The episode in detail
The electric bike for the commute to work: under 10 km, take the bike
Mathieu Rault is the founder of Viraj, a Bordeaux company that supplies electric bikes to employees through their employer. His conviction rests on one statistic: 80% of trips under 10 km are still made by private car. His personal rule is simple. For every trip, ask whether it is more or less than 10 km. Below that, the electric bike for the commute to work stands out as the most efficient means of transport.
“80% of trips under 10 km are still made by private car, alone, to get to work. When I discovered that statistic, it triggered the turning point.”
Mathieu discovered the electric bike six years ago. At the time, his friends took him for an old codger. Today, he could not do without it. The bike has become his main means of getting around for all his urban trips: work, shopping, taking the children to school.
Viraj: converting employees to bike commuting through the employer
Viraj’s model is close to the company car: the company funds the electric bike for its employees, with a 36-month contract that qualifies for tax advantages. The employee contributes 20 euros a month, deducted from their payslip like health insurance. The service includes servicing, breakage and theft insurance, and full support.
What sets Viraj apart is its sales approach: a free one-month trial for every employee. The conversion rate reaches 96%. The few bikes that are returned go to Ecocycle, a partner based in the same third place as Viraj at Darwin (Bordeaux), for a second life.
“The best approach is to say: try it. You have a month to decide. What we find is that it works really well, that people are really happy with the electric bike and the service that comes with it.”
The electric bike: the gateway to bike commuting
For Mathieu, the electric bike is the main lever for modal shift. It wins over people who would never have got on a standard bike: those who have not ridden a bike in a long time, those who find the distances too long, those who carry children or shopping. Electric assistance reduces the effort needed to get going, which even makes it easier for adults who are not confident to learn their balance.
During periods of intense heat, electric assistance also solves the sweating problem: by pushing the assistance to its maximum, the cyclist puts in little effort while still benefiting from the airflow created by movement. An argument Mathieu regularly uses with sceptics in Bordeaux after scorching summers.
“The electric bike is like my iPhone: you never put it down. For all your small trips, it is the most efficient means of transport I have found. And as well as being efficient, it is good for you and good for the planet.”
The bike in the city: freedom, meeting people and chosen slowness
Bordeaux is the fifth most bike-friendly city in France according to the Fédération française des usagers de la bicyclette (FUB) ranking. The pont de Pierre, reserved for soft mobility, has become the symbol of this transformation. No more engine noise, no more bodywork. People talk to each other. Mathieu met a journalist from Sud Ouest there during an ordinary ride.
“The bike is the symbol of meeting people. You break down barriers, people talk to each other. In an increasingly individualistic society, the bike is a huge source of hope.”
The bike also frees you from car logistics. Stopping at the marché des Capucins for three minutes, leaving the bike right in front of the stall: a move that is impossible by car. Mathieu uses a frame lock, a device little known in France but widespread in the Netherlands. This built-in lock jams the rear wheel through the spokes and allows quick stops without having to look for a fixed point. Combined with a D-lock for longer parking, it effectively secures the bike.
Cycling infrastructure: the main barrier to the growth of bike commuting
Even as a convert, Mathieu acknowledges the limits. On holiday in Brittany, his 10 km rule no longer holds: the local départementale roads, with no cycling infrastructure, make the bike dangerous, especially with children. He launched a petition to make the route to his children’s school in Bordeaux safer: 2,300 signatures in a few days.
“Citizens are really keen for this. Society is ready. But we are still trapped by the car on some routes because there is no other option.”
For Mathieu, promoting the electric bike for the commute to work depends on leaders setting the example. If elected officials, CAC 40 bosses and SME heads took the bike for their trips under 10 km, change would follow. Not a half-hour PR stunt, but a regular, visible practice. The infrastructure has to keep up: a coat of paint on the road is not enough. Viraj, based at Darwin, the Bordeaux third place dedicated to environmental transition, works with Ecocycle on recycling and the whole local bike ecosystem.
