Friday night rollerblading questions...

Hello everyone,

I%26#39;ve been reading feverishly in preparation for my 1 week in paris in mid-july and am interested in the mass rollerblade on friday nights. I just have a few questions...

1) am i able to join in at any part of the course? (say, the last half?)

2) i read somewhere that bicycles are allowed but are told to stay at the rear, behind the skaters? Is this true?

3) regarding the sunday afternoon skate (more suited to beginners): is there a police escort (like the friday night skate), and is the route similar to friday%26#39;s?

Also, if anyone out there has any personal experience with this event, please share!

Thanx.

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I never heard of this until one evening we were walking over to the Montparnasse tower. The gathering point (that night) was at the plaza in front of the building. We were in the midst of thousands of roller bladers waiting for the start. We decided it was a more interesting spectacle than the view from the tower was going to be. Police escort, roads closed, etc.

I don%26#39;t see how anybody could stop you from joining in on any part of the course.

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Sorry, I can%26#39;t provide any info, instead I was wondering if you could let me know more about this, I%26#39;ve never heard of it. Is it EVERY friday? Is there a site that gives specifics on meeting places? Thanks.

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http://www.pari-roller.com/

for questions the english email is international@pariroller.com

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I would say you could %26#39;jump in%26#39; anywhere - the group is MASSIVE. Did not see any bicycles - don%26#39;t think it%26#39;s a good mix with thousands of skaters. Website given above will give the route for Friday, but it doesn%26#39;t get updated until Wed or Thurs before. It is held every Friday - maybe not if weather is horrible, but I imagine the website would indicate. Don%26#39;t know about the Sunday skate - it may be less %26#39; organized%26#39;.

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Police escort, red cross follow up behind and bikes are expected to stay behind the main pack of bladers.

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For the Sunday skate there is also a police escort and several monitors who ensure everyone%26#39;s safety.

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We have often watched the roller bladers take off from Montparnasse on Friday night at 10 PM. They take different routes but always start at the gare there. They do have some less than %26quot;top%26quot; skaters, obvious beginners, young kids, even families together. Beginners seem to stay along the edge. Some skaters join them as they go. I have not seen many bikes with them.

We were last there this March on a very cold snowy evening expecting that perhaps it would not be held that night, but a little after 10 the police came through stopping traffic and behind them a very large group of skaters. It took maybe 15 minutes for all them to pass us. They fill the width of the wide streets there. In better weather it even takes them longer to file past.

I love it. Just people on their roller blades stopping the busy city traffic!

Roller blading is big in Paris (and some other cities in Europe). There is a %26quot;K Mart%26quot; type large store out at Bercy II and many of the help there are on skates, going from one area of the large store to another. If I wasn%26#39;t afraid of breaking something important and knew how to skate well, it would be a great way to get around the city.

If you skate, bring em!

Bea

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The Sunday one start at 14.30 from Place de la Bastille the route is different then Fridays.