The cycle worker, even without his steed, can be recognized from afar. Helmet, fluorescent jersey, slender legs, sometimes speed glasses… This specimen, who goes to his workplace on two wheels, muscular or electric, is becoming less and less rare on the platforms of Landerneau station. Anthony ticks two or three boxes of the taxon. At 33, this cyclist works at the Naval Base and travels from Landerneau to Brest every day, whatever the weather.
According to him, it is a winner all round: “saving time, less polluting emissions and I save money”. Above all, reserving a space on the TER (regional express transport) is free, except in summer, when passengers must pay one euro – unless they have a season ticket for the route.
But comfort is not always there. “In the morning, it’s okay. And in the evening, at 5 p.m., it’s packed with people.” Anthony deplores the lack of places for bicycles, which is not expected to improve with future converts who swell the herd. “I have two other colleagues who are going to come and settle in Landivisiau and Plouédern, and both will take the train by bike,” he reports.
From Plouédern to the port of co' by bike
Loading or unloading your bike into the TER is very ritualized and follows a few rules of good behavior: do not block the way when going up or down; let pedestrians pass; deploy sometimes superhuman effort depending on the bike to hang it on the hooks or secure it with a seat belt in a dedicated location; and sometimes crowd around the doors, standing up.
“It’s normal not to necessarily increase the places, it’s still passenger transport,” says Andy, a crane driver at the Brest commercial port. It was a colleague who convinced him to come by bike, and he has since taken a liking to it. But if he took the plunge, it’s thanks to the cycle path between Landerneau station and Plouédern. “I wouldn't have taken it if it wasn't for this route, it's still very dangerous to drive at night in the countryside.”
The Vélocibus travels to Landerneau
On the 7:11 p.m. train to Brest, Nadège struggled a bit with her Vélocibus, an electric bike rental from the City of Brest: “It’s a little heavy, so I can’t hang it on the hooks.” The switch to electric is brand new for her. “I started last week: I pushed myself too hard with the muscle bike, I developed tendinitis.”
It's normal not to necessarily increase seats, it's still passenger transport
At first, she thought she wouldn't be able to take it to leave the metropolis, then she saw more and more of it on the train. “I feel better when I arrive at work after Cycling,” says Nadège, who works at Landerneau hospital. This resident of Dourjacq, in Brest, makes the trip whenever she can. “Cycling to work also means having a physical activity with a job that doesn't allow it all the time! “.
It also sees a large number of visitors, especially from June to September. “One of the solutions considered would be to have two bicycles, one at the departure station and another waiting at the arrival station,” explains the surgeon, who rolls her eyes in disapproval. At Brest station and Landerneau station, secure bicycle parking lots have been installed to encourage this practice. Bike commuters can also take a Ti bike from the town of Landerneau. Since the start of 2024, more than 10,000 trips aboard these bikes have been recorded, departing from or arriving at the station.
