The episode in detail
Cyclofix, bike repair that comes to you
Cyclofix sends bike mechanics directly to the customer’s home or workplace. Alexis Zerbib founded the company after working as its first mechanic himself, covering 60 to 80 km a day by bike across Paris to reach customers. The service is available in 14 major French cities. Booking is done online or through the mobile app: the cyclist describes the problem, chooses a time slot, and a mechanic comes to fix it on the spot. For areas not covered, Cyclofix displays the details of nearby bike shops. The founding idea: make repairs easier to access, to encourage everyday bike use.
“Making repairs easier to access naturally encourages people to cycle. The bike sleeping in the garage eventually gets ridden.”
From motorbike to cargo bike: a transition in stages
Alexis made no secret of his motorbike background. A suspended driving licence pushed him onto a bike for his daily journeys. What was meant to be a temporary constraint became a way of life. He found more freedom than on a motorbike: no heavy gear, no noise, no nuisance. The switch to bike commuting happened overnight. The transition to using a bike for everything (shopping, outings, taking the children around) took longer. He tried panniers, then a backpack, before investing in an Omnium cargo bike with no electric assistance, on which he carries his two children, his shopping and even furniture.
“The bike offers even more freedom than the motorbike. No heavy gear, no noise, no nuisance.”
The non-electric cargo bike: a radical choice
His Omnium cargo bike has no electric assistance. Alexis finds it so pleasant to ride that he never wanted to electrify it. For longer or hillier journeys, he used a VAE (vélo à assistance électrique, an electrically assisted bike) at certain times, acknowledging that electric assistance made his transition easier. The key to not arriving at the office drenched in sweat: finding your own pace. Alexis points out that managing effort is a real subject in bike commuting, rarely discussed. Too many new bike commuters pedal as if they were doing a sport, when spinning the pedals calmly is enough to arrive fresh. Despite its weight, the cargo bike suits this relaxed style of riding.
“I loaded a big piece of furniture onto the cargo bike. I didn’t think it would fit. And that’s when I thought: you really can do everything by bike.”
Workplace repair workshops: a lever for bike commuting
Cyclofix is increasingly working with companies. The idea: organise on-site repair days during working hours. Employees bring in their bike, and a mechanic gets it back into working order. Alexis notes that most of the bikes brought in do not belong to seasoned bike commuters. They are bikes that had been sitting in a cellar or garage. The workplace workshop acts as a trigger: once the bike is repaired, the employee has no more excuse not to ride it. By making repairs easier, the employer makes the transition to bike commuting easier, without imposing anything.
“Most of the bikes that come to the workplace workshops are straight out of the garage. Once repaired, they get back on the road.”
Infrastructure, education, theft: the three barriers to bike commuting
For Alexis, the first barrier to bike commuting, by far, is cycling infrastructure. Safe cycle tracks transform the practice: wherever they appear, the number of cyclists explodes. The second barrier is the lack of education on cyclists and drivers sharing the road. Alexis argues for cycling training from school onwards and in the workplace. The third barrier is theft, which remains a structural problem. He also notes an emerging barrier: the shortage of bikes, after shops were cleared out following Covid. In this context, repairing existing bikes takes on an even more important role.
“The first barrier is infrastructure. Build safe cycle tracks, and the number of cyclists explodes. It’s automatic.”
Kit: tips from a seasoned bike commuter
Alexis shares his essentials. The Quad Lock phone mount, tough and reliable, for GPS when needed. A reflective helmet and puncture-resistant tyres with a reflective strip on the sidewall, an underrated safety detail that is very effective at night. A compact pair of rain trousers always in the bag, essential for arriving dry at the office. And a Decathlon mountain jacket with side vents, usable in every season. His general approach: not being glued to a screen on the bike, enjoying the ride as a breath of fresh air in a day full of screens.
