Velib

Here in Paris, the city has started a new initiative, called the "Velib", which I assume is "vélo liberté" or whatever.

Basically, there are a bunch of Velib stations all over Paris, and you can rent a bike for a small price. You're supposed to sign up for a 1 year subscription for 29 euros, and then every time you take a bike, it's free. Rather, the first 30 minutes are free, and then if you go over that time, you pay 1 euro. Then the euros double up for each 30 minutes extra you take. You can also just pay for a 1 day subscription, and the first 30 minutes are free.

So I tried out the Velib a few weeks ago, with a 1 day subscription. I actually went a really short distance (like 5 minutes) on the bike and it was okay.

See, the thing is, I am not very talented with a bike. I got to borrow a bike when I lived in Vienna for 2 months, where it is very bike-friendly. I noticed that a) I am a very very slow biker (people in the bike lanes kept clanging their bells at me when they couldn't pass because I was taking up all the space); b) I am very clumsy with a bike - if I'm just walking the bike down the street, I will most likely trip over it; and c) I'm never really 100% sure of all the traffic laws.

I think Velib is a nice idea, but Paris is actually not at all bike friendly. (Well, compared to NYC or London, it is VERY bike friendly, but compared to Vienna, it is not at all). The bike lanes are usually the same lanes as the bus lanes! How can one expect ME, the ultimate clumsy biker, to bike in the same lane as a bus?! And how on earth will I be able to get anywhere if only the first 30 minutes are free? I mean, to go from my place to, say, Le Bon Marché, it will surely take me 45 minutes by bike! And what is the deal with the weird pricing? In Vienna, the Vienna Bike system was completely free - you put in a 1 euro piece like for those supermarket caddies and then when you're done with the bike, you get your money back.

Plus, the Velib is really heavy - I had a really hard time putting it back at one of the stations, since you have to line up the bike with the notch and everything. I quickly realized that lifting the bike so it is in line is out of the question - instead, I had to keep trying to steer the bike into the exact position.