They do put on a fine bike race, the French. And now, like the those who live in Copenhagen or Zurich, there is a network of city bikes that anyone, anytime can pick up and ride from here to there. The system in Paris is different than the others, however, in that it’s automated (Copenhagen is coin-based, like unlocking a shopping cart at Migros, and Zurich has personal attendants). According to the New York Times:
The Vélib system is simple. You swipe a credit card in a kiosk that is located beside a row of parked bikes and purchase a one-day, one-week or one-year subscription. (The system also takes a 150-euro deposit authorization to ensure the bike’s safe return.) The machine prints out a card with your code number and you enter a personal password. You tap in this code and password to unlock a bike and ride off.
