I Love Riding in the City
NAME: Maxime Sorin
LOCATION: Paris, France
OCCUPATION: Bike Messenger
Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
I live in the downtown southwest of Paris, 10 minutes from the Eiffel Tower by bicycle. I was born here, grew up here and still live here. I’m a real Parisien.
I’ve commuted by bike since 2003. I saw a big change in the city when the Vélib’ free bike service started up two years ago. People rediscovered the pleasure of riding a bicycle, and car drivers changed their ideas about bicycles a little bit. Although Paris now has a growing bicycle lane network, it is still a jungle for the daily urban commuter and especially bike messenger. Riding in Paris is very nice, the city has not been built for cyclists, but this is a very charming and historic place that has a very nice atmosphere. I recommend a bicycle to visit the city instead of taking the subway or renting a car. The city is not very large compared to London or many North American cities, so you can cross Paris from north to south and east to west in less than 45 minutes riding.
What was your favorite city to ride in and why?
Melbourne, without hesitation. Aussies are very cheerful and kind people on the roads, they were very talkative and respectful. And the city is just a huge playground for messengers. There is an atmosphere mixed between the UK and the US that is very unique.
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