Biking stuff

Not enough time to write about this in depth...

1. The Bicycling Paradox: Fit Doesn’t Have to Mean Thin from last Tuesday's New York Times. Won't be available for free for much more.

2. Then there is the coverage of the new bike rental program in Paris. "A New French Revolution’s Creed: Let Them Ride Bikes," is from the New York Times.

Alastair Miller/Bloomberg News. The new Vélib program has set up self-service docking stations around Paris for more than 10,600 bicycles now available at modest rental prices to the public.

From the article:

More than 10,600 of the hefty gray bicycles became available for modest rental prices on Sunday at 750 self-service docking stations that provide access in eight languages. The number is to grow to 20,600 by the end of the year. The program, Vélib (for “vélo,” bicycle, and “liberté,” freedom), is the latest in a string of European efforts to reduce the number of cars in city centers and give people incentives to choose more eco-friendly modes of transport.

“This is about revolutionizing urban culture,” said Pierre Aidenbaum, mayor of Paris’s trendy third district, which opened 15 docking stations on Sunday. “For a long time cars were associated with freedom of movement and flexibility. What we want to show people is that in many ways bicycles fulfill this role much more today.”

Users can rent a bike online or at any of the stations, using a credit or debit card and leave them at any other station. A one-day pass costs 1 euro ($1.38), a weekly pass 5 euros ($6.90) and a yearly subscription 29 euros ($40), with no additional charges as long as each bike ride does not exceed 30 minutes. (Beyond that, there is an incremental surcharge, to make sure that as many bikes as possible stay in the rotation.)

The outdoor advertising company J. C. Decaux is paying for the bicycles, docking stations and maintenance in return for exclusive use of 1,628 urban billboards owned by the city. The city receives the rental income, and city officials say they are hoping the program will bring in millions of euros.

Also see this Cox News Service article, reprinted in the Boston Globe, "Paris turns toward the two-wheeler" and this AP piece "New Paris program lets tourists as well as locals bike the city." The AP story explains in detail how the program works.

(AP Photo/Laurent Baheux)

3. And speaking of the kind of activity that makes "w's", a frequent commenter on the blog, blood boil, USA Today ran a story on high-end bicyles that cost as much as $22,000. See "High-end pedals to the metal" and "See what goes in to a $22,000 bike."

That's not too practical for riding to work or going to the corner store.