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France offers each cyclist €50 for bike repairs once lockdown ends

cyclingweekly.com

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Re: France offers each cyclist €50 for bike repairs once lockdown ends

#101

Post by Etheryte »

chrisseaton wrote: post #78
mytailorisrich wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's beside the point. If you have a bike and puncture a tyre, you do not wait for the state to give you money before you repair it. France is one of the world's richest countries so I'm thinking that the French were not saving up to change their bikes' tyres... They've been given free money to spend on bikes, so they will spend it on bikes (repairs or not, let's be honest, because it's ridiculous to think that the…

> France is one of the world's richest countries Not even in the top 20. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)...

While I don't agree with the original discussion points, I don't think this counterpoint has much merit. While France may not be "one of the richest" verbatim, there's no denying France is a rich first-world country. In the list you linked to, it ranks 25 out of 187 by the IMF estimate and similarly in other listings.

Re: France offers each cyclist €50 for bike repairs once lockdown ends

#102

Post by hyperman1 »

NicoJuicy wrote: post #76
jamil7 wrote: post #73

People in this thread are getting really hung up on the idea that someone with a bike == cycling enthusiast. In Europe a huge amount of people just own a bike. Often some beaten up thing they probably paid €30-200 for at a flea market or bike shop and use to commute or meet friends. Maybe it's fallen into a state where it's unrideable. The €50 is just a simple nudge for all those people to get it roadworthy so they c…

> Often some beaten up thing they probably paid €30-200 for at a flea market or bike shop In Belgium, Belgian people buy mostly new ones in the range of 500-1000. People who don't earn much or students, buy the cheap/used bikes you mentioned. Electrical bikes are > 2000 € and pretty popular. In general, a whole family can bike together and it's very popular during the summer. We can bike were-ever we want during Covi…

500 euros is a tad expensive. Every few months, Belgian supermarkets like LIDL sell them for €250-300, and I see thes models everywhere. Mike is more expensive, but I bike to work every day.

Re: France offers each cyclist €50 for bike repairs once lockdown ends

#103

Post by aidenscott2016 »

tomcooks wrote: post #64
hk__2 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Let's be honest, 50 Euros per person is a drop in the bucket compared to the subsidies governments give to other modes of transportation. And that’s largely sufficient. Having a bike doesn’t cost a lot per year: according to the FNAUT (Fédération des associations des usagers de transport), on average, bikers spend ~€0.21/km. An air chamber costs €5; an air pump (one-time purchase) is €10.

You can save further by patching air chambers with other air chambers, or better yet fit a ring of old air chamber between you tire and the air chamber, creating a thicker wall that it's harder to penetrate by debris, glass, nails, etc. You can get your tires pumped for free at most bike shops, gas stations, public bike repair stations. Use your saved up 50€ for beers or better yet give it to someone else so she can…

Is 'air chamber' the literal translation from French? I like it better than 'inner tube'

Re: France offers each cyclist €50 for bike repairs once lockdown ends

#104

Post by ploika »

Noos wrote: post #82
CalRobert wrote: post #11

People are focused on the relatively small amount here, and that's valid, but I suspect that some of the incentive here is to keep momentum in cycling going (from people avoiding transit, enjoying temporary bike infra, etc.) and trying not to lose that progress. There might be a lot of people for whom that €50 means a tuneup that gets them to take the bike out when before it would've just rusted. I mean, data would b…

"keeping cycling going" is much less important than spending that money to deal with job loss and unemployment. This is using a crisis to divert money to a person's pet agendas. if you want to subsidize cycling and stuff, can we at least get the economy back up first and deal with the massive fallout from lost wages due to time off, and business closings?

Where I live, cycling is much cheaper than public transport and astronomically cheaper than driving. If you have lost wages and still have to go places, that's important.

You're assuming that there's a choice between supporting an economic recovery and supporting cycling. I don't believe there is, certainly not when it comes to return on investment for €50 per person.

I see increased mobility, decreased congestion in towns and cities, less pollution and less income lost to transport costs, not to mention the health benefits from more exercise.

Re: France offers each cyclist €50 for bike repairs once lockdown ends

#105

Post by testing312 »

alias_neo wrote: post #17

It's a nice gesture but hardly solves a problem. If the payment is for a mechanic to perform some "service" on your bicycle to make it roadworthy again, and from it you gain neither the tools nor the knowledge to perform two simple, necessary tasks for a cyclist; replace a tyre/inner tube, or replace a chain; what's the long term benefit? How about put 50 euros per cyclist into a tool kit, a dozen inner tubes and som…

> to perform two simple, necessary tasks for a cyclist; replace a tyre/inner tube, or replace a chain

Never had to do either of those things, driving a bike almost daily throughout the city to school, hobbies, friends,... The few times my tire went flat, a short visit to a mechanic cost alsmost nothing

Re: France offers each cyclist €50 for bike repairs once lockdown ends

#106

Post by icebraining »

Noos wrote: post #82
CalRobert wrote: post #11

People are focused on the relatively small amount here, and that's valid, but I suspect that some of the incentive here is to keep momentum in cycling going (from people avoiding transit, enjoying temporary bike infra, etc.) and trying not to lose that progress. There might be a lot of people for whom that €50 means a tuneup that gets them to take the bike out when before it would've just rusted. I mean, data would b…

"keeping cycling going" is much less important than spending that money to deal with job loss and unemployment. This is using a crisis to divert money to a person's pet agendas. if you want to subsidize cycling and stuff, can we at least get the economy back up first and deal with the massive fallout from lost wages due to time off, and business closings?

I don't see a "than" here. These vouchers are also a cash injection into French businesses and workers, and specifically ones who are both important from a policy standpoint and yet likely to get heavily beaten by the crisis, since everyone delays repairs in a crisis.

Re: France offers each cyclist €50 for bike repairs once lockdown ends

#107

Post by MiroF »

Nasrudith wrote: post #19

Really why not just spend the money on community bicycles and docking stations, increased racks or similar efforts instead of maintenance? I don't object to promoting bicycling at all but the means puzzle me a bit.

> community bicycles and docking stations,

I have yet to see a place where those have worked very successfully - they seem to very quickly fall apart and into disuse. In China, it is even worse.

Re: France offers each cyclist €50 for bike repairs once lockdown ends

#108

Post by warp »

Noos wrote: post #90
ploika wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely. There are plenty of people who have a bike with a flat tyre and a rusty chain and no lights or whatever. They might go back to taking the bus or metro, but if they were offered a free service (effectively) to make cycling a viable option, they'll take it. I know loads of people who cycle to work because of Ireland's Bike To Work scheme. They can all afford a bike without help, but the extra incentive was…

Its rare that you bike somewhere you can't just walk to. If you are that poor to need a government handout to fix it, you don't need it just for the bike.

That's ridiculous. A 35 minute commute on a bicycle is a 2 hour walk.

Re: France offers each cyclist €50 for bike repairs once lockdown ends

#109

Post by koheripbal »

jamil7 wrote: post #73

People in this thread are getting really hung up on the idea that someone with a bike == cycling enthusiast. In Europe a huge amount of people just own a bike. Often some beaten up thing they probably paid €30-200 for at a flea market or bike shop and use to commute or meet friends. Maybe it's fallen into a state where it's unrideable. The €50 is just a simple nudge for all those people to get it roadworthy so they c…

...but how is this controlled? Do they ask for a picture of the bike? ...or maybe it's a voucher for repair work? ...or are they just giving everyone 50EU?

Answered my own question by READING THE ARTICLE...

> A network of 3,000 registered mechanics will be set up, and €50 of repairs will be redeemable, such as tyre changes or chain replacements. The mechanics will provide the repairs and then be reimbursed by the government, meaning citizens will not actually receive any money

TLDR: It is 50EU credit per repair job.

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