If there is anyone I would go to for cycling advice in Paris it would be fellow writer and friend Anna Brones, a Swedish-American from the Pacific northwest with a profound love for the outdoors and years of experience with biking on all types of terrain. Cycling and the lifestyle around it – informed consumption, healthy eating, endless picnics and other hedonistic pleasures – are at the heart of her first book, The Culinary Cyclist: a Cookbook and Companion for the Good Life , a book I devoured as soon as I got my hands on it. In honor of the book’s just-released second edition (available here), I asked Anna to offer her tips for navigating Parisian terrain and its warren of narrow, one-way streets, by bike – a unique undertaking all its own.

Here are her top 5 recommendations! Have something to add? Share your tips in the comments section!
I remember the first time I rode a bicycle in Paris. It was to get home from Gare du Nord after a weekend in Alsace. There were enough Vélibs in front of the station, and after an enjoyable train ride, I certainly didn’t want to ruin the trip with a ride on the metro. It was time to learn the art of riding a bicycle in Paris.

Riding a bicycle is, after all, what I have done in many other cities. It has been my way to get groceries, my mode of commuting, my way to explore new places. For me, being on a bicycle is a combination of exhilaration and freedom, be it on a stretch of road I could pedal on with my eyes closed, or in a new place where the names of the streets are foreign and unknown.

But riding a bicycle in Paris isn’t as easy as just pedaling and holding on to the handlebars. Let’s be honest: biking in Paris is one hot mess. It’s a constant chaotic dance, between you, the cars, the taxis, the buses and the scooters, not to mention the pedestrians. This is a city that has worked hard to implement an infrastructure that will encourage more and more citizens to ride, but it is still one that will require exponentially more changes before the city will be any kind of “bike-friendly” place.

I guess that raises the question: why ride in Paris? I am sure you could come up with a laundry list of reasons to not ride. But I’ll give you one reason: because being on a bicycle is a glorious thing. Since being a metro mole is less than desirable, and the beauty of a bicycle ride is that there’s always some element of serendipity – the discovery of a new street, a new cafe, a new park – I’m convinced that for despite the difficulties of riding in paris, quite frankly, there’s no other mode of transportation I would choose.

Want to ride in Paris? Here are a few essential tips that will help you pedal calmly and safely.

1// Bike lanes aren’t always your friend
Try as it might, the city of Paris didn’t always do a great job with its bike lanes. Some of them are fantastic, most of them are however are laughable at best. Just because there’s a bike lane, doesn’t mean it’s going to make for an easy or safe ride. Boulevard de Magenta is an excellent example. here, where the bike lane is part of the sidewalk, you are constantly dodging pedestrians who don’t see the bike lane, and walk into it without thinking. That’s not necessarily their fault; at many spots the lane is poorly marked. You’re better off navigating the back streets to get to your destination.

2// Research your route beforehand
When you’re riding, you want to pay attention to what’s going on around you. That means not staring at a map or a smartphone the whole time. Research your route to your destination before going, so you at least have a general idea of how you are going to get there. If you need to reference a map, pull your bike over and stop.

3// Make no assumptions
Sure, you might think that the taxi isn’t going to turn right just because he doesn’t have his blinker on, but there’s a good chance you’re probably wrong, and passing him on the right just might be the worst idea you have had all week. I have found that in Paris, it’s better to always have low expectations of what cars, buses and pedestrians – not to mention fellow cyclists will do. They may not always make the logical, or legal move, so don’t assume that they will, or you won’t be as well equipped to react and ride safely.

4// Don’t trust a red light
I cannot count the number of times a light has been green for me and I am perpendicularly crossing a pedestrian crossing and someone walks right across, completely oblivious to my presence. In their defense; I jaywalk too, but I do try to look ways, for this exact reason. While pedestrians may be well trained to lookout for the sounds of a bus, scooter or a car, they are much less aware of cyclists, and even if you have the right of way and the pedestrian light is red, proceed with caution.

5// Ride on Sundays
Seriously, if you want a quintessentially, glorious bike ride in Paris, go on a Sunday when there’s less traffic and people out and fewer places are open. If you can get up early on a Sunday morning, that’s the ideal time to ride. Pack a picnic-friendly brunch, your thermos of coffee and pick a nice park on the other side of town as your destination. Riding in Paris has never felt better.

Anna Brones is a writer, producer and the author of The Culinary Cyclist and Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break. She is also the founder of Foodie Underground. More of her work can be found at annabrones.com.


++ Read my piece on Anna’s most recent book, Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break, in the New York Times.