July 20, 2011 by Victoria Wall
Jogging along a Paris bridge (Kevin Bongart)
As a very keen runner, I realized that Paris – with its pavement café culture and lax attitude towards dogs’ toilet habits – might not be the ideal place to train. However, little did I know the numerous obstacles I would have to overcome each time I pulled on my trainers and switched on my iPod.
The tourists: map-reading, awestruck or, worse still, love-struck, they tend to look at the sky, the ground, into each other’s eyes or up at elegant Haussmannian buildings. However, they are rather less aware of what’s going right next to them (i.e. me charging past) and happily straddle the pavement two or three abreast.
The cars: do not expect them to stop willingly. Ever. The art of a good Parisian runner is judging if, with a little acceleration, you can whiz by before the lights change and the engines rev back into action. For a Brit accustomed to polite codes of roadway courtesy and to giving cheery waves as cars patiently wait, I admit that this was initially quite a shock.
Dodging city life, jogging along the Seine (D’Alk)
The bikes: Equally unwilling (or unable) to stop, but doubly dangerous as often manned by:
A) Unsteady, inexperienced Parisians whose idea of physical exercise is a gentle Sunday stroll to the boulangerie for fresh croissants.
B) Tourists. Having read the above, imagine the chaos when they haul themselves on to a heavy, unwieldy and highly unsexy Vélib (hire-and-drop bikes dotted at strategic points around the city). Don’t be misled by quaint wicker baskets and slim steel frames that adorn postcards and appear in films like Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain!
The beggars: Do they really think I carry around loose change in my skin-tight running trousers? Apparently so.
The dogs: They rule supreme in Paris. I’ve even heard that there are more dogs than children in the city. I digress. I have learned to steer clear of all canine specimen after various incidents involving barking, biting (well, some very close calls) and being tripped up by leashes as unconcerned owners look on nonchalantly as if to say, “Bon, if you will insist on donning that ridiculous running outfit and puffing around in a rather ungainly manner, you can’t expect to not get caught in a couple sticky situations…” Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living | 14 Comments »
May 11, 2011 by Eric Goldschein
As soon as I landed in Paris, I knew I wanted a bicycle. Though I love and support the idea of Velibs, I have to admit I feel a bit dorky on those bulky gray carbon copies—plus, each Velib ride inevitably leaves me with grease on my pants. But a more important factor in my decision was an image I had formed when I first booked my ticket to France: me, riding a cool French bicycle, baguette in tow, zooming down the streets of the city of love. And the fancy hybrid I left back in Brooklyn would not do: I needed something that this romantic, idealized version of me could distinctly call his own.
So where does one go to find the bike they always dreamed of riding in Paris? There are a few different options that satisfy a variety of urges, from casual biker to fixie-dedicated hipster to everything in between.
1) Velo Vintage
To answer my own question: this is where I went to find the bike I always dreamed of riding in Paris. A craigslist post brought me to this small, 80s-inspired shop in the 18th. Upon entering the shop I was struck by the quality of their vintage rides, which looked more like art with a seat on it than transportation device. Their bikes range from classic French Peugeot’s to Dutch cruisers. Few are built for the Tour de France; style, comfort and more style reign here.
Although it would be easy to stop at window shopping here, a purchase at VV can be a wise—and even cost-effective—investment. While some of their bikes are in the 600+ Euro range, my very comfortable, sleek, blue 5-speed with a rear rack only set me back 180 €. Before riding off, co-owner Eddy told me to send a picture from wherever the bike ends up taking me. And I’m sure I will: on this bike I feel very photogenic.
Velo Vintage, 58 Rue du Ruisseau, 75018
2) Bicycle Store Paris
Entering this store is like walking into a hipster’s wet dream. Or the wet dream of anyone who likes beautiful bicycles. If you can look past the demonic clown art on the walls, BSP offers up a fantastic array of bikes, from fixed-gear (a favorite of bicycle messengers everywhere) to French velos de ville, in a stunning array of colors and designs. Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living, Shopping | 11 Comments »
August 28, 2009 by Genevieve Sandifer
Although Paris isn’t quite as bike-centric as Amsterdam just yet, bicycles have definitely become the hip and green way to get around. As Sarah pointed out earlier, the now-ubiquitous Vélibs’ have converted Parisians over to the scenic joys of gliding along tree-lined boulevards as an alternative to the soul-crushing rush hour metro.
www.flickr.com/photos/16nine/2489449704
But this picturesque approach to Paris isn’t just reserved for natives and those who are able to get their foreign cards to work in the Vélib’ machines. Fat Tire Tours, a bike-and-segway specific tour company, was among the first Paris-based tour groups to offer bicycle tours of the city. They are a friendly and entertaining way to see the city.
Continue Reading »
Posted in Green, Tours and Classes | 1 Comment »
Philippe Charles 
