Pop up Cycle Tracks

It has been suggested that air pollution is a multiplier for Covid-19 (1) . The internal combustion engine is a major contributor to air pollution in built up areas. Now obviously at the moment mass public transport is not a favoured method of getting about, so the British government has suggested private cars, cycles and feet as a means of getting to work in the present instructions for a loosened lockdown. Cycling and walking have the advantage that participants take exercise and improve their health. There are thus a number of initiatives to improve cycling safety and allow social distancing by widening  cycling and walking lanes in cities all the world using pop-up  lanes: Berlin and 133 cities in Germany, Milan, Oakland CA, Paris and Bogotá, just as examples (2).  These will be open at least for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic. This could obviously go for some time. Epidemologists have suggested up to two years, but predictions are very difficult, especially about the future. Maybe we will have a world where cycling numbers resemble those of Copenhagen after the pandemic is over, but don't hold your breath.  The forces against cycling are many and powerful. In 2016 in London the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association attempted to block the construction of the Embankment cycleway on planning grounds (3). The opposition to cycleways in Berlin is described in (4).

1) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/20/air-pollution-may-be-key-contributor-to-covid-19-deaths-study
https://www.forbes.com/sites/emanuelabarbiroglio/2020/03/20/people-living-in-polluted-cities-are-at-higher-risk-from-covid-19/#7f3fe04c4b99
2)https://www.rtl.de/cms/pop-up-spuren-fuer-radfahrer-in-berlin-weniger-platz-fuer-autofahrer-4537989.html - use a Translator App
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/covid-19-parisians-turn-to-cycling-as-end-of-lockdown-nears/ar-BB13NYeL
3) https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/feb/10/london-taxi-drivers-lose-high-court-challenge-to-cycle-superhighway
4) https://www.tip-berlin.de/bike-friendly-city-the-reality-of-cycling-in-berlin/ 

Hotel accommodation in Buhl-Lorraine near the Rhine Marne Canal

A hotel recommendation, if you are cycling along the Rhine Marne Canal between Nancy and Strasbourg, which is in itself much to be recommended. It is now part of the Pan-Europe Cycle Route Paris - Prague. Much of the canal towpath is now a cyclepath:

The former Cactus Hotel on a small industrial estate in Buhl-Lorraine which is near to the Rhine Marne Canal is now an Ibis Budget hotel. It has a bike garage which is available as long as you arrive early enough before the reception closes, otherwise there is an adequate fence to lock bikes to. The rooms are more than adequate if a bit on the tight side. You can book it via the Internet which saves fighting with the joys of the French language. There is a decent restaurant nearby called Le Cabane de Marie, just by the roundabout on the D45 road where you turn off left for the hotel, coming from the canal. As far as I remember the restaurant is closed on Mondays.

Paneuropa Cycle Route Paris to Prague

Maybe you have not decided where you want to go on holiday this year, but if not, or you want a long term dream route with a taste of Europe then take a look at the Paneuropa Cycle Route*. It runs from Paris to Prague via Châlons en Champagne, Nancy, Strasbourg, Heidelberg, Nürnberg (Nuremberg) and Plzen, about 1500km in total.
The route exists only on paper in France except for a few km at the start and the last 100 or so kilometres into Strasbourg. From what we have heard and read recently the French government has other more pressing problems other than putting up signposts for cycle tourists. There are however GPS downloads and excellent 1:100 000 IGN maps available covering the French portion of the route  (http://www.ign.fr). 
Signposting is much improved in Germany. From Strasbourg you can use the excellent ADFC-BVA 1:150 00 cycle maps. We would suggest you do not follow the suggested  Paneuropa route over into Germany in Strasbourg, but follow the Rhine Route on the left bank to cross into Germany by Wörth. Then cycle on to Speyer with its cathedral, technical museum and excellent cafes before crossing the Rhine to wander across the fields to reach, first Schwetzingen, where Mozart played in the chateau and Heidelberg. The French cycle route of the left bank of the Rhine is tarred whereas the route on the right bank is an untarred river bank maintenance road. The Paneuropa route follows the Neckar Valley, crosses to Rothenburg ob der Tauber on the Romantic Road and on to Nuremberg before climbing over low hills into the Czech Republic. 
The cycle routes in the Czech Republic seem often intended for mountain bikes rather than touring bikes in our limited experience, but according to the authors of a report in www.crazyguyonabike.com the route does improve nearer Prague. 


*The website is officially available  in Czech, English, French and German, but only the titles are available in English, the content is in German, so use Google Translator.

Bicycle hire in Paris, France

Paris has 200 km of bike lanes and 70 km of bus lanes which cyclists can use. In our experience it is a good place to cycle, at least between Gare de l'Est and Gare d' Austerlitz. If you want to hire a bike in Paris then the following addresses and links could be of use. They are in alphabetical order and we have not used any of these companies, so we cannot advise which are the best. The dialling code for France is +33 and you drop the first zero in the number when dialling from abroad.

Velib is run by the City of Paris. It was the first city bike hire company offering automatic pick up and drop off of somehow slightly frumpy bicycles from points in the street allowing almost spontaneous trips. With 20 000 bikes it is probably the biggest city bike hire organisation in the world. The bikes are low geared and you need to obtain a daily, weekly or annual card to use them. Details on the Velib website: http://en.velib.paris.fr/.

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Allovelo.com hires out a wide range of bikes including Bromptons and other folders.

2, rue Beauregard, 2ème arrondissement, Paris. T: 01 40 35 36 36,

eMail: allovelo@gmail.com

Website: Allovelo.com (In French, but you are in Paris. Hint  Bike Hire = Location de vélos)

GPS : Latitude : 48.8691762 - Longitude : 2.347784499999989

Métro : Station Bonne Nouvelle (Lines 8 et 9) et Sentier (Line 3)

The shop is open 7 days a week from 10 am to 7 pm. 

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Bike About Tours 
http://www.bikeabouttours.com/

Le Peloton Cafe
17, Rue du Pont Louis Philippe 75004 Paris

Phone: +33 (0) 6 18 80 84 92

Metro: St Paul (Line 1)

Office Hours (& bike rental pick-up times):

Feb 15 - April 15: 9:00am -11:30am

April 16 - October 3:
9:00am -11:30am and 1:30pm- 4:00pm

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Paris à vélo c'est sympa !

22 rue Alphonse Baudin

75011 PARIS

Between République and Bastille

Metro station:

St Sébastien-Froissart (8)

Richard-Lenoir (5)

Tél : +33 1 48 87 60 01

e-mail: info@parisvelosympa.com

Website: http://www.parisvelosympa.com/en/

Opening hours from April to October:

Monday - Friday

9.30 - 13.00, 14.00 - 18.00

Saturday and Sunday

9.00 - 19.00

Closed on Tuesday afternoons

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Paris Bike Tour offers two ways of renting a bike in Paris. You can either pick up a bike at the shop or have bikes delivered to a hotel (minimum of four). Complementary equipment, such as helmets, locks, raincoats or baskets are available on request and are free of charge. 

38 rue de Saintonge, 75003 Paris, open everyday from 9.30 am to 6.30 pm  
http://www.parisbiketour.net/uk/paris-bike-rental.php
Metro Filles du calvaire /République
T: + 33 (0)1 42 74 22 14

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