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Cycling to school: the proliferation of cycle paths and large, still expensive electric models is pushing more and more parents in cities to choose bicycles for this return to school.
“Gloria rode in the front from the age of one, and (her little sister) Simone will follow her as soon as she can sit up.“, testifies Jean-Rémi Houel, 37 years old, from Pantin (Seine-Saint-Denis).
“You need a bike that is a bit more robust, that holds the road, with good braking. And electric assistance, on hills or to get out of places where there is no cycle path.” explains the cyclist, who has tested several models.
It is also about being “even more careful” when riding. Motorists, for their part, respect safety distances more and “try less to force”, but only if they see the child on the bike, notes Mr. Houel.
“The development of the bicycle industry, with the creation of new cargo bikes designed for parents, has enabled new practices, particularly in large cities where there are cycle paths.“, explains Catherine Pilon, general secretary of the Club of cycling and walking towns and territories.
“Longtails”
While parents have been equipping their bikes with a seat for a long time, “longtails”, models with longer and more solid frames, now make it possible to take one or more children, then go to work, with the help of the electric motor.
The adapted seat is compulsory up to five years old, and the helmet up to twelve.
Tern, Trek, Moustache… “All brands, small or large, have integrated longtails into their range“, notes Denis Briscadieu of the Cyclelab group (Culture Vélo stores).
Misato and Isao Moutte are testing cargo bikes to transport their two children (Kanta and Yukari, 9 and 6 years old) around Montreuil (Seine-Saint-Denis), where they live. They are used to getting around on classic bikes with one child each, like in Japan where they grew up, and sometimes “The big one is cycling at the same time, but that’s not necessarily reassuring” explains the father, Isao.
The couple notes that the prices of these bikes remain high, around 5,000 euros, but many purchase aids soften the bill. And the two major distributors of sporting goods, Decathlon and Intersport, have come out with their own “longtail” model, with a more competitive price, at 2,999 euros.
“It’s safety and stability above all else“, comments David Jungels of the bicycle chain Ecox.In the Paris region, there has been a significant increase in cycle paths. This reassures ordinary people, who were not necessarily cyclists.“.
The streets in front of schools were notably “the place of all dangers” but more and more town halls are making them pedestrian, welcomes Mrs. Pilon. And if “the children remain passive” behind their parents, “It gets them used to cycling, it gives them a different vision of the city, and a different education on the road than in a car.“.
Moped
33,000 electric cargo bikes (a category that also includes longer bikes for transporting goods) were sold last year in France, a third of which were manufactured in France. This remains a fraction of the total number of bikes sold in the country – 2.2 million in 2023.
“There is an acceleration of the longtail at the expense of the two-wheelers and three-wheelers. It is a simple product to handle, which allows you to slip in almost everywhere“, underlines Amélie Guicheney, 38 years old, co-founder of the Gaya brand.
The brand’s models (5,000 sales in two years) are inspired by mopeds, with a very low barycentre and large tyres. They are bought by “families who want to take one or two children“, but also shopping, explains Amélie Guicheney. The bicycle replaces public transport, or the car in peri-urban areas.
Gaya also notes a shift in scooter users, who want to continue to transport an adult or a large child. To prevent theft of these bikes, which sometimes remain parked on the street, they are geolocated and their electric assistance can be disconnected remotely.