Low carbon and low on metals, bicycles, VAE, electric scooters and other soft modes of transport are gradually establishing themselves in the mobility landscape. From manufacturers to two-wheeled deliverers, a look back at the professions that underlie this unprecedented dynamic.
It has unleashed passions over the past few weeks which have seen the 2022 edition of the Tour de France take place: the bike is on the rise, but it is not alone. Soft modes are the future of travel in urban areas. From walking to cargo bikes and electric scooters, the sector is booming and is establishing itself as a major job creator.
Deliverers on foot or by bicycle abound in the big cities. Fludis is a company that takes a fleet of cargo bikes on board a barge and deploys its delivery people at each stopover, and goes against the current of subcontracting to auto-entrepreneurs.
“They are our pilots and they are our deliverers too, all on permanent contracts, that’s part of the model we wanted. We are not too much for intermediate platforms with a subcontracting chain, so it is our captains and our teams of delivery people”, Explain Gilles Manuelle, president and founder of Fludis.
The development of soft modes is also an opportunity for architects and town planners to review urban planning. Soft transport also offers many trade jobs, such as sales and repairs, of course, but also sees the emergence of new small manufacturers throughout the territory.
Some like Boudebois offer bamboo frames. Gaël Enaud, creator of the brand, underlines the advantages of this little used material:
“Bamboo has mechanical properties that are very interesting. It will make it possible to absorb the micro-vibrations of the road, and suddenly to have a much greater comfort in use.”
Gaël Enaud, creator of Boudeboisat franceinfo
On a European scale, cycling generates nearly 700,000 jobs. This includes designers, designers, mechanical and electrical engineers, or managers and salespeople. But this industry remains highly dependent on component suppliers in Asia, with uncertain deliveries that the expansion of a French sector could alleviate by promoting the economy and employment.
Beyond the industry, cycling gives rise to many passions, which few embody better than Gérard Holtz, journalist, sports commentator, host and actor. He is full of praise for the sport. “I who have a heart in the shape of a bicycle, I will say that it is first of all freedom, then it is absolute respect for the environment, and then it is good for the heart. Long live the bike!”
A love of cycling which is shared by Michel Drucker, and which contributes to the secret of its mythical longevity. According to him, the Tour de France materializes the values of this sport and its practitioners:
“If you want to succeed in your career, it’s like in the Tour de France, you don’t always have to be in the lead, you have to shelter from the wind, you have to have good teammates, you have to be able to recover on the descent and count on the solidarity of others. It’s a school of courage, the bike is really something extremely hard. That’s why I have a lot of admiration for the riders of the Tour de France.”
The bicycle has its place in urban logistics, in commuting or in leisure, tourism and high-level sport. A great way to combine profession and passion.