Karlovy Vary have a new phenomenon, festival attendees are riding bicycles

Karlovy Vary - The new phenomenon of the 46th International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary is undoubtedly the bicycle. The attempt to ease the journey for film fans between cinemas has evolved beyond the original idea, and now not only the fans, but also journalists writing, some television crews, and even important guests, who could easily use luxury limousines, are riding bicycles. Interest in bicycles is growing, and thanks to the improving weather, the statistics are likely to improve, said Martin Verner from the festival rental.
      The idea of renting bicycles to festival attendees has been finalized by the festival organizers in collaboration with the Prague Ski and Bike Center Radotín, which has taken care of all the logistics. They brought over 60 bicycles to Karlovy Vary, which are distributed at three locations: in the tent city, at the Thermal hotel, and next to the Grandhotel Pupp. This way, the entire route that festival visitors use is completely covered. "To rent a bike, you just need an ID and festival accreditation," Verner stated.
      Interested parties fill out a short form; two bikes can be rented per contract for up to four hours. The first hour is free, and there is a fee of 100 crowns for each additional hour, Verner noted. On the very first day of the festival, 158 contracts were signed, the second day saw an increase to 509 contracts, the third day had 602 contracts signed, and Tuesday, the fifth day of the festival, reached 806 contracts. "Most contracts are for two bikes. Given the improving weather, we expect that the threshold of 1000 contracts a day will be broken," Verner remarked.
      So far, he is pleased that not a single rented bike has been lost, nor has any been seriously damaged. Minor scratches were expected and are not a tragedy. What is important is that no one has had an accident while riding and no one has been harmed, Verner pointed out. Everyone also receives a protective helmet with the bike. Many are very satisfied with the new service, including Josef Bolom, who came to the festival from Prague. "We found out there was a rental in the tent city. It's great; we don't have to walk around Vary anymore," he said.
      Another category of cyclists at the festival includes fast messengers. They leave from the Thermal station very often and cover between 40 to 50 kilometers a day. The most common route goes from Thermal to Pupp along the busy spa promenade. "There are two of us here; one is on the road and the other is receiving deliveries. We have to be very cautious while riding among hundreds of people," noted courier Jakub Boverka. Other people are pedaling on stationary Orange bikes. While they aren’t going anywhere, their efforts contribute to charity.