Par
Ludivine Corporal
Published on Oct 14, 2025 at 1:48 p.m.
The offer has attracted many users. Maybe even too much.
Since its launch in January 2025, the new Vélo’v electric service operated by JCDecaux has indeed been “a great success”. So much so that the extremely used green fleet has started to show signs of weakness in recent weeks by making a deafening noise with each braking, sometimes going as far as resonate several hundred meters away.
Absolute rental record in September
Manufacturing defect? Too much and unanticipated use?
To find out the reasons for this recent problem, which was also taken up by the mayor of the 2nd arrondissement of Lyon Pierre Oliver (LR) in order to tackle his opponents in an Instagram video, we directly contacted JCDecaux, in charge of the Vélo’v from their construction to their repair.
The operator first responded by highlighting the solid figures for the overall service, witnessing a certain enthusiasm for self-service bicycles in Lyon: 1.680 million rentals in September 2025, i.e. “an absolute record and an increase of 70% compared to September 2024”, but also a number of subscribers today reaching the 104 000 compared to 92,000 at the start of the year.
A “rise in temperature” of the brakes
Concerning the noise concerns, JCDecaux finally explained that this would be due to “a rise in temperature” of the brakes of “heavily used bicycles” and assured that it was currently carrying out “a corrective operation which consists of grease the internal mechanism brakes.”
“To date, almost all of the bicycles have benefited from this operation and the bicycles concerned no longer make any noise,” affirmed the operator, before continuing: “our braking devices are subject to special monitoring and preventive maintenance actions. […] We have strengthened our operations in order to guarantee an efficient and safe system for Vélo’v users. »
A problem which is likely to persist in any case, the frequency of use of electric Vélo’v is undoubtedly not ready to decrease…
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