Petit Vélib for Little Riders

The Tour de France, which ended this past weekend, had me thinking about cycling in the city. When I was a kid growing up in Austin, Texas, my father taught me how to ride a bike in our driveway and backyard. Once I was a “pro” by six years old, I would hop on my bike throw my parents a peace sign and ride around the neighborhood to the park with my brothers and our gang of friends. It was all so easy and carefree.

Big city life means your kids might not be able to jump on their bikes and ride wherever they want unsupervised. And you might not be so keen to teach them how to ride a bike on crowded sidewalks. However, P’tit Vélib’, launched last year, the baby of the successful city-wide bike sharing program Vélib,  offers a fun alternative to teach children from two years old to ride or a fun outdoor activity for kids up to eight years old.

There are five locations in the city parks and pedestrian areas. Take your own helmet or use one that is offered with the rental. The first 30 minutes are free and after that a minimal fee from 2€-6€. There are four bike options to choose from, ranging from bikes with training wheels to bigger two-wheel options.

For my two-year-old’s first bike ride, I took her to the Paris Plage on the Seine (open near Hotel de Ville through Aug 17). She had a few falls and was pretty much over it after 15 minutes and preferred to color on the giant Paris poster. Overall I think it was a fun experience for both of us. I will probably buy her a bike to keep at home and haul to the park. However if we are out and looking for a fun activity, renting a P’tit Vélib’ is such a great idea without the hassle of hauling a bike around and chaining it up. Isn’t that why the big folks love Vélib?

Below is a list of all the spots where you can rent a bike. On the Velib blog you will find additional information about rental fees and times. (The information is also available in english version on the Vélib site.) Try one and tell us how it goes.

P’tit Vélib’ Locations
Paris Plages- Pont Louis Philippe- 4th arrondissement (open till August 17, 2015)
Berges de Seine- Port du Gros Caillou- 7th arrondissement
Canal de l’Ourcq- 38bis Quai de la Marne- 19th arrondissement
Bois de Boulogne- Porte de la Muette- 16th arrondissement (reopens in August 2015)
Bois de Boulogne- Rond-Point de Jardin d’Acclimatation- 16th arrondissement

Images by Ajiri Aki