London Cyclist Summer 2024

SPECIAL ISSUE

PARIS À VÉLO

THE CYCLING REVOLUTION STREETS TRANSFORMED

LONDON & PARIS COMPARED VÉLIB HIRE BIKES

OLYMPIC GAMES LEGACY

TOURIST RIDE OF PARIS

RIDE GUIDE

INTERVIEW

> 20

We speak with Alexis Frémeaux, president of MDB, about cycling in the French capital

FEATURE > 26

With London and Paris undergoing huge change, we look at how each city inspires the other

FEATURE > 32

Celebrating LCC’s most colourful campaign to date: London Loves Cycling TRAVEL > 46

Forget the train and join our brilliant two-day, off-road tour from the sea to the Seine

Bonjour et bienvenue

IINDULGE ME FOR a few moments if you will and picture yourself stepping off a train into a land that’s familiar, yet also unfamiliar. The sun’s shining (of course) and the whispers of a famous chanteuse drift from a nearby café. You pick up a bike and cruise slowly along tree-lined boulevards and across bustling squares to reach your lunch spot by the river. You catch yourself smiling as you look around; it’s the same place you remember, only different, better. This is the new Paris and it’s already casting its spell...

Which is my long-winded way of introducing our firstever edition focussed on a city other than London. Like our own capital, Paris fires the senses and it too has been undergoing significant change over the last decade, to address toxic air quality, transport woes and meet its climate obligations. And the improvements for cycling, walking and the public realm generally do need to be seen in person if you get the chance. So big thanks to Aymeric, Alexis, Emmanuel, Joseph, Anne and others who’ve helped us shape this issue’s content.

We look at a handful of the biggest street transformations in Paris, speak with the head of LCC’s equivalent organisation in the city, compare interesting facts and stats about London and Paris, guide you on a touristy ride that happily samples the very best cycle lanes, tackle an off-road tour from the sea to the Seine, and offer a brief history of the Vélib hire bikes. Phew! We hope you enjoy it. Happy cycling!

John Kitchiner Editor

LCC MEMBERS’ LEGAL HELPLINE

Osbornes Law is the official legal partner of LCC, providing members with exclusive access to a legal helpline. If you’re involved in a collision or have a cycling-related legal issue, phone the cycling team at Osbornes for advice on 020 7681 8672.

Photographer: Dylan Harris (biketoeverything.com)

Location: River Seine, Paris

LONDON CYCLIST

Unit 206, The Record Hall, 16-16A Baldwin’s Gardens, London EC1N 7RJ n 020 7234 9310 n lcc.org.uk

EDITORIAL

Editor: John Kitchiner (london.cyclist@lcc.org.uk)

Design: Anita Razak

Contributors: Aymeric Cotard, Alexis Frémeaux, Emmanuel Marin, Joseph D’Halluin, Max Darkins, Melanie Etherton, Simon Munk, Tom Fyans

ADVERTISING

Allie Gill (allie.gill@lcc.org.uk)

SOCIAL MEDIA

TWITTER: @london_cycling

FACEBOOK: @LondonCyclingCampaign

INSTAGRAM: @london_cycling_campaign

Editorial, copyright, membership

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10 YEARS OF MINI-HOLLANDS

Waltham Forest celebrates a decade in the cycling limelight

LCC WON A commitment to three ‘flagship, Dutch-style’ schemes from returning Mayor Boris Johnson in 2012. Ten years on, Waltham Forest, one of three boroughs to receive ‘mini-Holland’ funding, has held a major conference and celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the programme.

Waltham Forest was given £27 million following a bidding process for outer London town centres, and was joined by Enfield and Kingston-upon-Thames as the first pioneering projects. Each received similar amounts to spend on walking and cycling schemes around their town centres, and took three different approaches, all successful to differing degrees, but with Waltham Forest the clear ‘gold standard’ approach. It went on to win international climate awards and to be extensively studied as a result of its network of cycle tracks on main roads, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), and ‘complementary measures’, such as rapid rollout of residential cycle hangars, cycle parking hubs at stations, cycle training, cargobike loans and more.

Academics have since been tracking the results of the programme, with modelling suggesting that the pollution and activity level changes have added significantly to life expectancy, while longitudinal studies and data collected show that the ‘high dose’ areas of the mini-Holland (primarily Walthamstow, Leyton and Leytonstone) have seen crime rates drop, car use and ownership drop, and cycling and walking rates increase.

Volunteers from LCC’s local group were heavily involved with campaigning to ensure the schemes were high quality and that the council didn’t falter. Members of the group have also given hundreds of tours to government ministers, delegations from Japan and Holland, and councillors and officers from all over the UK. The current government even announced a ‘mini-Holland’ national programme too, though that seems to be on a go-slow now. Regardless, the mini-Holland programme has been transformational and inspired several other London boroughs, in turn spawning the mayor’s Liveable Neighbourhood scheme.

Photo: Susan Bailey

MONTH in NUMBERS

of Paris city centre trips are now by bike, up from 3% in 2010. Walking accounts for 52% of trips.

A SUMMER OF GROUP RIDES

LCC LOCAL groups will be running regular group rides all summer — there’s something for all levels of experience, so check out the calendar online, bring friends and family, join the fun.

n Leaside Cycle Sundays: last Sunday of every month, exploring local beauty spots.

n Westminster Cycle Saturdays: first Saturday of the month, for all cyclists and families.

LATEST STEP FORWARD FOR WESTMINSTER

THE LATEST consultation for a route with protected cycle tracks in Westminster, this time on the iconic Portland Place, is another reminder that the new council administration seems serious about cycling. It’s especially noticeable on this street, where the would-be Cycle Superhighway 11 was blocked by the previous Westminster administration in 2018.

Kudos to LCC’s Westminster group, which worked hard at the Climate Safe Streets campaign in the run-up to the 2022 local elections. Westminster Labour leader Adam Hug had taken their pledge to build a high-quality cycle network before winning control of the council.

Over the same period car trips in central Paris have fallen to just 4% of the total number of trips.

n Haringey: Sunday 23 June. Suitable for cyclists of all ages, especially families — a park-topark-to-playstreet community ride. Starting at Lordship Hub cafe in Lordship Recreation Ground; playstreet runs from 1-3pm.

n Redbridge: Sunday 7 July. A gentle family ride around the magnificent Wanstead Park, entirely off-road so suitable for all ages and abilities.

n Kingston family-friendly fun ride: Sunday 7 July. Join up to 300 kids and adults on bikes of all sizes and shapes for a gentle-paced outing.

n lcc.org.uk/events

LONDON LOVES CYCLING IS A WRAP… FOR NOW

LCC’s mayoral London Loves Cycling campaign wrapped just before election day when Sadiq Khan was re-elected for an historic third term, beating closest rival Susan Hall who didn’t garner the large antiULEZ vote some expected.

London Loves Cycling was not about Sadiq committing to (even more) ambitious goals — given the opposition he faced. Rather, the campaign’s success came in positive sentiment: everyone loved it and Sadiq, Rob Blackie and Zoe Garbett all engaged with it positively, as did the public. Indeed, the campaign marks a change in tone for LCC, and we’re now considering how to best mix positive messaging on how joyous cycling is in London, with the more serious campaigning (on junctions, cycle routes etc.) we continue to do. Watch this space — and see more in the feature on p32.

The Portland Place designs boast parking-protected cycle lanes and a bus-stop bypass, and follow consultations for decent schemes such as Abingdon Street and Millbank, and Cycleway 43, which includes stepped tracks on George Street in Marylebone. So, Westminster’s cycle network is growing nicely on paper — but with no major scheme approved yet, we want to see spades in the ground.

Spreading the love

As the success of London Loves Cycling has shown, now’s the time to push that positivity says Tom Fyans

THE BEST bit of my job this week has been checking out the amazing and inspiring stories of everyday cycling featured in our London Loves Cycling campaign. It’s been great to see our members and local groups, as well as new audiences, engage with the positivity of the messaging behind the campaign. This is something we must build on if we are to be more relevant to more Londoners.

My favourite was the video of schoolchildren in Redbridge who were keen to tell us they love cycling because “you can do cool tricks... have fun... and it’s good for exercise”. My least favourite were the comments on X about the Haringey ride I attended (which was brilliant and superbly organised) that talked about “the entitled cycling clan”, “that no one uses the cycle lanes you demanded”, or “you selfish and silly people”.

The love and hate expressed here made me proud of our approach to the mayoral election, which was to deliberately rise above the divisive culture war rhetoric and celebrate the simple joy and benefits that cycling brings to so many of us. It felt the right thing to do before the election and feels even more so now, as we urge Sadiq Khan to

use his unprecedented third term to usher in a ‘new golden age for cycling in London’.

We have a lot of challenging work ahead, and of course we would all have liked to have seen firmer policy commitments on active travel and cycling, rather than the broad support for ‘more cycling and walking’ often referred to during his re-election pitch. So while we may not be able to say with complete confidence that Sadiq loves cycling as much as we do, we have plenty to work with. Our campaigning has already started with the new administration, and I was encouraged when I saw Will Norman, the mayor’s walking and cycling commissioner, started a post on X earlier with the words “London Loves Cycling”!

World-class cycling city

I have been told many times in the last six months that London leads the way in cycling in the UK, and we should all be rightly proud of

“Our approach was to celebrate the simple joy cycling brings to so many of us”

Tom Fyans Chief Executive of the London Cycling Campaign

LCC’s achievements in improving cycling in the city, which is seeing record numbers of cycle trips. It is great to think that the impact of our campaigning successes may go beyond London. And it cuts both ways. We have so much still to learn from others about how to make London an even better city for cycling in, not least from cities like Paris, which is arguably nudging ahead of us in the race to become a world-class cycling city.

As warm sunshine finally greets us during the morning commute, now is the perfect time for us all to show fellow Londoners how mainstream cycling is becoming. Even Taylor Swift is helping to spread the message this summer with her worldwide Eras tour, where she performs a song while being circled by six dancers on very cool bikes (please don’t dwell on how I know this).

LCC’s summer of cycling activities include Ride London, Cycle Buddies, a new ride we’re organising in July with partners to celebrate of joy of cycling, and Urban Hill Climb. As we spread our message that London really does love cycling, I keep coming back in my mind to a quote from Martin Luther King Jr: “I have decided to stick to love… hate is too great a burden to bear.”

Equity in cycling

While active travel schemes flourish, Giulio Ferrini stresses why it’s important equity isn’t overlooked

THERE’S AN illustration often used to highlight the difference between equality and equity. It depicts three friends standing behind a wall, trying to watch a football match. The tallest has a clear view, the medium height one can’t quite see even on tiptoes, and the shortest has no view at all.

They find three wooden boxes to stand on and equality would mean each friend getting one box. But while the two tallest now get a view, the shortest is still too low. Equity, on the other hand, means the tallest doesn’t get a box and the shortest person gets two, so now all three can enjoy the game with a similar view. It’s a great metaphor, but what if the three friends only find one box?

In the London Transport version of this story, the tallest person might be a white man, someone who lives next to an underground station or a cycleway. The shortest person, on the other hand, could be from a marginalised group, someone living in an area with poor public transport, or in a borough at the bottom of the Healthy Streets scorecard. Who should get the box?

TfL’s Analysis of Cycling Potential analysed the 20 million trips made in London each day and concluded that 40% could be cycled: 3 million

in inner and 5 million in outer London. How were these trips currently being made? Two-thirds by public transport (inner) and 70% by private car (outer).

Difficult questions

Car journeys have a significantly worse societal impact than those made by public transport, as they create road danger and pollution, which disproportionately affect marginalised communities. To level the scales, should cycle campaigners therefore focus on reducing car trips? Based on TfL’s analysis, that would mean using our resources, time and money (ie our box) to improve active travel in outer London, most likely Barnet, Bromley or Croydon, where a combined 1 million daily car trips could be cycled.

However, this approach means that the direct benefits of cycling (improved health, saving money) will be experienced by previous car users, who are wealthier on average. While the reduced road

“TfL analysed the 20 million trips made daily and found that 40% could be cycled”

Giulio Ferrini is an LCC Trustee and has helped deliver many UK cycle routes

danger and pollution will benefit more marginalised Londoners, are we really balancing the scales? On the other hand, prioritising active travel in inner London may mean more bus users get to cycle, but car traffic — and its negative societal impacts — may remain the same.

Making driving a little bit harder is essential to getting some people out of a car, but that’s challenging in areas where more people use cars. So while in more progressive boroughs an investment of ‘one box’ may deliver a best-practice scheme used by hundreds of people daily, in others the same investment may result in a less ambitious scheme which would only enable a few dozen to cycle. Which is the more equitable approach?

These are some of the difficult questions that TfL is asking as it aims to get car journeys below 20% by 2041. And as LCC trustees we’re asking the same thing.

What’s clear is that, regardless of who gets the box, it won’t enable everyone to watch the match. Fortunately, there are lots of organisations working to enable active travel. Engaging with them, and complementing each other’s work, is crucial to ensure we don’t accidentally put all our boxes in the same basket — and provide the support Londoners badly need.

Ten years a star

As leading London traffic-taming scheme hits milestone, Carlton Reid suggests others follow its

bold approach

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Walthamstow’s miniHolland scheme. Ten years and counting of a nicer, quieter borough. In parts, at least.

The mini-Holland funding scheme was introduced in March 2014 during the Boris Johnson mayoralty, with a £100m pot shared also by Enfield and Kingston (the three boroughs secured £30 million each, with several other boroughs sharing £10m). In general, the Waltham Forest scheme has been the keeper of the flame, with delegations from all over the world regularly shown around its streets. I’ve enjoyed such a tour myself, guided by council deputy leader Clyde Loakes on his bike.

Many of those shown around the borough might not know that the makeovers were bitterly opposed before, during, and after their introduction. At the September 2015 official opening of the Orford Road scheme — some months after the removal of most private motor vehicles and the installation of a bus gate — 60 or so protestors turned up in the pouring rain carrying a coffin aloft to foretell the ‘death’ of Walthamstow village. Posters (like later anti-LTN ones) demanded ‘Get rid of this Berlin Wall and Iron Curtain’.

Was the campaign group right? Did Walthamstow village die? Er, no, quite the opposite.

It’s likely evident to most of those reading this magazine that making a locality a more pleasant place to live — which almost always involves taming through motor traffic — soon becomes spectacularly popular.

Leading lights

Also there, actually cutting the ribbon in 2015, was Simon Smits, in his first official duty as the new Dutch ambassador to the UK.

“In my first week [in the job], I was invited to cut the ribbon of the mini-Holland cycling programme in Waltham Forest,” he told Time Out. “When I arrived, I was met with angry protesters. Some were even carrying a coffin inscribed ‘RIP Walthamstow Village!” He was shocked that anybody could oppose an urban improvement scheme, yet such protests once occurred in the Netherlands too.

Plans in the 1970s to restrict

“Making a locality a more pleasant place to live... soon becomes spectacularly popular ”

Carlton Reid is a book author and leading transport journalist

motor traffic in a suburb of the Hague and install cycleways were bitterly opposed. A period newspaper reported: “Shopkeepers... with the support of the Chamber of Commerce... [complained that] shopping streets were not suitable for the construction of cycleways and that restraints in motor traffic meant lower turnovers.” And in October 1975 angry shopkeepers protested by blocking an intersection with their cars.

The retailers only backed down when offered municipal compensation should the cycleways lead to a loss of takings. The cycleways were subsequently installed, and zero compensation was ever applied for as businesses soon saw an increase in revenue.

Retailers commonly believe the majority of people travel to their stores by car, yet study after study has shown this to be largely incorrect. Retailers frequently understate transport modes such as walking, cycling, and public transport. But it’s a golden rule that removing cars from shopping streets tends to increase trade.

However, it’s often politically tough to implement such change. So it’s useful that delegations seeking guidance on ‘going Dutch’ don’t have to travel far — they can tour the ‘Stow instead.

It’s

been a busy decade for street renewal in Paris, so Aymeric Cotard highlights the biggest six changes that have made cycling easier and safer than ever

ADDITIONAL REPORTING: John Kitchiner

FROM THE BANKS of the Seine to the major squares, the grandest avenues to the commuter routes, cycling in Paris has never felt so good. Like London, the city has been undergoing radical change to its streetscape over the last ten years, driven by an ambitious mayor and

an overwhelmingly supportive public. New thinking was urgently required to address chronic issues of poor air quality and trafficchoked streets — as well as bringing focus to its climate commitments — and Paris has put active travel firmly in the spotlight.

The plan has been bold and what

can be seen on the ground today could never have been imagined just a few short years ago, especially in some of the iconic locations that have been redesigned.

So here we look at half-a-dozen of the most important changes that Paris has made to enable more cycling and make streets safer.

PARC RIVES DE SEINE

Without doubt, the most important and symbolic change to the French capital’s public realm was closing the Seine riverbanks to cars. The traffic-congested, polluted Voie Pompidou express highway was closed to motor vehicles in 2016, before re-opening as the Parc Rives de Seine in September that year.

It was a hard-fought victory for Mayor Anne Hidalgo but vital, as it showed that if radical transformation could happen in the most iconic part of the city, then it was possible anywhere. These days there’s 7km of beautiful public space along both banks of the river in total (covering 10 hectares), punctuated by play areas, relaxation zones and sports facilities, all with free access.

Best of all the new park now allows cyclists, pedestrians, and even lunchtime joggers, to travel from Place de la Bastille to the Eiffel Tower, using the numerous bridges, without ever encountering a car.

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the riverbanks have been redesigned sustainably, swapping Tarmac for trees, and the vibrant atmosphere makes it a must-visit spot when meeting friends to enjoy a glass of wine.

PHOTOS: Rivo Vasta

RUE DE RIVOLI

Running roughly east to west, and parallel to the Seine a short distance south of it, the Rue de Rivoli is perhaps the most prestigious street in Paris and links the Place de la Bastille and the Place de la Concorde. It’s flanked by the Palais de Louvre, the Jardins des Tuileries and includes numerous monuments, statues and fashionable shops. And along with the Parc Rives de Seine, it embodies the ongoing changes in the city — it’s crowded day and night, but still manages to be far quieter than in its previous life as a ‘carpocalyptic’ street; it’s now, almost, car-free.

It took years to get to this point — creating a space where cyclists and pedestrians can get from

the Bastille to Concorde squares without risking their lives — and has been crucial in the push towards the ‘100% cyclable city’ goal.

It wasn’t until the Covid pandemic that things really changed though, as Rue de Rivoli became a temporary ‘coronapiste’ cycleway. Then in September 2020 Mayor Hidalgo declared that such temporary facilities were to become permament; the cycle lane was doubled and we find ourselves where we are today.

And even though it’s incredibly busy, the relationship between cyclists and pedestrians appears to work very well too, thanks to the wide pavement areas and clearly visible cycle lanes.

BOULEVARD SÉBASTOPOL

The second ‘main street’ of the city centre, from Châtelet to the busy Gare de l’Est and Gare du Nord train stations, Boulevard Sébastopol was renovated with a cycle lane in 2018 and officially unveiled a year later. While many commentators criticised the ‘empty cycle lanes’ at the time, it was quickly adopted and is now the most crowded cycle lane in Paris, with more than 26,000 bikes a day.We say crowded as the kerbed, separated bike paths are regularly as busy, if not busier, than popular routes in Amsterdam — what was a street known for its bottlenecked traffic now sees bottlenecks of cyclists. Space now needs to be doubled to offer more security to cyclists and pedestrians.

THE MAIN SQUARES: BASTILLE, CONCORDE, NATION AND RÉPUBLIQUE

Four globally famous squares, each steeped in history, but until very recently none actually fulfilled their intended function as a public space — they’d simply become roundabouts for motor vehicles and places to avoid for cyclists.

Place de la République was the first to be overhauled, between 2010 and 2013 when fountains were removed and one side pedestrianised. The road now snakes around it in a horseshoe shape, in a similar way to how Trafalgar Square was redesigned in London but on a larger scale. Place de la Bastille underwent a similar change in 2020.

At Place de la Nation roads were reduced from eight to four lanes in 2019, with 90% of the space gained turned into greenery, including the Jardin Marianne. And after this

summer’s Olympics, during which it hosts sporting events, the Place de la Concorde will be redeveloped as a pedestrain zone too, creating a car-free thoroughfare for cyclists from the Tuileries to the obelisk. In La Tribune Dimanche, Mayor Hidalgo said: “The place given over to cars in this emblematic place will have been no more than a parenthesis in history.”

The 12th arrondissement (district), to the east of the centre, became a leader of the vélorution in 2023, with the installation of a separated two-way cycle track on Rue de Charenton, going from Bastille to Charenton-le-Pont. There’s still a few sections left to finish along the 4km length of this vélorue (cycle street), part of the city’s strategic cycle network, but it’s so good already — most of the street has simply been emptied of cars thanks to the traffic plan, and it’s become hugely popular with cyclists.

VÉLORUE DE CHARENTON AVENUE DES CHAMPSÉLYSÉES

We’ve included the ChampsÉlysées on our list as it attracts thousands of Parisians and tourists every day, even though the cycling experience is ‘mixed’; the one-way cycle tracks on each side of the road rate as ‘okay’ rather than great. However, on the first Sunday of each month you get a hint of what might be, as the street and nearby area goes car-free in an event called ‘Paris Respire’ (Paris Breathes).

This is how the changes to the Parc Rives began: first there were recurring car-free days and these became so popular that they eventually became permanent, despite various legal battles. The hope is that the same happens on the Champs-Élysées eventually, allowing cyclists a safe, continuous

journey all the way from Place de la Bastille in the east, via Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe, to La Défense (the business district) in the west. A tunnel under the Arc de Triomphe was closed to motor traffic in 2015 and reopened again in 2020, after lockdown, only for cyclists and active travel, which proved a significant moment. And

currently a committee of residents and shop owners is trying to push forward proposals for a more progressive avenue more in line with other major infrastructure developments, so fingers crossed.

In the meantime, after the Olympics, the Champs-Élysées will return to being the finish line for cycling’s annual Tour de France.

ALEXIS FRÉMEAUX

The president of Mieux se Déplacer à Bicyclette (MDB), the premier Paris cycling association, speaks to John Kitchiner about his changing city

You have been involved as president of MDB since 2016, but could you summarise briefly the extended history and functions of the organisation?

MDB will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, making it one of the oldest cycling advocacy groups in France. Today the organisation boasts a membership of more than 2,900 people across numerous local groups throughout the Île-de-France (wider Paris region). MDB plays a crucial role in making Île-de-France a more bike-friendly place, advocating for sustainable transportation and enhancing the quality of life for its residents through cycling.

MDB is a similar age to LCC — so how have you seen the role of cycling and active travel change, or become more prioritised, by the Paris administration since you have been president?

There is a real bike revolution in Paris. When I started getting involved in the bike movement in 2015, we were really a small minority of cyclists. At that time, we were asking for bike lanes, arguing that when the lanes were provided, more cyclists would come. And now the cyclists are there — far more people than we would ever have hoped for!

How does the mode share between walking, cycling, public transport (buses, Métro) and cars (private vehicles) compare now with 10 years ago?

Fewer and fewer people are using their cars. More and more people cycling. There was a significant acceleration with the Covid crisis, which brought many public transport users to cycling. Cycling has now become visible because there is such a large number of cyclists.

From the outside it seems that things really started to push on when Anne Hidalgo became Mayor of Paris in 2014, and one of her main goals was to combat the terrible air pollution in the city — what changes did that bring in practical terms for Paris residents?

The leadership of the Mayor, Anne Hidalgo, was key. Two main initiatives have made it possible: reducing the space for cars with highly symbolic actions such as the pedestrianisation of the Seine riverbanks, which were previously busy highways, and the creation of a network of structured bike lanes crossing the centre of Paris.

It is really noticeable now when you visit central Paris that the air quality has improved — has it improved in the outer areas/suburbs too?

The traffic is decreasing, not only in the centre of Paris but also in the suburbs. The peak of car usage has been reached everywhere in Île-de-France. The main challenge now is to address the major highway routes that generate the most pollution for nearby residents, starting with the Paris ring road. This is a difficult issue because it requires creating a consensus between the State, the Region, and the city of Paris.

What and where were the biggest landmark changes, the ones that really started to inspire other locations?

The political battle over the pedestrianisation of the riverbanks was fundamental. It marked a turning

Photo: Guillaume Bontemps/Ville de Paris

point. This measure symbolised Mayor Hidalgo’s entire mobility policy. We then saw very fierce attacks against the mayor in the press and at the city council. In the end, she stood firm though, and civil society mobilised. Today, no one would go back, not even the most vehement opponents of the time.

I have read lots of different figures for how many cycle lanes Paris now has — 350km, 700km, 1000km — all these are impressive, but which is accurate?

The numbers don’t make much sense because they mix high-quality bike lanes with older or simple painted lines. The reality is that today we are moving from a city where having a bike lane was an exception to one where it is becoming the rule on major roads, and the opposite is the exception.

Some neighborhoods in western Paris are less wellequipped due to opposition from the elected officials of those districts. In the suburbs, it’s even more inconsistent unfortunately.

London’s main/biggest cycleways are ‘radial’ (like spokes of a wheel from the centre), while looking at a map of the Paris cycle network it seems the outer areas are better connected — has this been a main focus rather than links into the centre?

Paris is multi-centric; cyclists need to travel to the centre but also everywhere else, connecting with the suburbs where there are many residents and major business centers like La Défense. The bike network was built opportunistically, depending on available space, road redevelopments, and the political will of district officials. Today, the goal of the bike plan is to link existing lanes to create a continuous network and eliminate breaks and trouble spots that deter people from cycling.

In this edition of the magazine (page 53-55) we feature a ride that visits many of the main tourist attractions, but is almost 100% on new/improved cycle lanes. Where is your favourite cycle ride in the city?

My favorite route is to follow the bike lane along the Seine on the left bank. Even as a Parisian, it’s a journey where I am continually amazed by the beauty of the city in its various

No more cars or barriers: Rue de l’Arbalète, just south of the tourist centre, has seen a full makeover

styles, from the medieval Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral to the City of Light illuminations and the Eiffel Tower.

Another scheme we’ve been interested to read about is the reduction of car parking spaces across the city to improve streets. How many will be removed? And how have the residents reacted to this change?

Pedestrianisation of the riverbanks was fundamental. It marked a turning point.

The reduction in the number of surface parking spaces is accelerating significantly. Over the past four years, 17,000 parking spaces have been removed, contributing to the eventual goal of removing 70,000 spaces in total. This is made possible by the fact that only a third of Parisians (central Paris) own a car, and many underground parking garages are not full. This no longer sparks the same debates as a few years ago. Some residents complain, but elected officials understand

Photo: Emmanuel Marin

more and more that this is only a small vocal minority. When the removal of parking spaces is associated with the planting of trees, the support is overwhelming.

In London’s recent mayoral election the concept of ‘15-minute cities’ was used by some (right wing) candidates to create a ‘culture war’ — how has the concept been embraced and developed in Paris?

The appeal of living in the centre of Paris lies in the proximity to schools, shops and leisure activities. Everything is accessible on foot or by bike. The challenge is to make Paris both a ‘15-minute city’ and a megacity of nearly 10 million inhabitants, including the entire ‘Grand Paris’ area. Therefore, cycling associations are also working on intermodality with public transport to connect more distant hubs, and on a regional express bike network.

The Vélib’ hire cycles are still very popular in Paris — and inspired a similar scheme in London — but what about ‘dockless’ hire bikes and scooters? Especially as last year 90% of residents voted for a ban of shared e-scooters...

There was a real problem with electric scooters, which developed without any regulation. Users were often

Summer in the city: changes to Parc Rives de Seine, formerly a highway, have been symbolic

disrespectful, using sidewalks instead of the streets. This led to a massive rejection of shared scooters by Parisians. Shared, free-floating bicycles can sometimes pose parking issues too, but their users generally use bike lanes instead of sidewalks, which leads to better social acceptance.

Mayor Hidalgo’s Plan Velo, a project with €250 million investment for its second stage, aims to make the entire city cyclable by 2026 — what remains to be done to achieve this? And what needs to be the main focus?

The bike plan will not be completed by 2026. Transitioning from planning to reality is always challenging, and the State and certain districts delay or block some projects. However, there has been significant movement in recent months, with many new developments being completed in preparation for the Olympic Games.

Of course Paris welcomes the Olympics in July, so what legacy is planned afterwards in terms of cycling and mobility? Is there a regeneration of the St Denis area planned, a poorer area that has had a troubled past?

When we first started talking about incorporating cycling into the Olympics three years ago, decisionmakers laughed at us. Today, the Olympic cycling lanes will be a major legacy of the Games, both within Paris and in connecting with Seine-Saint-Denis, the poorest department in Île-de-France. The image of the typical cyclist as a 35-year-old, upper/middle-class man no longer reflects what we see on the streets. The people who ride bikes increasingly represent the diversity of society, which is excellent news.

Photo: Emmanuel Marin

A TALE OF TWO CITIES

LONDON AND PARIS — two beautiful cities, just 300 miles apart, sharing so many historical links and, generally, progressive attitudes. And while the differences between the pair are quickly obvious to residents and visitors alike, it's fair to say they have more in common than ardent nationalists would ever care to admit. Never more so than over the last 10 to 15 years as each addresses the interwoven issues around climate action, air quality, transport infrastructure and improvements to the public realm.

Of course, cycling has been at the forefront of changes in both capitals, with cyclist numbers at levels not seen since before the Second World War. Iconic streets that were fairly recently choked with polluting vehicles now teem with bikes and pedestrians. Most London Cyclist readers are familiar with London's story and where we find ourselves today, but how did Paris achieve such a marked transformation, how has it been able to affect renewal so rapidly?

Let's make a few salient comparisons and see what, if anything, the grand metropolises can learn from each other. However, first we need to understand how each city is governed and why that's at the core of everything that follows.

Administrative layers

It's been a decade of change on the streets of London and Paris, so Joseph D'halluin and John Kitchiner look at some of the successes and challenges each one faces

Overseeing each city is a Mayor and a team of deputies. In London much of the cycling-related work was kickstarted under Boris Johnson (though the hire bike scheme was unveiled by Ken Livingstone), before successor Sadiq Khan has progressed things further, extending existing schemes and ringfencing record investment. In

Paris change began under Bertrand Delanoë, before Anne Hidalgo pushed things into overdrive.

But in contrast to London, Paris city (the Mayor's office, effectively) has a large and cohesive power over its public realm. Though it does not solely control the public transport system, it does have an overall control over roads and public places. The State (national government) can intervene from time to time, while the Préfecture de Police has been widely controversial on occasion too, blocking a few active travel schemes over the last decade.

Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements (nearest equivalent to London's boroughs), that are the basis for the local mayoral elections — but these local representatives have quite limited powers over their territories. They can potentially delay and frustrate transformations, but have no legal

blocking rights. And, as in London, there have been some obvious discrepancies in the quality of the cycling network delivered in particular, but not all, rightleaning arrondissements

Governance gets much more complicated outside of the Paris city though. Parts of the road system are managed by the State, parts by the Departements (nearest equivalent to UK counties), parts by the many cities. On top of this, the Region's administration financially supports the implementation of the cycling network, as it is the local authority in charge of transportation for the whole Île-de-France (the wider Paris region) — known as the Réseau VIF (Vélo Île-de-France), the network is meant to be a complement to the suburban trains network (RER). Plus there's also another level of inter-municipal cooperations that have to be factored in, some more helpful

Major transformations: Guichets du Louvre (Rue de Rivoli) is among the most important and symbolic street transformations.

when it comes to delivering active travel policies than others.

In short, the fact that the Paris city mayor holds a strong and (relatively) cohesive power within the Paris borders helps explain Hidalgo’s team's ability and success in delivering on so much active travel and public realm transformation. When comparing with London’s administration and its relative size, it would be like having Khan and TfL being the full masters of the City, Islington, Hackney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Haringey, Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham and Newham, and managing all their roads. Paris city owns its cycle master plan too — it has the right and ability to modify road layouts, parking spaces and suchlike as it sees fit.

However, crossing Paris’s boundaries can get really complicated, and the active travel experience in the outskirts varies a lot in terms of quality — just as London can often face issues when new cycle lanes cross from one borough to another.

So while not everything in Paris is plain sailing in terms of administration, the key difference is that the mayor has control of the roads and public spaces. In London, the mayor and TfL are responsible for just 5% of the Transport for London Road Network — approximately 590km of the 14,790km roads in London.

Demographics and size

Comparing London and Paris in terms of size isn't easy as both have a number of different boundaries radiating from the central area. The city of Paris, the area within the

Boulevard Périphérique, is right in the centre; then there's 'Grand Paris' (Métropole du Grand Paris), a recently created local authority that includes most of the urban landscape around Paris; and finally there's the Region, Île-de-France, that is even larger and comprises many rural areas.

With its 8.9 million inhabitants, the Greater London area is perhaps best compared with Grand Paris and its population of 7 million. However, even with a very broadly comparable number of residents, it should be noted that Grand Paris is considerably smaller than London — 814km2, compared to 1,569km2 — about half the size. The city of Paris itself is even more densely inhabited, with 2.1 million people living across its 105km2.

Modal share

This density of Paris explains much of its modal share. Private cars are used for 12% of all trips (4% in Paris city centre), while walking accounts for 52%, and public transport nearly a third. These figures differ greatly when looking at the Region, with most suburbto-suburb journeys being taken by car — across Île-de-France car and motorbike trips represent 35% of trips.

In London, the mayor’s aim is for 80% of trips to be made by active, efficient and sustainable modes (walking, cycling and public transport) by 2041. And most recent TfL figures, from December 2023, show that cycling and walking trips are on the rise, private vehicle journeys are declining, and public transport growing back to pre-Covid levels. Cycle trips increased by 258% from 2000 to 2019, and estimates for 2022 show cycle and walk mode

shares remaining higher than before the pandemic, with 31.5% combined (walking 27%, cycling 4.5%). The same report shows public transport at 31% and private transport at 38%.

Walking and public transport have been dominant in Paris for decades, and while cycling is still growing, the tremendous public realm transformation in recent times also has the dual purpose of making the 'experience' for all non-motorised trips safer and more comfortable, and to further disincentivise motoring. Yet, with such a dense use of public realm, cycling advocates face the challenge of so-called conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians, as the ongoing reallocation of space from motorised transport to cycling and walking continues.

Density and architecture

With a very high population density, trips taken by people living within Paris city, and also within Grand Paris, tend to be very short — which means for most people getting to a shop or any form of local amenity is within walking distance. That doesn’t mean Paris is already a '15-minute city', certainly much less so in the suburbs, but when comparing with central London boroughs (apart from the City), there’s a clear difference.

Most of Paris city and its

nearest suburbs are densely built, with higher buildings, and often narrower streets — this compares to the vast areas of London covered with terraced housing and twoway streets, usually with two parking lanes. Away from the tourist hubs of central Paris, you can see that, on average, street space between buildings is much smaller and narrower than in London, so how that limited space is allocated is very important.

Car ownership

In London, central boroughs have the lowest motoring rates with only 23% in the City, and 34% in Islington and Tower Hamlets. Yet 69% of households in outer London have access to, or own, at least one car or van, compared to 42% in inner London.

In Paris city, only 33.5% of households own a car. In some part this explains why it's been easier for the elected leader to implement such aggressive policies on car

Wider picture: cyclists now dominate the central Rue de Rivoli (right) and Ave Lamoricière closer to the Périphérique.

parking space reduction: most of its voters do not own a car. But, as in London, the figures rise to 64.5% for Grand Paris, and as much as 83% for the whole Ile-de-France.

Driver charging

Being in the EU means France has to abide by European health regulation and in 2018 France was asked by the European Commission to implement ambitious policies to reduce air pollution. One of these measures should have been the ZFE (zone à faibles émissions, literally 'low emission zone'). The French State has been condemned by its own supreme court for not abiding by its own regulation regularly since 2021, and yet ZFEs that were due to be implemented in the 11 most polluted urban areas are still not really in place. Continued protests by the gilets jaunes movement is one of the key reasons for this hesitancy and delay by the State.

Grand Paris is still supposed to ban old and polluting motor vehicles from January 2025 (after many postponements). However, there's still no agreement on how this ban is going to be enforced and most commentators believe it’s going to be postponed again.

It's the total opposite in London, where ULEZ has been a locallyinitiated policy, fully endorsed by the mayor — and widely supported by Londoners as shown this May as Khan increased his mandate and won a record third term in office. In Paris and its surrounds, such policy support is required by the State. So as London has its congestion charge and expanded ULEZ, Paris hasn't left the starting blocks.

Cost of public transport

A London Underground Zone 1 single fare costs £2.70, while in Paris a T+ ticket costs the equivalent of £1.50-£1.85. But at least 2.1 million people in Paris use a 'passe Navigo' throughout the year; for €88 per month, they can travel unlimited across the whole Region (Île-de-France) and for employees half of the monthly fee is paid by their company.

Compared to the Navigo pass, a monthly Zones 1-6 travelcard in London costs £299.60 (or £427.40 for Zones 1-9, a more accurate comparison of relative area covered).

Cycle network

When TfL officially unveiled the completed Cycleway 4 earlier this year it stated that

Landmark changes: the Voie Express Georges Pompidou (far left) has become an important symbol of what's possible; while kids now play in the Rue de Général Blaise.

the Cycleway network — which includes routes that are mostly, but not continuously segregated or protected from vehicles — had grown from 90km in 2016 to 360km now. That total doesn't include smaller, local routes, those in Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, mini-Holland schemes and other traffic-calmed areas, which are far more difficult to calculate.

Meanwhile, as the second part of its Plan Vélo (2021-2026) — from a total €250 million investment in cycling — Paris will gain 180km of new protected cycle lanes. 52km of these will convert temporary pandemic lanes into permanent ones. On top of this the plan is to develop 450km of streets as two-way for cycling, of which 60km have already been finished. So it seems that the French capital will have roughly 300km of safe cycleways by the project's completion, with a network of about 1,000km of 'cyclable streets' across the wider region.

The future

The comparisons could easily extend to hire bike schemes (see page 66), cycle parking or sadly similar trends in bicycle theft. But let's just acknowledge the great work that both cities have achieved on cycling and active travel over the last decade.

While Paris has nudged ahead on some fronts, London has led on others — and what we see on the ground today is something we'd only previously seen in leading cycling cities like Copenhagen and Amsterdam. Luckily there's lots more still to come...

THE CYCLE to Work

Scheme is a fantastic way to get the bike of your dreams without paying full price. So how do you unlock savings of 28% to 47%?

Essentially, Cycle to Work is a tax-saving scheme which you access via a salary sacrifice arrangement with your employer. The scheme brings lots of rewards for both employees and employers, the main one being massive savings on a bike. Other advantages include: access to affordable travel options during the cost of living crisis; making everyday journeys more sustainable; getting fitter and healthier in both body and mind by building exercise into your daily routine; helping employers to achieve their net zero goals.

To unlock all the benefits, it’s crucial to partner with the

AN EASY RIDE TO BIG SAVINGS

right scheme provider. In 2016, Green Commute Initiative (GCI) revolutionised the Cycle to Work industry with its no limits, no fees model — it changed the way people viewed the scheme which had frustrated many with its restrictive limits and unfair charges. GCI developed a model which removed the £1,000 limit, ditched ownership fees, and decided it was time retailers got a better deal. Since then GCI has gone on to win accolades, awards, and the respect of the industry.

With GCI, you’ll make the maximum possible savings as there are no fees to reduce them. You can get an e-bike, cargobike, trike, or traditional bicycle. Second-hand bikes (with warranty) and e-bike conversion kits are also allowed. You can even get a bike on 12 or 18-month Brompton subscription.

How does it work?

To access the scheme, you must be employed (PAYE) and your employer must agree to pay for the scheme voucher upfront. You repay your employer directly from your gross pay (before you’ve paid any tax). This means you save the tax and NI on the value of the bike with the amount saved linked to your tax bracket (28, 42 or 47%).

The interest-free payments back to your employer can be spread over several years (two years is typical) making it a manageable monthly expenditure. For example, a £1,000 bike could only cost you £680! Check out the savings calculator on the website for your own figures.

Now that was fun! Simon Munk looks back at the most colourful LCC campaign yet

IT WAS THE best of months, it was the worst of months, it was April 2024... but what a fun, alternative mayoral election campaign we had.

With Susan Hall and Fair Fuel founder Howard Cox lining up to give ULEZ and Sadiq Khan a bashing on one side, telling us that Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), cycle tracks and even 20mph zones were four letter

words; while on the other side the Green party's Zoe Garbett, Lib Dem's Rob Blackie and the incumbent Mayor himself, all putting forward their green and cycling credentials — it was always going to be a pugilistic process.

Hall launched her campaign with a series of scaremongering attack ads focusing on rising crime levels. One even featured hooded 'ULEZ enforcers' in masks lurking

in an alley, and footage of crowds fleeing for their lives, which turned out to come not from London but a New York suspected gunman incident in 2017! Her entire campaign centred on 'culture wars', including the supposed 'war on drivers'.

In the middle of this panto, our London Loves Cycling campaign worked as intended — we neatly ignored the chaos and instead

celebrated the capital's increasingly diverse cycling culture and the sheer joy of riding around the city. We popped up with our placards at events all over town, our borough groups ran dozens of rides, as did allied organisations in one jamboree weekend. Plus we saw an explosion of social media sentiment, as you can see on these pages: Londoners explaining why we need more safe cycle routes,

politicians (including Sadiq) waving at our groups as they passed, and a rainbow of colourful rides that went far beyond what we've seen before.

The campaign was such a roaring success that several of the candidates joined in to support it. More importantly, the view from those clipping into pedals or riding past in heels, or indeed wobbling on balance bikes, was everyone really loved the positivity of the campaign

— the imagery, the approach, the unadulterated joy of it all.

Among the dizzying number of views and comments on our amazing video, uses of the #LondonLovesCycling hashtag on social media, and letters sent to the candidates, were these lovely lines — see panel right.

Now we know Mayor Khan has been re-elected, the campaign is going on pause (more details below) while we wait to see what new

LOVE LETTERS TO THE MAYOR

n "Cycling has entirely changed my life for the better. My health has never been better and even on a rainy day where cars try to run me off the road, I will still arrive happier and more energised than if I had driven or taken public transport."

n "We have used cycling as our primary means of transport since our children were babies. They are now 20 and 15 and committed happy cyclists."

n “Cycling kept me sane and helped me recover after having children. I love the autonomy cycling gives me and all the giggles with my kids.”

n "Ride some of the best protected cycle lanes (London Bridge to Parliament is my personal favourite) and you notice immediately how the 'mental charge' of cycling (worrying about being hit by cars) is lifted and how worry-free you feel.”

n "The journey to work always takes the same time, so I'm never late. I keep fit at 68 years old and regularly ride 5,000 miles each year.”

n “It opens up so much of my neighbourhood for me… I can nip out and do local shopping, get to a park for a walk, visit a friend… without getting stuck in traffic.”

n “Last week I bumped into someone I hadn’t seen since lockdown. I hopped off my bike and gave her a hug. Can’t get that in a car!”

n “As a community nurse cycling enables me to carry my kit and visit my patients efficiently and reliably, and I can role model active travel to my patients.”

n "The newer cycle lanes have allowed me to gain confidence and encourage my 70-year-old dad to take up cycling, which has helped ease his chronic knee pain."

(All quotes received during 2024 London Loves Cycling campaign)

policies and approaches he commits to now. We've got four years to make major inroads on reducing unnecessary car use, tackling air quality and climate emissions and indeed congestion, road danger and health/inactivity.

That has to mean a lot more cycling in every London borough — and that means real changes, particularly in outer London. We're going to respond and as ever campaign to ensure such changes are bold, rapid and high-quality.

Meanwhile, such an outpouring of happiness has really made organising all this campaigning light work. Indeed, LCC is now looking closely at how we can really focus on the joys of cycling in London where London Loves Cycling goes next. We're certainly not going to hang up this campaign now the election's passed. So look out for more bursts of fun from LCC coming soon.

n lcc.org.uk/LondonLovesCycling

CHALLENGING LONDON’S FINEST FOLDERS

Eovolt’s latest electric and non-electric folding bikes offer exciting new tech upgrades

THE FOLDING BIKE market is highly competitive, especially for London’s multi-modal commuters, but in 2024 a challenge to the established order is on the cards.

With a €16m investment from a French domestic fund, Eovolt’s engineers have been busy on the drawing board at its Lyon-based factory. Incoming will be both a non-electric folding bike platform at a competitive £1,499 (due for 2025 launch), and a Bafang automatic gear-hub, motor-driven, belt-drive upgrade on its Afternoon 20in model at £2,999 (available in July 2024 from selected stockists).

There have been no less than 39 upgrades on previous models, with numerous patents granted and pending in that process. And the oustanding and most unique difference compared to other

brands is the folding design: there are no clasps to manually unscrew here, instead there’s a sophisticated hinge mechanism that has a safety catch to open and an automatic, reassuring click to close when unfolded to full size. This can be done in less than five seconds and, what’s more, when folded a new ‘fold-and-go’ clasp keeps the folded bike compact and manoeuvrable on station platforms.

It has to be tried to be believed because Eovolt’s bikes move like no other, both when folded and unfolded, something that every

long-term cycle commuter will value in equal measure.

New look models

There has been a significant advance with the hub motors featured on Eovolt bikes, courtesy of drive experts Bafang. Incoming models will carry an automatic two-speed gear shift inside the hub motor’s shell — without any need for a manual shift, this helps riders accelerate away from lights and maintain a cruising speed without any second thought.

So if you’re looking to enhance your journey, for an innovative and different ride, be sure to test the new Eovolt e-bikes at your local retailer. You won’t be disappointed.

POLICE HELP PROVE CYCLIST NOT AT FAULT

OSBORNES LAW recently settled a claim for a cyclist who was hit by a car on a roundabout as he was on the way to visit friends. The driver joined the roundabout without looking and collided with the cyclist, who was thrown from his bike causing serious injuries. The driver initially fled the scene, but was later found by police.

The cyclist suffered multiple fractures to his pelvis, ribs and ongoing bruises and tendon injuries. And due to pre-existing injuries the impact of being immobile for several months affected the cyclist’s ability to heal, which further impacted his ability to recover quickly and had a psychological impact.

Specialist lawyer, Laura Swaine, was instructed and able to recover roughly £75,000 for the cyclist, despite the driver’s insurance company delaying any admission

The cycling team at Osbornes Law explain why police support can be vital to legal claims

of liability. It wasn’t until the driver was found at fault by the police and placed on a driver’s awareness course that the insurer conceded.

Building the full picture

During this period Laura arranged for her client to undergo intensive physical and psychological rehabilitation to help aid his recovery. Laura also arranged reports from several medical experts to build up a full picture of injuries and the prognosis — these assisted Laura in negotiating a fair financial settlement.

Laura commented: “My client, who is an experienced cyclist, was not only shocked to have been hit

by a car, but then for the driver to flee the scene and his insurance company to initially deny liability, compounding the psychological injuries he was suffering and which was ultimately unnecessary.

“Thankfully, a police investigation corroborated his version of events, allowing us to move forward to a settlement. Due to his pre-existing medical issues, recovery has been slow, but my client is determined to be back on this bike”.

It’s been ten years since London’s Olympic velodrome in Stratford opened to the public. Teenage LCC member Albert joined Melanie Etherton for a training day.

IT’S A CALM Friday evening as we meet outside the doors of the famous pringleshaped velodrome, but inside all is lights and buzz. Albert, a young LCC member, is here with his mum Claire, and me, to do a first taster session. It’s aimed at beginners — you need to be able to ride a bike and that’s it.

“I mostly ride with my dad,” says Albert. “He’s had his bike since he was about 12 and it’s a miracle the frame hasn’t fallen apart. I’ve got a Rockrider; it’s not really a racing bike, the frame and tyres are a lot chunkier than these bikes. I only started cycling properly a few months ago.”

Claire remembers coming to the Lee Valley VeloPark before: “We last visited when Albert was five. They’d made a huge play area and it was finally all opened up after the Olympics. We came to have a look around and just peeked over the barrier, that was it. We’ve never actually been inside here on the track.”

We start by getting kitted up — shoes, gloves, helmet, bike. All the bikes here are the same, provided by Condor Cycles, all in a classy royal blue finish. Quickly we look the part but, more concerningly, the bikes have no gears. And no brakes. Coach Veronica begins her briefing...

“Lean on the rail and practice clipping in, so your shoes connect directly into the pedal. To start it’s a press down, then to unclip it’s a sideways movement, more of a twist.”

She explains these bikes are fixed gear, so the pedals are linked directly to the wheels: if you stop, the bike stops. So you need to keep going.

“The bike will tell you when you have to pedal,” she adds. “When you slow down, the bike will give you a little kick — as if it’s telling tell you you’re pedalling too slowly.”

We think we understand and after a quick safety summary it’s time to put theory into

PHOTOS

Tom Bogdanowicz

practice. Claire spectates with a flat white while Albert and I fumble around with the shoes. One of the other participants (who’s clearly done this before) hops off and holds the pedals as we sort ourselves out.

Learning the ropes

Back balancing on the rail, Veronica continues: “The track is 250m long and gets to 42-degrees steep. Hold the rail and push off. Three laps, on the flat light blue area only, very slowly. Go!”

Like a small and very wobbly train, we set off. She’s right about the kick. It’s instinctive to want to coast, but the bike doesn’t let you — there’s a firm jolt from the pedals, a reminder you’re now connected into a machine that is pushing you forward and won’t stop until you make it.

The handlebars feel strange as well; the balance position reaching over for the drops feels precarious compared to my normal town bike. But the bike is incredibly light and very responsive — one twitch and you’ve changed direction already. We reach the start and Veronica waves us around again. One more lap, a little faster, and the next time stop.

I’m worried about stopping and start trying early. I’m clearly not the only one, pressing backwards, trying to combat the bike’s irresistible momentum. Despite having no brakes this seems to be working, and we all coast in and grab the rail to stop without incident. Mission one accomplished. I’m feeling thrilled with just this, but Veronica has grander plans. “Good. Now, two laps, black line. Go!”

There are three lines on the wooden boards: first black, then red and highest up is dark blue. The tape of the line is noticeably smoother to ride on, but you’ve got to really concentrate to stay on it, especially around the corners where the track slants. Veronica stays in the pit lane

Learning curve: Albert gets into the groove after a few laps and a safety briefing (right).

and shouts us on: “Red! Blue!” We’re all getting more confident and little groups have started to form of people doing mini races.

Suddenly someone in front of me slows. I panic and swing up the banking over them. Veronica laughs and call us all in for a stop. We’re already ten laps down.

“Good, everyone, good. You’re racing ahead. So when you’re overtaking people, look over your shoulder first. Also if someone is up on a line above you but going more slowly, it’s okay to undertake. Just shout ‘stay’ so they remain on

the same line. Because the last thing you want is for them to drop down onto you.”

Faster and faster

Albert is the youngest person here at 15 and some of the older guys are going pretty fast by this point. Claire leans over with her coffee to check in: “I was terrified all the other people would crash into you because they were all in a big log-jam round that side of the track.” Albert shrugs: “It felt fine. I wasn’t worried.” I concur. We’re both too busy concentrating now to be nervous. Albert continues: “I can hold the line down the straight, but when it gets steeper, like the red over there for example, it just becomes much harder.”

Coach Veronica chips in with more advice. “The trick is you need to pedal much faster, so that will bring you up the banking. And you need to look in the direction that you’re going. You need to relax your hands and body. You can do the speed, you went on the black. So I’m confident you can do it.”

So we’re off again. Albert and me are really getting into this. I’m not fixated quite so hard on my feet and start to look about more. This award-winning building was designed with the help from champions like Sir Chris Hoy, and incorporates hard materials and seating at the turns to bounce the sound around and allow athletes to ride into continuous noise. It’s just our little group here and it’s still loud — there’s pop music playing over the sound system, but you can hear everyone’s shouts and calls.

Wot no brakes?

Mel’s soon flying and mastering the new bikes.

“Fast as you like!” Veronica calls. “Go on. Pedal. Harder!” We’re sweating, we’re breathing hard, we must have done 40 laps. We’re getting competitive, we’re definitely getting the hang of it, and suddenly the hour’s up and we’re pretty much shattered. We fall off the bikes, grab a drink and collect our certificates with a real sense of achievement — both for us and the VeloPark.

Long-term legacy

Lee Valley VeloPark is celebrating ten years open to the public this summer. It used to be an industrial estate, but now also features a short road circuit, easy mountain bike trails and a BMX track, the latter used at the 2012 Olympics. The VeloPark has hosted more than 8 million visitors, with 750,000 having cycled here, and 4,200 individuals having participated in funded programmes. 55,000 schoolkids have used the facilities, plus 65,000 club members, and it’s held 18 major international events. With the Paris Games happening this summer, it’s satisfying to see London’s 2012 legacy looking strong.

You should come back for the BMX. You like speed, I saw it, you’ll love the BMX.” She reconsiders, “only maybe on a different day because you’re probably tired now.”

The VeloPark has hosted more than 8 million visitors, with 750,000 having cycled here... and it’s hosted 18 international events

This arena has seen many great British champions — Sir Bradley Wiggins, the Kennys, Dame Sarah Storey — and now us in 2024. So for a first time on a fixed gear bike on a pro-level track, Albert’s official verdict?

“Yep, I would recommend this. It’s fun. And I’m keeping the jersey.”

MORE INFO

Veronica agrees. “A session like this is amazing — everyone learns and progresses.

Albert and Melanie were guests of the Lee Valley VeloPark, where a 1hr velodrome taster session costs £43 per person (bike and helmet provided). You also need gloves (£4 hire) and cycling shoes (£9 hire). You can also try BMX taster sessions at £17. Visit better.org.uk. n Team LCC jerseys, as modelled by Albert, are available at lcc.org.uk.

Could you be a Cycle Buddy?

As a Cycle Buddy you’ll help people start cycling and build confidence - whether they’re returning after a break, starting for the first time, or just need some help planning a route.

You don’t need to be an expert and it’s quick and easy to set up a profile on the website. So if you can help other people start cycling, please sign up to be a Cycle Buddy today: lcc.org.uk/cycle-buddies

What not forget the Eurostar altogether and ride off-road all the way to Paris instead? Max Darkins leads the adventure...

SITTING BACK in our deckchairs, enjoying a cold beer, we watch the sun dip into the sea and chat excitedly about what lies ahead.

Some of the group have just ridden to the south coast from London, others have taken the train, but what comes next is a new adventure for all of us.

London to Paris has always been a popular challenge, and although there are several road cycling events it’s an off-road option we’re taking on. The two-day ‘Pedal to Paris’ event, run by Rough Ride Guide, kicks off in Newhaven on a Friday night, packing in a great weekend of exploration, before arriving back on English soil early on Monday morning — two full days of superb cycling on beautiful, and quiet, French trails, without having to take a day off work.

As people started to gather at the port, a

buzz began to form. Then, slowly, as departure time neared, a line of bicycles evolved to snake through passport control and disappear into the open mouth of the gaping ferry. A five-hour crossing doesn’t leave a lot of time to sleep, although that didn’t seem to deter people from a final beer or two before settling down for a quick kip. With French time being one hour ahead, it’s 5am as bleary-eyed bikers started to disembark on Saturday morning, streaming off the boat with both their lights and eyes blinking in the greying pre-dawn. Guides round up the rabble, bags are deposited in the support van, and finally an organised line of British border raiders heads out into the sleeping town of Dieppe. Continental tourers may be familiar with the well-known Avenue Verte cycle path and this provided us with an easy route and simple navigation from the Channel. A river of red

and white LEDs trails off into the dark inky colours of the countryside, like a mini Dunwich Dynamo. Surprisingly soon we’re off-road, swallowed up by huge French forests, where morning birdsong was in full chorus. As day broke, anticipation also rose — we’ve got 128km (80 miles) to tick off before we arrive at our overnight base.

Forests, flowy trails and fromages

The French countryside feels more open and emptier than back home, the forests quite eerie, but the group of riders provided a feeling of security and the adrenaline turned nervous energy to useful power for the legs as riders push on through the morning. With reasonable

Off-road trails, treelined paths and crusty baguettes: what more do you want from a weekend?

ground made we hit the first checkpoint-cumfeedstop. The support team on hand with coffee and croissants, a variety of food and snacks, and a warm continental welcome.

The mix of terrain continued to switch between woodland tracks, field-side singletrack and silent country lanes, for a fast and flowing ride. Passing through late-to-rise French towns and villages, the locals we did encounter always seemed incredibly patient and thoughtful to cyclists. We’re happy to find the next, bigger, refuelling point contuining the French theme, with baguettes, saucisson, fromages and more to keep energy levels topped up in classic style — there was even a dose of French music. Here a few riders took the chance to dip into their overnight bags, others took advantage of the mechanic’s services, but most opt to just dangle their feet in the river to cool down, enjoying some brief time out of the saddle.

Nearing the end of day one, with around 100km in the bag, a fun and technical descent dropped us down to the town of Les Andelys and the last refreshments of the day. Hands reach for a cheeky beer in the late afternoon sun, then we’re back onto tackling the final stretch, a fast and flat trail with a few singletrack sections along the banks of the River Seine. The white chalk cliffs, castles and huge tugboats accompanied us upstream as approached the next big town and our waiting hotel. With bikes securely stored, all that remained was a big

dinner and an inevitably deep, sound sleep. A lovelier day would be very hard to find.

A quiet entrance to the city

After a substantial Sunday breakfast, riders were up, primed and ready for day two: a wide and wonderful assortment of trails and terrain arrowing deep into the heart of Paris. An easy riverside start helped loosen the legs before a handful of stinging climbs ensued, then swathes of deserted countryside, with narrow, wiggling wooded paths delivering the team back to the banks of the Seine.

Further flat tracks and simple navigation made the going quick, with riders rapidly engulfed by the huge forests surrounding the outskirts of the French capital — mile upon mile of off-road riding so close to a major city a real rarity these days. Even after entering the urban fringes, the route provided more traffic-free cycling, passing through the majestic Palace of Versailles grounds, skirting beside large ornamental lakes, and via royal forests and cobbled tracks.

Eventually we’re reunited with the Seine for a final time and join a wonderful dedicated cycleway by the water as we pick out the Eiffel Tower in the distance. Far too quickly we arrive at the very foot of the tower, the end of our little epic. Time for a celebratory beer, some Parisian food and a change of kit, then bikes and bodies are loaded onto a shuttle back to Dieppe, the

luxurious

a

As we travel back through the countryside, the eagle-eyed among us spot where they’ve earlier ridden, while elsewhere beers are drunk and tales told. At the port, with riders and bikes reunited, the ferry awaits — there’s almost a sense of disbelief that it was only yesterday when we were disembarking. A last nightcap and the gentle rock of the sea heralds a well-deserved dose, at the end of what’s been a weekend we’ll never forget.

FACTFILE

’Pedal to Paris Off-Road’ is a two-day event from Dieppe to Paris, organised by Rough Ride Guide (roughrideguide.co.uk) and next happening in 2025. It’s also running a longer four-day route in 2025, starting in the heart of London at the base of the London Eye, before making the journey to the centre of Paris and the foot of the Eiffel Tower — a journey of more then 400km.

Go bespoke: If you’d like to find out more about how RRG could help support or organise a bespoke event for your group or company, just get in touch at info@roughrideguide.co.uk The brilliant London to Brighton Off-road at Night (L2BOR@N) also returns again in 2025, so look out for that too.

Inclusivity: Rough Ride Guide welcomes everyone on its events, providing facilities for all cyclists, plus e-bike assistance, and delicious catering for a variety of dietary requirements.

Preparation: We recommend riding the London to Brighton Off-road route, available to download for free on the website (roughrideguide. co.uk/routes) which is very similar to day one of the ride from Dieppe.

The end’s in sight: nearing the Eiffel Tower along the River Seine

seats

stark contrast to bike saddles.

“Osbornes Law took on my case after I was hit by van on my cycle to work. I learnt about them as a member of the London Cycling Campaign. I would recommend Osbornes Law to anyone who is unsure how to proceed following a traumatic cycling accident.”

Felicia D

Guide

Photo:

IN PARIS SUMMERTIME

ISITING THE FRENCH capital has never been easier. From central London (St Pancras) you can be in the heart of Paris in just under two-and-a-half hours by train. Book well in advance and single fares start at £39. You can take a folding bike (in a bag) with you, but other bikes need to be disassembled and shipped in a bike bag/box (plus the space has to be reserved). However, you can avoid this hassle by hiring a Vélib bike once you're there — 18,000+ cycles are available and a 24hr pass costs only €5 (or €10 for an electric bike).

Our route has been designed with two things in mind: to give visitors a classic tour of many of the main tourist attractions in the city, but also to sample some of the great new cycling infrastructure that's been developed over the last decade. Almost all the route is on dedicated, protected cycle lanes, and visits numerous locations completely redesigned with pedestrians and bicycles as the key priority.

Aymeric Cotard and John Kitchiner suggest a tourist tour via some stunning cycle lanes

FACTFILE

DISTANCE: 21.5km

ASCENT: 90m

TERRAIN: all on road and cycleways.

SUITABLE FOR: all bikes. The majority of the ride is on protected cycleways, plus a few quieter streets.

BEST WAY TO TRAVEL: Eurostar train from St Pancras International to Gare du Nord, Paris.

DOWNLOAD FREE MAP

We have partnered with mapping specialist Komoot to bring you free downloadable route maps. Simply scan the QR code here to access the relevant page on your smartphone or tablet.

Ride Guide

S/F: GARE DU NORD

By far the best way to reach Paris from London is by Eurostar train from St Pancras; it costs from £39 and takes just 2hr 20mins. All these trains drop you conveniently at Gare du Nord, only 2km from the main tourist sights.

Incidentally, if you're heading to the Alps, French Riveria or Spain for your holidays, Gare du Nord is also where you change for a quick hop across to Gare de Lyon; ride the latter part of this route backwards to La Bastille and you're pretty much there.

From the station you follow a dedicated cycleway (piste cyclable) all the way down Rue La Fayette, past the glorious Palais Garnier, home to the Académie National de Musique, and turn left down the tree-lined Rue Tronchet to the Église de la Madeleine.

2 ÉGLISE DE LA MADELEINE

Planned by Louis XV, and dedicated in 1764, construction wasn't completed until 1842, after the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte. Surrounded by Corinthianstyle columns, the church is noted for the frescoes on its domed roof and its monumental sculptures.

3 PLACE DE LA CONCORDE / AVENUE DES CHAMPS- ÉLYSÉES

In a few minutes you're skirting the north side of the vast Jardin des Tuileries on the Rue de Rivoli before arriving at the Place de la Concorde, the eastern end of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées (the Arc de Triomphe sits at the western end). This is the largest square in Paris and was the site of many public executions during the French Revolution, including Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

The Champs-Élysées is probably the most famous road in France and has been described as "the most beautiful

PARIS TOUR

avenue in the whole world". It's lined with cafes, restaurants and expensive boutiques, and road cycling fans will know it as the finish line of the annual Tour de France.

4 LA TOUR EIFFEL

Passing behind the Grand Palais, we're now heading down to the River Seine, crossing over the Pont des Invalides, and following the riverside cycle tracks west to the Champs de Mars and France's most iconic landmark.

Named after engineer Gustave Eiffel, the wrought-iron lattice tower was built from 1887 to 1889. It was the centrepiece of the 1889 World's Fair and unveiled to mark the 100-year anniversary of the Revolution. It is 330m high, the tallest structure in Paris, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

5 MUSÉE DU LOUVRE

Heading back along the river route, we next cross the Seine via the Pont de la Concorde and turn right along the north bank (known as the Rive Droite, or Right Bank). In a few minutes you're at the world's most visited museum, the Musée du Louvre. With more than 35,000 art works on display at any one time, across 72,000m2, it's also the world's largest. If you want to see the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo or tour the palace, you need to book well in advance (€22) and expect big queues.

6 CATHÉDRALE NOTRE-DAME DE PARIS

Sitting on an island in the Seine (Île de la Cité) is the medieval Catholic cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris, famed for its gothic architecture,

including ribbed vault, flying buttresses, rose windows and huge bells. Construction began in 1163 and it has undergone major restorations since. The latest rebuild, due to complete before the end of 2024, is the result of a fire during works in 2019.

7

PLACE DE LA BASTILLE

More bridge hopping and riverside paths and you're bearing north-east, up Boulevard Henri IV to the Place de la Bastille. This is where the prison once stood that was stormed and subsequently destroyed during the Revolution. The Colonne de Juillet in the center of the square commemorates the events of the July Revolution, or Second French Revolution, of 1830. The square now hosts concerts and is a regular rally point for political demonstrations. From Bastille you now follow the eastern end of the Rue de Rivoli back towards the tourist centre, then turn northwards up the Boulevard de Sébastapol and Rue de Turbigo, to the Place de la République.

8 PLACE DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE

In the centre of the square you'll find a bronze statue of Marianne, the personification of the French Republic, sitting atop the 23m-high Monument à la République. Marianne is surrounded by three statues which represent liberty, equality, and fraternity, the values of the French Republic. Over the last decade or so, the square has been transformed from being a busy roundabout into a pedestrian zone. A short section along the Canal SaintMartin is all the remains before arriving back at Gare du Nord. Of course there's so much more to see, but this gives a taster of what's possible by bike.

Photos: Bigstock

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Simply scan the QR code here to access the relevant ride guide and map on a smartphone or tablet. FREE MAP

5

NEW E-BIKES HOT TECH

EVEN AT first glance the CGO800S oozes luxury: the smoothly-filleted welds would not be out of place on a custom-made frame, while the metallic sea-blue finish draws admiring glances. And for those who like visual directions, there is a smart console ingeniously built into the handlebar stem, that links to your phone to guide the way. Even the supplied toolkit is top-notch, think Snap-On rather than Ikea.

Continuing this quality vibe, the bike comes equipped with a sturdy carrier, front and rear lights, a kickstand, metal mudguards, plus electric indicators. In fact it has everything except a bottlecage. Assembly and ride was a

pleasure. The pedal assist worked predictably from the off — there’s five power levels and a neat torque sensor — as did the Tektro disc brakes. The compact Mivice motor is contained in the rear hub, offering 250W of power and a street-legal maximum speed of 25km/h (15 mph). A basic SR Suntour suspension fork and fat 48c tyres added noticeable plushness to the ride too.

Perhaps surprisingly this upmarket model only has one gear and is explicitly aimed at flat country, but such a spec choice can be refreshing — no gears means no maintenance, no indexing or cable issues and, here, no oil stains on your clothes because the chain’s

been replaced with a Gates beltdrive. Obviously we took the official advice stating ‘no mountain biking’ as an challenge and rode it straight up the nearest big hill, Ally Pally. And we almost made it, giving up only at the final steep path (not road) near the end. On nearby Uplands Road (featured in London Cyclist’s recent hill climbs article) the Tenways made it to the top with a bit of effort. On grass and track it performed very well, cruising at 22km/h on easy undulated sections.

Once the console is paired to your smartphone (done in seconds) you see the usual speed and trip distance data, and get route instructions using a large arrow plus the phone’s audio. It worked

fine, though when we veered offcourse it took a moment longer than hoped to re-direct. We also wonder whether the mapping it uses may need updating to include some of the latest cycle lanes. But we loved that the console also acts as a theft deterrent — no PIN code, no access.

In addition, the bike’s removable battery (hidden in the downtube) has a key lock. Tenways says a full

FACTFILE

n Four colours, one size.

n Step-through frame design suits all types of rider.

n Integrated console links to phone.

n Removable battery with key lock.

n Single gear with Gates belt-drive.

battery charge can last up to 100km. On power levels 2 to 3 we were getting about two-thirds of that, though curiously on level 5 (turbo mode) it wasn’t much less.

The downside of all this luxury is weight (23kg), so you could opt instead for the CGO600 (16kg, £1,200), but you lose the front suspension. Whichever you choose, there’s a lot to admire here.

VERDICT

+ A super-sorted, comfy commuter with suspension.

+ Not suited for steepest hills (single gear) or stairs (heavy).

+ Pricey, but accessories included.

BIKES

NEW E-BIKES HOT TECH

Can a budget folding e-bike compete with pricier big name brands?

ESTARLI DESIGNS and assembles its e-bikes here in the UK and, having visited the Berkhamsted factory, we can vouch for the thoughtful attention each model receives.

Rather than the inefficiency of revamping model lines yearly, Estarli produces model ‘iterations’ with incremental improvements along the way. For example the latest version of the e20.7 folder includes an improved freewheel for lower resistance, quieter running, ‘soft start’ motor technology, metal folding pedals instead of plastic, extended front fork for greater comfort, not to mention the striking new hot coral frame colour with matching mudguards.

The budget spec — on paper at least — holds no surprises. A Far East-made rear hub motor (Aikema), is complemented by a 260Wh battery that’s neatly concealed in the seatpost, cableoperated disc brakes and a 7-speed Shimano derailleur transmission.

Fortunately, this spec belies the

smooth, effective powered riding it delivers. The pedal assistance starts gently but perceptively almost as soon as you start turning the cranks, and ramps up as you accelerate up to the legal maximum speed. There is no sudden ‘power cut’ with the transition to nonassisted pedalling either, it’s equally seamless. Similarly it’s a pretty easy bike to ride without any assist.

Of the five power levels, the lower ones are ideal for cruising around moderate hills and getting a gentle workout in the process; the highest two levels find their place only on much steeper ascents. While the compact rear hub motor may not achieve the same speed here as some beefier motors, we

ESTARLI e20.7 PRO n £1,510 n estarli.co.uk

certainly never really felt out of breath as the going got more challenging. And the frame and cockpit set-up are very rigid, so it’s easy enough to stand out of the pedals and haul on the bars when needed. We found the only real downside in using the highest assist mode up very steep hills was that it ate the battery very quickly (a range extender is available). Over flatter London terrain most cyclists should get a few dozen miles before a recharge is required.

Folded size is bigger than something like a Brompton (a class leader) but that’s due to the larger 20in wheels, and we had no complaints wheeling the e20.7 along with the seatpost extended. The two halves

magnetically stick together pretty well. If you want to push the seatpost down to get the smallest folded package (84cm x 71cm x 45cm), then you need the key that undoes the locking seatpost clamp. At 19.3kg it’s not light, more mid-pack in comparison to rivals, but we’ve been happy to take it on multiple trains, as long as we didn’t have to lift it up on to a luggage rack. We believe this Estarli can do most things full-size e-bikes can do and it’s fully-equipped with kickstand, lights and mudguards for all weather cycling. Our ‘Pro’ version also came with a rack that’s childseat compatible. In other words, it’s versatile, seemingly robust, and offers decent back for your buck.

FACTFILE

n Semi-slick and off-road (tanwall) tyre options available.

n Battery housed in seatpost – lockable on the bike, but also removable.

n Hardwired front lights and battery powered rear light.

n Pro version gets sturdy alloy mudguards and 5kg rack (non Pro version also available).

VERDICT

+ Impressively smooth and efficient motor power for a budget set-up.

+ Good value and very practical daily runabout or leisure e-bike.

Introduce a friend to LCC membership –they’ll support our work campaigning for safer cycling in London and you’ll both receive your choices of CatEye lights, an ABUS lock or Lezyne pump.

lcc.org.uk/membership

NEW CYCLE HELMETS

Impact protection, intercom systems, integrated lights... modern helmets certainly haven’t been left behind when it comes to innovative design

PROTECTING YOUR

most important organ remains a helmet’s primary function, though these days there’s more than one way to achieve this. Add in cool tech and modern styling, and there’s myriad options for all cyclists.

#1 LAZER VERDE KINETICORE

n 5 colours; 2 sizes (S/M, M/L). n 12 vents.

n Weight: 350g

Most brands these days favour a Mips cradle, or similar, to combat rotational impacts, but Lazer has instead designed an innovative ‘crumple zone’, which cushions, deforms and breaks in the event of a crash — the square blocks you see inside (photo 1b). It doesn’t add any extra weight or reduce venting either. Even more impressively, the EcoLoc at the rear allows the helmet to be fully disassembled at the end

of its life and recycled. And while the vents might look covered, they hide air channels and do a great job of protecting you from the rain. In terms of aesthetics, we think the Verde is one of the best shaped, non-mushroom-like options around.

n freewheel.co.uk; £99.99

#2 SENA R1 SMART

n 5 colours; 3 sizes (S, M, L).

n 16 vents.

n Weight: 440g

Likely a name you’re unfamiliar with, Sena is a global leader in smart motorcycle and, more recently, bicycle helmets. The R1 we tested feels and rides like a regular road helmet: loads of vents to keep your head cool, simple flywheel size adjustment, and reflective straps. But look closer at the outer shell and you’ll spot a very discrete controller, plus two speakers and a microphone (2b). Once paired with your smartphone this allows you to take phone calls or listen to music as you ride, though clearly we suggest pulling over to a safe spot for the former; neither distracts from your surroundings and typical street noise. Bluetooth intercom also lets you communicate with up to three friends spread out along the road.

n store-eu.sena.com; £158

#3 MET E-MOB MIPS

n 8 colours; 3 sizes (S/M, M/L).

n 17 vents (16 if light fitted).

n Weight: 365g

Like saddles, helmet fit is a personal thing, but we find Met lids instantly comfy, even with the Mips cradle. But as well as rotational impact protection,

here you get lots of smaller, highly useful touches: bug net across the front vents, reflective detailing at the rear, plus a removable LED blinker light (3b). With 8 colourways and low profile design, this is a solid pick for use on both e-bikes and standard cycles. n met-helmets.com; £73.95

#4 SMITH EXPRESS MIPS

n 7 colours; 3 sizes (S, M, L).

n 13 vents.

n Weight: 330g

We know a lot of city cyclists who prefer a ‘skate-style’ helmet for the added protection/coverage it promises, though this can often result in a sweaty noggin. Luckily the Express hits a sweet spot, with a sharply-sculpted outer shell and 13 small, yet effective, vents. An LED light (supplied, 4b) can be popped into one of the rear vents, and a removable visor offers that cap-under-helmet courier look without the bulk.

Combining a Mips system into such a low weight helmet is impressive, and we found our sample fitted true to size. n smithoptics.com; £99.99

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CYCLING READS

THE MAURICE BURTON

WAY Maurice Burton & Paul Jones bloomsbury.com; £18

Read this and dive deep into the brutal world of 1970s European track racing, where a typical winter season saw Burton racing 90 days, driving 1,000km, sleeping in box beds with a (literal) bucket to urinate in, and racing 8pm until 4am in velodromes filled with beery punters and cigarette smoke. He says “riding a bike as a professional is like all other jobs,” but we don’t really believe him. He starts as schoolboy on a borrowed bike and ends as a towering professional contract racer, riding 250km a day, six days a week, year after year.

But with 200+ riders chasing just 16 permanent pro contracts on the circuit, things get dirty in more ways than one. You feel all Burton wants to do is talk about cycling, but racism keeps dragging him back. It’s a graceful and honest insight into a world that, all too often, remains closed to this day. ME

POTHOLES AND

PAVEMENTS Laura Laker uk.bookshop.org; £16.99

This tale of optimism and frustration is the result of Laker riding many miles of the National Cycle Network (NCN) and her chats with a range of people connected with it, documenting its inception and progress. It’s also full of tiny details of her own experiences, to make it all the better: that’s what our days and tours are made of, after all. If, like the author, you’ve used the NCN on planned routes and cursed it heartily, or like many of us found yourself on a glorious route that seemingly, by complete chance, follows a series of NCN stickers, this book goes a long way to answering our cries of despair and delight — why the NCN is simultaneously so hopeless and so brilliant.

Crucially, it needs dedicated fixing, and Laker has had plenty of time and inspiration to pull informed thoughts and observation together on that, too. KR

CYCLE LONDON

Rachel Segal-Hamilton hoxtonminipress.com; £10.95

You might expect us to automatically like a book that describes LCC as “a force for change”. But flattery aside, this one’s a cracker.

Like all the Hoxton Mini Press series, it’s stylish and sharp — with glossy photography and a clean, modern style. Cycle London reviews top cycling locations and organisations across the capital, rounding off with a dozen iconic rides to try. It covers everything from Herne Hill velodrome to new kids on the block like XO Bikes (training ex-offenders to be bike mechanics), and details the best places to buy bikes, fix bikes, meet other cyclists and join events. It’s also very ‘east London’, with close-ups of coffees and gorgeously atmospheric wide shots.

The best thing about this book is it sells cycling as cool: aspirational and yet achievable. You could easily gift it to someone who doesn’t cycle and they’d enjoy the read. ME

THE 15-MINUTE CITY

Carlos Moreno wiley.com; £22.99

This is the manual to fill the gaps in your knowledge of the ‘15-minute city’ concept. Professor Moreno starts with the climate rationale because the majority of human habitation is urban; but equity, efficiency, social cohesion, and health are all in the frame. 15-minute cities are easy to grasp if you see organic examples near you, but this book goes much further. It looks at how the old blueprint for cities for people from the past was lost through destructive movementfocussed modernism, then explores examples of the ‘proximity revolution’ from around the globe.

For us, the change in mindset is critical: spelling out the drastic changes of the 20th century makes the argument for change in the 21st harder to resist, restoring people to urban visions and creating cities that support sustainable living. It’s a chunky read, but do it — we need to get influencing. KR

2007 ONWARDS

Vélib’ Métropole bikes

It might not have been the first, but the Paris cycle hire scheme set a benchmark that other cities rushed to copy, as John Kitchiner explains

INSPIRED BY EARLIER, pioneering cycle share schemes in La Rochelle (1974), Rennes (1998, the first using magnetic cards) and Lyon (2005, the first contactless system), the iconic Paris Vélib’ bikes hit the streets in July 2007. Proposed by former mayor Bertrand Delanoë, the scheme initially kicked off with 7,000 bikes and 750 docking points, but quickly expanded and doubled those figures after the first year; the idea was to have a rental station roughly every 300m throughout the city centre. Incidentally, it was this early success and growth in the French capital that in turn inspired then London mayor, Ken Livingstone, to make plans for a similar project (officially unveiled in February 2008 and launched in July 2010).

Rebranded as Vélib’ Métropole in 2018, the scheme now encompasses 20,000 cycles — 40% of which are electric — and 1,464 docking points across 55 municipalities in the metropolitan area. As of 2020, this made it the largest bike share scheme in the world. The standard Vélib’ is green, while the newer e-bikes are blue and, interestingly, the latter accounts for over half the total kilometres covered by users.

According to the most recent data from 2022, the scheme has 390,000 subscribers, with 4.9 million journeys made in one month (Oct 2022) and 212,000 journeys made on a single day (10 October 2022). And in the summer peak, each bike gets used more than 10 times a day on average. One-way tickets cost €3, while a day pass will set you back €5 (standard) or €10 (electric); monthly subscription costs either €3.10 or €9.30 depending on usage and length of journeys.

What of the bikes themselves? Well the current green/blue fleet replaced the very industrial-looking grey, three-speed originals produced in Hungary by Mercier, and it seems most of the manufacturing and assembly is done in France; fork, handlebars, electronics, wheels, mudguards and basket are all manufactured by French companies. Used and worn parts are increasingly being recycled too — old tyres becoming belts and inner tubes reborn as bags or wallets.

Of course things haven’t always run smoothly, particularly the fraught changeover of operators from JCDeceaux to Smovengo in 2017, but it’s generally accepted that Vélib’ has proven a model of innovation in urban public services.

Illustration : David Sparshott