The International Engineer

Thursday, March 23rd, 2023

It’s been more than two and a half months since I’ve been here, so I finally decided to get myself a bike. The frequent strikes and tram closures have made it difficult to get to class on time. And with my new internship position, I can’t risk waiting for a tram that may never come. So on the rainiest day this month, I booked an appointment and went to the bike rental: Métrovélo.

The Métrovélo costs 14 euro a month, but it took some creative thinking to get a bike. They only accept bank statements from a bank with a BIC and IBAN number, which virtually no American bank has. So I handed over my grandmother’s Indian bank statement, and voila! Interestingly enough, the man told me “Oh we don’t accept statements from India” but the transaction seemed to go through when he put it through the machine (so perhaps un peu de racisme?). 

Since then, I’ve been biking everyday on my bright yellow bike to my lab and school. I’ve never biked before on roads in the US, and my inexperience definitely shows. Cars always seem to go extra slowly around me, and I definitely elicit a puzzled look when I enter a circular intersection (very common in France) and look like a deer in headlights. To be fair, I’m not exactly blending in with the French bikers decked in my neon orange helmet and neon orange light jacket. To me, this was a strategic choice of attire to stand out and make sure cars notice me. And while that seems to be working quite well, it has also made me reflect on some of the differences I’m noticing between my biking and the French bikers on the roads. 

I rarely see helmets. What’s more, I see fewer heavy duty bikes and more simple, slightly worn and torn bikes parked on the racks. Biking seems to be more of an everyday activity, a true means of transport, compared to how in America it is treated as a status symbol. It seems that biking communities have an even greater presence in the Netherlands and Denmark. While it’s never good to over-generalize, Europe seems to view biking in this simpler light. 

Furthermore, it’s interesting to look at biking from a demographics standpoint. In my own experience in France, I’ve seen a young child biking on the same street followed by an elderly woman. It seems to be an activity for all…and I wonder whether there is a more or less equal distribution of bikers across age and gender populations. 

Socioeconomic status of bikers is also an important point to consider. In my opinion, biking in France is less of an upper-class sport as compared to the US. Because it is rooted in utility and practicality, my assumption is that those who ride bikes may not be the wealthy 1% of France, but rather the middle class/lower class. In the US, people who bike are often affluent and use it as a form of recreation and staying fit.  The proof lies in the bike accessibility differences between the US and France. Renting a bike in France is something everyone can afford (in theory), while in the US even getting hold of a bike is limited to a certain demographic. Not everyone can shop at Dicks Sporting Goods after all! And even for those of us who can, the Walmart bikes are not that cheap either. 

Of course, it’s difficult to make these intercultural comparisons without accounting for my own biases. But I find this broad strokes-analysis fascinating because it can provide insight into a culture’s core values. In fact, the whole idea of the French Republic’s Liberté , Égalité , Fraternité seems to be encapsulated in an activity as simple as biking. And of course, there are the more subtle points that biking symbolizes about athleticism, going green, and living a simpler life. 

I still have another two months left of biking so perhaps I’ll have more comments to make after some more rides on my Métrovélo. Until then, I’ll be sure to enjoy the view on some of my most scenic routes (see below).