Paris – Susa: This summer, in August, the COP Bike Ride cycled from Paris to Susa in Italy.
Two unforgettable weeks, along the Seine to its source, via Dijon and Lyon, through the Maurienne valley and across the Alps to the border with Italy. Two weeks that felt like two months, as every single day was brimming with encounters, hospitality, conversations and bursts of laughter, shared meals, stunning scenery and, of course, plenty of cycling!
What sticks in our minds is the ride’s appeal to the people we met along the way – members of the public, community organisations and elected representatives: ‘the world’s biggest cycle relay’ – honestly, that really has a great ring to it!
It’s also the spirit of optimism and a lot of positive energy that we sought to bring wherever we went. On a continent burnt by wildfires, what a joy it was to share our ambition to take climate action, at both a global and local scale, as well as the simplicity of joining this cycling adventure: hop on your bike and off you go for a few hours or a few days!
Finally, and above all, the great power of COP Bike Ride is to quickly forge strong bonds amongst participants. Beyond its political and citizen dimension, the COP Bike Ride is first and foremost a wonderful human adventure: Take a group of cyclists whose size evolves as people join and leave, make them sweat on account of mechanical mishaps, the heat and the rain, reward them with the simple pleasures of a good meal, a hot shower and a nap in the shade; fuel them generously with smiles and encouragements from people met along the way and with letters of commitment from local authorities with regards their cycling policies. The result is an unstoppable collective energy, a close-knit, supportive group – quite wonderful!
A big thank you to:
To the local authorities that have made a commitment to improve their cycling policies: Paris, Melun, Pont-sur-Seine, Dijon Métropole, Lyon, Le Bourget-du-Lac and Val-Cenis,
To the organisations that welcomed us: the MDB Melun branch, La Vie à vélo, Vellovaque, VéOOIse, Collectif Seine à vélo amont, EVAD, La Vie-Cyclette en Clunisois, La ville à vélo, Vélorution Lyon + of course: CycloTransEurope, FUB, AF3V
To Les Lentillères (Dijon) and the Flâneur Guesthouse (Lyon)
And, of course, to everyone who supported us, welcomed us, encouraged us, and took part in the ride.
How about you, what are your plans for next summer? 😉