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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

#41

Post by duxup »

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…

Is anyone really waiting for €50 to use or not use their bike on a regular basis?

I'm highly skeptical.

This seems like it will just benefit folks already doing it anyway.

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

#42

Post by nraynaud »

chippy wrote: post #31
maelito wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The french "interior ministry" lied about cycling on twitter, saying you weren't allow to go out for your daily 1h by bike. The law never said that. All the newspapers relayed this lie without checking this fact.

then one can expect that the population also believed it and social pressure enacted it?

it's more like the police actually gave fines for it, and fighting a fine is a hassle. (in particular now, I don't think really can, probably have to wait fo re-opening).

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

#43

Post by jxcl »

duxup wrote: post #41
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…

Is anyone really waiting for €50 to use or not use their bike on a regular basis? I'm highly skeptical. This seems like it will just benefit folks already doing it anyway.

Maybe not, but a properly tuned and lubricated bike is waaaayyyyy more pleasant to ride and may help to encourage increased bike use. It's easier to do stuff when it's pleasant.

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

#44

Post by simlevesque »

hk__2 wrote: post #27
zymhan wrote: post #6

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.

> 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.

Don't buy cheap air pumps. Those things need to be strong to last. They handle a lot of pressure. A 10€ air pump will break at the first fall and most have small bases so they tip easily. And when they break you must buy a new one.

If you really use it, a 25€ pump will cost you way less over as little as 3 years.

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

#45

Post by Signez »

maelito wrote: post #30
a3_nm wrote: post #7

> The French government is slowly bringing its lockdown to a close from May 11, with cyclists allowed back onto the roads for the first time since March. To clarify, this is somewhat inaccurate: biking is permitted, and has always been permitted, during the French lockdown, as a judgment (in French) recently confirmed: https://www.conseil-etat.fr/actualites/actualites/le-gouvern... . Cyclists were just subject to the…

The french "interior ministry" lied about cycling on twitter, saying you weren't allow to go out for your daily 1h by bike. The law never said that. All the newspapers relayed this lie without checking this fact.

To be fair, some newspapers did checked the information (like Libération's fact-checking service, CheckNews.fr – so did NextINpact, that are quite specialised in those kind of governement overreach), but it wasn't clear if that kind of decision was part of a reasonable interpretation of the law by the minister.

The Conseil d’État clarified that it wasn't.

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

#47

Post by doyoureallytnot »

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…

I think this is exactly it. A lot of people have bikes already but they're a little run down and this might be the encouragement they need to get them fixed.

The fact is that most people can't do even the simplest repairs on their own bike and if their bike is run down then they're less likely to use it.

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

#48

Post by doyoureallytnot »

duxup wrote: post #41
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…

Is anyone really waiting for €50 to use or not use their bike on a regular basis? I'm highly skeptical. This seems like it will just benefit folks already doing it anyway.

I really think so.

We had a pop-up bike repair workshop come around every month at my last place of work and it really increased bike use in the area.

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

#49

Post by xenocyon »

GhostVII wrote: post #9

Do most people really need $50 for bike maintenance? I think I've spent about $15 on my beater bike over the last couple years, just to buy a new tube and maybe some wd40. For the vast majority of people I would imagine that they don't maintain their bike at all, modern bikes hold together pretty well.

Your calculation assumes one never needs to replace brake pads, chain, tires; it also makes no allowance for lights, tools, incidentals, or the occasions one might need professional repair. Incidentally, WD40 is not a good substitute for lube.

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

#50

Post by simlevesque »

GhostVII wrote: post #9

Do most people really need $50 for bike maintenance? I think I've spent about $15 on my beater bike over the last couple years, just to buy a new tube and maybe some wd40. For the vast majority of people I would imagine that they don't maintain their bike at all, modern bikes hold together pretty well.

Please buy a new chain. You'll go so so much faster.
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