In Paris for a birthday, visit, and reunion of sorts, a group of us were staying with a friend who lives there. On her day off we awoke late, feeling mildly sluggish due to red wine consumption the previous evening. Somewhat revived after café and croissants we set off to our nearest Vélib station, only a block away, ready for exploration.

A cycle-hire company with over 10,000 bicycles on the road, Vélib was launched this July as part of a greener-city program. There are currently 750 stations in central Paris where you can hire and return the 3-gear bicycles, with numbers set to double by the end of the year. Using an electronic ticketing machine (which required knowledge of French, as the English option didn’t seem to work) we used credit cards to secure our one day passes and free our rides from their electronic locks.

When you buy your pass you have to create a pin number. You use these every time you switch bicycles, so don’t loose the card and pick a pin you’ll remember! A one day Vélib ticket costs one Euro; the first half hour on a bike is free, after which the price rises per half hour. To avoid paying any supplement, bikes need to be checked in and swapped at Vélib stations within 30 minutes of unlocking- wait five minutes before using pass and pin to secure a new ride. The only downside is the €150 credit card pre-authorisation; you will be charged up to the full amount if the bike is not returned within 24 hours. Also, many North Americans will be annoyed to discover they can’t use their non-chip-and-pin credit cards to rent these bikes.

This was all slightly complicated and the process was definitely made easier with the guidance of a local. We unleashed our bikes and took off in high spirits, sunshine warming the streets around us. Breezing past the crowded sidewalks we followed our host, pausing at spots like the Eiffel Tower, Quai Branly Museum and the Diana memorial.

Pedalling up the Champs Elysee, our host eventually pulled us over and motioned towards the Arc de Triomphe. We smiled appreciatively and then panicked as she indicated that we were in fact going to cycle around it!

We pushed off after our friend (or foe?) and I was frankly quite terrified, hurtling myself into the chaos of this massive traffic circle. With our lives at the mercy of the Parisian rush hour traffic, we wobbled and weaved in towards the centre. This really was a free-for-all and required some serious manoeuvres- quick glances revealed my companions involved in some perilously close shaves with cars and scooters, making me uncomfortably aware of my own potential trail of destruction. We were briefly separated from our leader but had no time to hesitate. Somehow we managed to cut across and through the traffic, and then on to the relative safety of Avenue Marceau. We pulled over briefly to recover and celebrate our safe passages before continuing on our journey.

Although we had few problems in finding stations with both bicycles and check-in spaces, I’m sure this can be a hassle at times. If your free half hour is about to expire and you can't find a parking spot, gain a 15 minute credit extension by entering your pass and pin codes into the ticketing machine.

After several hours of cycling, stopping, exploring and shopping we made our way back to the flat, baskets laden with goodies for dinner. I clicked in my bike and unloaded my fresh goat’s cheese and baguettes, feeling somewhat Frenchified by the whole experience.

Make sure to stop and swap your bicycle; see www.velilb.paris.fr for station locations and further information. Also be aware: helmets are recommended by the company but are neither enforced nor available to rent at stations…but then they’re not exactly chic, are they?