bicycle sales/markets in Paris

[Tombird]

Does anyone know when or where there are any cheap sales of second hand bikes in Paris? I'm there for a few weeks and would love to find something interesting to tour the city on.

Ta.

 

[bduc61]

don't know of any "market" where you could find something

the market is now mostly "online"
so it is "le bon coin" or ebay.fr but that makes the delivery process more complicated

http://www.leboncoin.fr/annonces/offres/ile_de_france/

type "velo" - velo course - velo route - velo vintage - for your search ) and focus on Paris ads

there is a shop though in the 18th arrondissement, where you could find something a bit "vintage" but prices are going to incorporate the seller's margin :?

http://velo-vintage.com/

 

[one-eyed_jim]

As a practical means of getting around intramural Paris, it's hard to beat the Vélib' system. If you time your trips carefully, you can travel for a euro a day (less if you buy a weekly pass), locks and lights are included, and you don't need to worry about storage, maintenance or theft (within reason).

There are a few shops around Paris that specialize in used bikes. Bicloune on Boulevard Beaumarchais is a good one (used bikes are in the basement). It used to be that classic city bikes (known universally as "vélos hollondais" whether actually Dutch or not) commanded a premium, but with the Vélib' taking a large part of that market, prices may have become keener. If your French is decent, you might be able to negotiate a buy-back deal.

Paris markets aren't great for used bikes. There are usually a few stolen supermarket bikes at the Puces de Montreuil, but nothing you'd want to keep.

The MDB-IDF (Mouvement pour la Défense da la Bicyclette - Ile de France) organises bike sales in conjunction with some of the Paris mairies. Prices tend to be quite high, but there are sometimes bargains to be had. If there are any in the offing, you'll find details on the MDB site:

http://www.mdb-idf.org/spip/

The petites annonces forum at pignonfixe.com is quite busy:

http://www.pignonfixe.com/

As well as the sites bduc61 mentions, trocvélo and vélovert can be good places to pick up used gear:

http://www.troc-velo.com/

http://www.velovert.com/annonces/0

If you're around in the autumn, there are two big bourses aux vélos within a short train ride of Paris (at Baillet-en-France and Puiseaux) that offer excellent opportunities to browse and haggle.

Look out for posters for local vide-greniers and brocantes. There are often a few bikes and sometimes wheels and other parts among the junk.

Don't forget that older French bikes (late eighties or before) have obsolete French (metric) threads, and replacing parts in the longer term could be a tricky proposition if you take the bike home with you.

 

[Tombird]

Many thanks for all the information from both of you. I've checked out most of what you've given me but haven't yet managed to find anything (in my price range). i've been enjoying the Velib bikes in the mean time though

Its breaking my heart to see SO many (apparently) abandoned old bicycles on the streets. I wish I could save some of them!