BICLOU, EPISODE 35. Jean-Claude Marquet’s great passion is traveling around the world by bicycle. Every year this almost 81-year-old pensioner goes on a “camping trip” with his friends. “My bike is my doctor and my psychologist, I feel sick when I pedal,” he sums up simply.
So of course he was approached several times to invest in an electric bike. “No, 80 years is too young,” replies Jean-Claude. But he said yes to us to test the high-tech electric bike for a day.
This bike is an Angell Bike. Presented as “the safest in the world,” it is the creation of Jules Trecco and Marc Simoncini, the founder of Meetic, who today heads the investment fund Jaïna Capital.
Find all the episodes of Biclou, Parisien’s cycling video series.
A bicycle with a screen that can be controlled using a smartphone
To unlock this bike you can use your smartphone. “It doesn’t surprise me, now we use cell phones for everything,” Jean-Claude says, amused. Angell Bike has a small built-in screen that offers a lot of functions: speed control, GPS, weather and even access to Spotify.
But the new thing that interests Jean-Claude is, above all, these built-in indicators that are activated on the steering wheel and behind the battery: “It’s true, it’s good.”
After a few spins, Jean-Claude already has a few comments about this bike. He is surprised and very amused by the quality of the electric assistance: “It’s crazy when I press it alone at first.” So much so that he even has a fear: “I’ll get lazy on this bike.”
But when approaching Rue Rivoli, a red message appears on the screen: “An error has occurred, disconnect the battery for 10 seconds, then connect again.” When you do this, the bike’s anti-theft alarm will start sounding loudly…
The problem actually stems from a poor Bluetooth connection between the phone (which belongs to the journalist pedaling a little further away) and Jean-Claude’s smart bike. We put the phone in the pensioner’s pocket, and everything is resolved.
“Hi, this is Mark Simoncini.”
After two hours of ordeal, including a hellish climb up the Rue Saint-Jacques, which was easily swallowed up by Jean-Claude and his engine, we arrive in front of the Panthéon. It’s time to take a short break for a video call between Jean-Claude and Marc Simoncini, the creators of the Angell bike.
“We use informal terms, huh,” Jean-Claude suggests. — Did your walk go well? ” asks Mark Simoncini. After the presentation, two men discuss the characteristics of the motorcycle.
Jean-Claude regrets that the level of electric assistance is not systematically displayed on the screen – “otherwise it is written too small.” But Jean-Claude also assures him that he really appreciates the lightness and appearance of the motorcycle (the work of designer Ora-Ito).
“It costs 2,860 euros,” explains Marc Simoncini. And he is entitled to an assistance system for the purchase of an electric bike, delivered by Ile-de-France-Mobilités, in the amount of 500 euros.” But for that price, Jean-Claude would prefer a bike that would allow him to travel, “on which I can especially fit my bags.”
In total, there have been approximately 2,000 Angell bikes in circulation since September 2020. This figure is lower than the target figures announced at the bike’s launch in September.
Every Sunday, a new episode of Biklou can be found on the Parisienne page on Facebook.
Source: Le Parisien
I have worked in the news industry for over 10 years. I have a keen interest in sports and have written for many different publications. I am currently working as an author at 24 News Recorder. I cover mostly sports news but also write about other topics such as current affairs and politics. I have a strong interest in social media and how it can be used to engage with audiences.
