NYC bike share starts tomorrow

ha.... I've locked up to signs like that on occasion when I haven't been able to find anywhere else, and I do actually worry about being gone long enough for someone with the guts to do that to come along....

Bike share is coming to Seattle - I'm not sure if it will be a runaway success here.... those bikes don't look particularly suited to our hills

Our neighborhood newspaper has a story about how bike share is affecting bike shops and bike rental businesses. I'm really surprised that tourists are using Citibikes -- daily passes require checking the bike in every 30 minutes to avoid overtime charges, which would make me crazy.

http://www.downtownexpress.com/2013/...ew-bike-share/

Another story on the same topic:

http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/transporta...tal-companies/

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Originally Posted by PamNY

Our neighborhood newspaper has a story about how bike share is affecting bike shops and bike rental businesses. I'm really surprised that tourists are using Citibikes -- daily passes require checking the bike in every 30 minutes to avoid overtime charges, which would make me crazy.

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If the tourist is using the bikes to go from place to place (like from lunch to a museum, for instance), then using bikeshare makes perfect sense, as opposed to a taxi.

Stockholm's bikeshare (called City Bikes) has a 3-hour limit, so it's great for exploring the city or taking a longer ride in the Djurgarden.

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Originally Posted by Crankin

We are getting helmet dispensers to rent helmets, for a very low price, adjacent to the Hubway rentals, in a few weeks. I think this was a project from MIT, can't remember, with some other influential sponsors. The city is pushing this.

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Did this ever happen? I was just in Boston for a few days and didn't see helmet dispensers. I tried out one of the Hubway bikes while there, just out of curiosity, but it didn't appear they had helmets for rent (I felt naked without one on). There was signage indicating that there are places around the city where people can buy helmets at a reduced cost. It does seem like the program is popular--there were lots of people out and about on the bikes and I saw one station that was almost empty in Cambridge.

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Originally Posted by PamNY

I did a Citibike test ride today. The bike was reasonably comfortable (well, not the saddle). Gearing is really low -- I wobbled at first. I'm still undecided about signing up.

Saw two bikes with the saddles turned backwards -- and here's the reason for that:

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/06/citi-bike/

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I did a test ride of the bikeshare in Boston this weekend...I found the gearing really low on those bikes as well. Didn't feel like I could get enough speed even in the highest gear to feel confident in traffic. That said, it's somewhat understandable that the bikes would be geared on the low side for people who aren't used to riding and don't want to work up a sweat on their way to work etc. What I didn't understand was why the grip shifter was backwards...

Here's a wild turkey with a Citibike rack in the distance. Zelda the turkey has lived in Battery Park since 2003.

I see Zelda often, but not until yesterday did I get a chance to photograph her with an obviously urban background. I was absurdly pleased that a Citibike rack was in the mix.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8867349@N08/9902839354/

On a serious note, a blog post about Citibike success and expansion plans.

http://www.citylimits.org/blog/blog/...e#.UkCf0FNdCaQ