VIDEO. Charlotte starts riding a bike, and it’s not that easy (but we helped her)

BICLU, EPISODE 8 – Charlotte Mansuel belongs to the tribe of passengers, which is how we designate the French who work in a city other than the one in which they live.

After the end of quarantine, the young woman has just joined a second community – a community of cyclists, that is, workers who cycle between home and work. Like many RATP or SNCF users, Charlotte was reluctant to return to public transport to get to work after the outbreak. Like other former RER passengers, she chose another option: a bicycle.

A bold bet for a thirty-year-old girl who considers herself not very athletic. At the end of the working day, Charlotte will travel 22 km between her home in Alfortville, in the Val-de-Marne, and the 7th arrondissement of Paris, where she works.

We accompanied her on her third trip, still unsure about her mount. To give him the opportunity to improve his knowledge, we organized a meeting with Jérôme Sorrell, author of the book “Vélotaf, instructions for daily use of a bicycle” (with illustrations by Eva Koston, published by Alternatives).

“I’m afraid to die”

One of the worries of a new cyclist is a puncture.

You’ll have to ditch your bike or walk miles dragging it behind you and be late for work. A very bad way to start your day.

“Puncture is a kind of phobia for everyone, and fixing a flat tire, if you know how to do it, takes 5 minutes if you have everything you need,” says Jérôme Sorrel. And this equipment is simple and light: a wheel lever, a pump and a spare tube.

On the mechanical side, Charlotte also learned how to shift gears, something she hadn’t done until she met a city bike specialist. Even if she chooses an e-bike, shifting gears improves pedaling comfort and also takes the stress off the e-bike.

Blind spots, M12 panels and small gestures

Another big problem in Charlotte is driving in the bus lane.

An accountant on the road is lucky to have plenty of safe bike lanes.

But the RATP giants sometimes get impatient with this. Jérôme Sorrel is taking several useful steps. Extend your arm in the direction you want to turn or gesture with your hand to let the bus driver know you saw him and avoid the sound of the horn, which could destabilize the situation on the bike.

The girl had never yet realized the dangers of heavy vehicle blind spots, that famous field of vision in which two-wheelers or pedestrians are completely invisible to drivers of motorized vehicles.

“You only overtake a heavy vehicle and a bus if you are absolutely sure that by the time you overtake it will not move,” says the cycling professional.

“Yes, but cyclists burn out their headlights…”

“Yes, but cyclists burn out their headlights…” we often hear. Yes, but the vast majority of them do it legally. However, many people, especially ardent opponents of cycling, do not know this.

Thus, since 2012, the M12 sign allows traffic on a red light in the indicated direction.

This is on one condition: do not disturb other users when the light is green.

Charlotte will take note of this and save a few precious minutes of travel time. A duration that she has already significantly reduced compared to her life before imprisonment.

At this time, Charlotte traveled by RER train between Alfortville and Paris. At best it took 40 minutes, at worst – 1 hour 30 minutes.

Today she has complete control over her time and can even take a walk along the embankment. You

Changing the mode of transport, which is ideal for Charlotte, offers her time savings, sports, contemplation of landscapes, a new daily life.

Bad weather and minor mechanical issues sometimes spoil the picture, but Charlotte leaves the day with a bag full of helpful tips for these tougher times, which can be seen in our video report above.

Check out our previous episodes of Biclou, the new cycling series “Parisien” created in collaboration with watch on facebook :

Biklu, episode 1: They ride a bicycle through Paris at night.

Biklu episode 2: Cargo bike, new car?

Biklu Episode 3: How to Avoid a Bicycle Accident

Biklu, episode 4: Defense, hell of bicycles

Biklu Episode 5: Behind the Scenes of French Bike Life

Biklu Episode 6: They Create Illegal Bike Lanes

Biklu, episode 7: We rode with a cyclist and a motorist through liberated Paris.