Moving with Paris

A French photographer JB Delorme takes us to a spontaneous exploration of Paris by bike. Hop on and let’s go with the flow.

In big cities, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the crowds, traffic, and constant rush. Navigating the city can be exhausting, with everything feeling far apart and taking ages to reach. What I’ve always loved about cycling is how it lets you move with the city rather than struggling against it.

I sometimes think about the MASH 2015 fixed gear video, where the intro explains how, in a city designed for cars, riding a bike feels like speaking a foreign language—it’s like understanding the city in a new way, with its traffic and topography. It connects parts of a city in a way that is different from driving, walking, or public transport, and reveals each city’s unique character.

Paris, with its mix of busy boulevard and smaller quiet streets has its own kind of flow. I recently spent a weekend there with my friends Izzy and Juliette, riding around the city for two days to explore and visit friends. We had no set plan, just hanging out, visiting parks, coffees, bike shops, searching for new spots to discover.

There’s so much to see in Paris, it’s hard to fit everything into two days, but we tried to make the most of our short stay. Moving by bike is perfect for this kind of spontaneous exploration. It combines the agility of walking, with the speed to cross Paris in just about 20 minutes. Even though Parisian bike lanes can be hectic, with all kinds of cyclists, and people riding anything on wheels, the chaos quickly fades away when you reach quieter spots. Surrounded by iconic monuments and stunning views, stopping for a photo at every corner.

Without the need for complicated logistics, you can spend more time enjoying the city and less time planning every detail. It frees you from unnecessary thinking and invites you to lose yourself in the streets and experience the city differently. More than a way to get from point A to point B like you would on a bus or metro line, flowing in the city is definitely part of the experience. One moment you’re rushing through busy boulevards traffic, crossing the city from one arrondissement to another; then five minutes later, you’re on the banks of the Seine having a picnic with your friends.

I believe bikes help you experience the city more intense and fun way, without this feeling of being trapped by it. In Paris, there’s so much happening at once that it can be hard to choose what to do. Probably the best part about cycling is that it gives you that feeling of being everywhere at once—something everyone wants to feel when they’re in Paris.

Text & Photos: JB Delorme