weather turns cold though... that%26#39;s what my car is for! :P
We rented bikes when we were in Florence and it was loads of fun. We rented scooters in Greece and in Seville and totally LOVED it. I just so much prefer to see the scenery fly by then to be underground...
Well I guess I can get the AMEX card just in case we get lucky with the weather!
Thanks again Denise!
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I was in Paris in January this year. Lots and lots of people were cycling.
Whether it%26#39;s too cold [for you] is a personal decision. :-)
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Dear Moshi....do have a go and report back. Paris seems really cycle friendly. There are one way systems and wide separate cycle lanes. The cars all seem to take account of the cyclists unlike my home town. I would love to have a go but my husband does not know how to ride a bike unfortunately.
The Parisians solve the problem of %26quot;helmet hair%26quot; by not wearing one, and very few wear high visibility clothes or even cycling clothes. You see business men and women in suits with their briefcases in the basket. Women cycling in high heels, trailing skirts, the obligatory scarf, it seems one has to look chic even in a cycle. How they solve the problem of sweatyness I don%26#39;t know. I am fortunate to have shower facilities at my work. Maybe with the emphasis on cycling in Paris a lot of employers also provide showers.
The weather in Paris can be unpredictable, we have been sunburned in February so maybe you will get lucky.
Lots of luck
Denise
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Since you%26#39;re from Chicago, I doubt that the Parisian cold will prevent you from cycling ! However, the usual rain%26amp;damp of November might be a real deterrent, because it turns the city traffic into an unpleasant, soaked, noisy mess.
I am, too, an experienced cyclist and it doesn%26#39;t really bother me. However, since you seem to be keen on trying the Vélib, just go ! There will certainly be enough of a good weather for you. Please don%26#39;t imitate the bulk of riders in Paris - obey street regulations ans don%26#39;t do red lights - the last thing you%26#39;d want to take back to the US as a souvenir is the receipt of a 90€ ticket ! If you%26#39;re intimidated by the traffic on the main thoroughfares, you can always make up a by-pass itinerary through calm, smaller streets.
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Thank you all for your input! I am going to get the AMEX card just in case. I know I will be VERY disappointed and regretful if the weather is conducive to riding and I did not get the card. Regarding this %26quot;obligatory scarf%26quot; that everyone keeps referring to - what type of scarves are these? Are they silky and thin? Wool and thick? Knitted? Chunky? I plan to bring a scarf but mine is designed for staying warm and not for being chic. I am not going to run out and buy one but am just curious.
MERCI.
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We were in Paris in summer, but we had a Velib centre just near us which was almost always empty in the day and saw many that were almost always full in the city centre. Sometimes there was no space to return one. I don%26#39;t know what you do then. Find the next one I guess. It is really popular and used well. People check tyres and choose the one that seems best to them. As to scarves, at that time it is not about chic it is about warm. It seems a fabulous way to get around. We saw young executive looking men sailing around and chic women. Everyone uses them.
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You don%26#39;t actually need American Express but you do need a card with an embedded chip, a pin card.
The bikes are available for 30 minute slots only.If you want it for more than that you must put it back in a slot and take another out. This explains why we saw people doing this at the Velib stations.
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Lynn, that is not exactly correct. When you buy the 29 € annual pass (and maybe the multiday) the first 30 minuts of any usage are free; after that the fees start pertty modestly but ramp up quickly, thus reinforcing the idea that the bikes are for short hops rather than all day rental, but you can keep a bike for longer than 30 minutes.
One interesting thing is that the program has identified the 90 or so stations that are above +60 meters sea level and if you return a bike there you get 15 minutes credit, which is taken from your account (instead of cash) if you keep a bike over 30 minutes. So, those who live or have a commute near one of those stations can build up hundreds or thousands of minutes credit.
If a staion is full you pass your card on the reader and you get 15 minutes free to go to a nearby station.
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Moshi !!
Thought this could give you further info.
Saw this on Slowtravelfrance web site
Vélib%26#39; – A New Way to Travel in Paris
The self-service bike transportation system
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