• The fifth "Vélo in Paris" festival was held from 27 to 29 May 2023 at the Parc Floral, Château de Vincennes nation.
  • Bringing together a hundred brands of bicycles and accessories, this event, which awaits more than 10,000 visitors, is the privileged place to discover and love cycling.
  • For the occasion, a secure test track will be offered to the public with the opportunity to test the bikes of the various exhibitors.

The fifth "Vélo in Paris" festival brought together last weekend at the Parc Floral a hundred brands of bicycles and accessories and offered visitors unlimited and safe testing of the frames offered by exhibitors. "It's the amusement park of cycling," enthuses Aurore Briscadieu, event manager of the festival, who answered questions from 20 Minutes.





What is the difference between the Vélo in Paris show and a good bike shop?

The difference is that in three days, we brought together on the same place more than a hundred brands with sixty exhibitors. And set up a 1 km track to try, unlimited, free and safe, up to two hundred bikes including many, many electric bikes, offered this year by one exhibitor out of three.

Was the electric bike the little queen of this festival?

It's impressive to see how his place has grown! Last year a hundred electric bikes were sold during the festival. On site, it is a moment of testing, but also of purchase decision. It is the privileged place to have an exchange with a brand, to try a Bosch or Shimano engine, to discover the specificities of different bikes, the strengths and weaknesses, to understand why to invest and to ask all the questions you want. Families, for example, were able to come and try the Cargo Long tail bikes (with rear load), and reassure themselves about their fear of balance on this type of machine.



Among the exhibiting brands, some are still unknown in France...

Yes, like the Italian brand Officine Mattio that makes road bikes by hand. This brand has never exhibited in France and is just launching on our market. I'm also thinking of Econic One, a Bulgarian company that creates connected bikes.

Do you see a craze for French-made bikes?

We are indeed seeing more and more French manufacturers, which is very exciting, even if it remains very complicated to make a 100% French bike. There are still many start-ups that start, with infinite difficulties, a reason why we reserve them a privileged rate so that they can be present at the festival. In any case, we find that visitors are pleased to understand that not very far from home, there may be a bicycle manufacturer. "Made in France" can really be a buying driver.



What about refurbished bikes?

We received the Meldois bikes that have a shop in Paris and exhibit used bikes. This trend of recycled cycling is developing, the taste for old bikes, a little vintage, too.

Regarding accessories, are there any trends?

We see that many accessories are developing especially for women, with this desire to have products that respond to fashion issues, which also highlight their bike. Others concern families more specifically, with trailers to graft to a bike, such as those of the Brussels brand Rool, simple and practical on a daily basis, and that visitors can try during the festival. And of course, safety accessories are becoming more and more popular, such as connected helmets from the Cosmo Connected brand, or those from Gamel Helmets whose integrated turn signals are activated when you tilt your head to the side.

Many obstacles remain for the adoption of the bike in the city and especially that of the electric bike ...

They concern the safety of the bicycle and that of the cyclist on the bike. For people who were not used to cycling in their youth, cycling to work can create reluctance. What creates great fear is also knowing how to ride, living together. In big cities like Paris, we still see a struggle between cyclists and motorists, it's a shame. Purchasing power also remains a handicap for many. These are constraints and fears that must be resolved.

  • Paris
  • Bicycle
  • Electric bike
  • Ile
  • Transport
  • Miscellaneous facts Paris
  • Local
  • Tech