Miss Kolka

All around Paris this is what you see.. bikes, bikes everywhere! Its the new hype - Paris city is counting on people to take the bikes now instead of the ever so popular metro or bus. Which in itself is good and better for the enviroment. Especially when its not raining, that is to say only the last 3 days of our WHOLE summer. But lets hope we'll get a fairly dry winter.

Although bicycles and bikers have become a common sight in the city, parisians have still to learn some basic cycle-manners. Like not parking cars on cycle lanes, leaving some space on the right for bicycles to pass and stop screaming at girls in skirts who like to take their bikes, (or the new velibs) instead of being accosted daily in the metro. The city has made some arrangements with bike lanes in some areas but there's still some room for improvement. Especially in comparision to the queen of cycle cities, COPENHAGEN. (which is even better than Amsterdam - see pictures on flickr ).

Want to try out the velib and feel the wind in your hair? Don't forget to subscribe ( 1 euro for the day or 30 euros for the year) but that's only the subscription. After you have subscribed , chose a bike. The first half hour is free. After that the second half hour is 1 euro, the third is 2 euros and after that 4 euros every half hour. Don't understand the system, don't worry, you're not alone - it is french after all and it takes some time to get used to. But then its great. That is if you find a spot to hand in your bike at your destination. The biggest problem users are experiencing is that there are no free spaces to park the bikes within the half hour.. so then you have to go half of the way back to find a free space to avoid paying 57 euros for a 8 hour workday! Isn't it then better to actually "steal" a bike for the 150 euro credit you promissed in case of a "non-return"?

With velib, after the first 30 minutes.. who knows what's going to happen?

I just know that I'm glad I have my own bike...

But RATP, you still get one "Klapp" for trying

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