{"id":2754,"date":"2022-06-23T11:34:51","date_gmt":"2022-06-23T11:34:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/paris-news\/?p=2754"},"modified":"2023-07-18T12:44:10","modified_gmt":"2023-07-18T12:44:10","slug":"buying-a-bike-in-paris-our-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/paris-news\/2022\/06\/23\/buying-a-bike-in-paris-our-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Buying a Bike in Paris: Our Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paris is fast becoming a cycling capital. With the introduction of kilometres of cycle lanes in the last few years among other infrastructure developments and the current mayor Anne Hidalgo’s Plan V\u00e9lo<\/a>, Paris ranks the 8th most bicycle-friendly city in the world according to the Copenhagenize Index<\/a> in 2019.<\/p>\n

There are many ways to enjoy the city by bike including the bike-share system V\u00e9lib\u2019<\/a>, monthly rentals like Swapfiets<\/a> or V\u00e9ligo<\/a>, or buying your own. This short guide will cover buying a bike new or second-hand and contains some tips and tricks for bike ownership in Paris.<\/p>\n

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Decathalon Sports Shop. LSA<\/a> \u00a9 DR<\/p><\/div>\n

Buying new<\/h3>\n

There are a number of places to buy a new bike in Paris. Major chain sports shops such as Decathlon<\/a> and GO Sport<\/a> sell bikes ranging in price and quality. They also sell tools and accessories such as helmets and baskets at low prices.<\/p>\n

Local bike shops may be slightly more expensive than chain shops but will offer a larger range and more specialised knowledge on choosing the right bike for you.<\/p>\n

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Le Bon Coin.<\/p><\/div>\n

Buying second-hand<\/h3>\n

Buying a bike second-hand will likely save you a lot of money. You can find adverts for second-hand bikes on websites like Le Bon Coin, <\/a>ParuVendu<\/a>, and Facebook through Marketplace or community groups. You can often ask if the seller is also selling their bike lock, helmet or basket, and can buy them as part of a deal to save more money.<\/p>\n

Buying from individuals online has risks and it\u2019s important to see and test ride the bike before exchanging any money.<\/p>\n

Local bike shops may also sell donated and refurbished bikes for a low price, called v\u00e9lo d’occasion<\/em> in French. This may be a secure way to buy second-hand as you will be dealing with a registered company as opposed to an individual. However, in this case there is less possibility of haggling for a better price.<\/p>\n

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Solicycle Ateiler Solidaire. Actu Paris<\/a> \u00a9SL<\/p><\/div>\n

Extra Tips and Tricks<\/h3>\n

Bike theft in Paris, like any big city, can be an issue. Using a good quality, heavy duty lock or two will help keep your bike safe, and can be purchased anywhere bikes are sold. If you have a courtyard or bike shed in your apartment building, this will be the safest place to store your bike overnight or for extended periods of time.<\/p>\n

The are numerous bike repair shops across the city to deal with repairs that go beyond your own expertise and tool box. For a cheaper and more socially conscious option you can head to one of the many \u201cateliers solidaires\u201d such as, Solicycle<\/a> and Cyclocube<\/a>, at which volunteers help you to fix your own bike, sharing their skills and the workshops range of specialised tools.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For more information about how to navigate Paris, check out this article<\/a> on useful apps for life in the city!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Paris is fast becoming a cycling capital. With the introduction of kilometres of cycle lanes in the last few years among other infrastructure developments and the current mayor Anne Hidalgo’s Plan V\u00e9lo, Paris ranks the 8th most bicycle-friendly city in the world according to the Copenhagenize Index in 2019. There are many ways to enjoy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":77132,"featured_media":3121,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[124,252365,957],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/paris-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2754"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/paris-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/paris-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/paris-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/77132"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/paris-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2754"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/paris-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2754\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3195,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/paris-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2754\/revisions\/3195"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/paris-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/paris-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/paris-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/paris-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}