@xtaran asks:
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@ascentale @xtaran @bikenite
A5.
I think they can be good! Done well, they can lower the bar to travelling by bike and drive adoption.I used to work for a bikeshare startup. My favourite thing ever was a bar *just* outside our service area; every morning there was a pile of our bikes in their parking lot. $1 for the rental plus the $10 out of zone fee was still cheaper than a taxi to get there, then they'd get a cab if they were not okay to ride home.
@ascentale @xtaran @bikenite
The bikeshare I worked for used a return-to-hub model, and now it's all ebikes with charging stations; I think that helps a lot with litter.We also had a feature to pause a ride, so you could park & lock the bike to run inside a store or whatever, without getting a fine for parking it away from a hub, and it was guaranteed to be there when you come out.
Unless someone threw it in a truck, but that hardly ever happened. -
@xtaran asks:
Q5. What's your take on bicycle rentals, like those big bike sharing systems, but also the local ones often offering cargobikes?
Do you have the same opinion on them as on car sharing and rental e-scooters? Does bike sharing bring as many advantages to city life as car sharing?
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes cc @bikenite
@ascentale @xtaran @bikenite A5. I like the idea of bike shares, but also have mixed experiences with them. The ones in Florida have absolute Crotch Crushers
️ for seats on top of uncomfortably positioned handlebars. Good idea in general, but not always well executed. Especially with availability. -
@xtaran asks:
Q5. What's your take on bicycle rentals, like those big bike sharing systems, but also the local ones often offering cargobikes?
Do you have the same opinion on them as on car sharing and rental e-scooters? Does bike sharing bring as many advantages to city life as car sharing?
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes cc @bikenite
@ascentale @xtaran @bikenite
We have VeoBikes in this college town. They are pretty popular esp. students - and to the company's surprise, also working folks. They're dockless and people will strategically park them so they know they can get them.
Having them left in lots of places ... is *not* popular (so in a few weeks when they bring a mess of 'em back, people will be hating on them on Reddit).
I don't really get it
I tried one once.. coudln't *find* one anywhere near my house so used my bus pass to get to the terminal and rode one out to the college for ... like, close to ten bucks ??!? Granted it was a good four or five miles; maybe the jog on the in town campus for a few blocks makes more sense.
I want a bike that fits me, too... and, well, I like pedaling. I *do* appreciate the improved speed.
We have ZipCar, too. Cities & University had to guarantee profit within 2 years for them to try here b/c we don't fit algorithms but they turned profit in months. I subscribed for a bit but ... just didn't need a car and have learned the bus system. -
@xtaran asks:
Q5. What's your take on bicycle rentals, like those big bike sharing systems, but also the local ones often offering cargobikes?
Do you have the same opinion on them as on car sharing and rental e-scooters? Does bike sharing bring as many advantages to city life as car sharing?
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes cc @bikenite
@ascentale @xtaran @bikenite A5: I really like bike shops that offer "rent it for a week and we take that fee off the price if you buy it", especially on expensive cargo bikes.
Partly because we sold a lot of long john's that way when I worked in a bike shop
But I've also rented a couple of bikes I was interested in and ended up not buying them, so that was a couple of hundred dollars well spent ("honey, I just saved $4000"!) -
@xtaran asks:
Q5. What's your take on bicycle rentals, like those big bike sharing systems, but also the local ones often offering cargobikes?
Do you have the same opinion on them as on car sharing and rental e-scooters? Does bike sharing bring as many advantages to city life as car sharing?
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes cc @bikenite
@ascentale @xtaran @bikenite #BikeNite
A5 - "bikeshare" (rental) systems are of little value in my home city, but useful when I'm travelling and didn't bring a bike with me.
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@xtaran asks:
Q5. What's your take on bicycle rentals, like those big bike sharing systems, but also the local ones often offering cargobikes?
Do you have the same opinion on them as on car sharing and rental e-scooters? Does bike sharing bring as many advantages to city life as car sharing?
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes cc @bikenite
@ascentale @xtaran @bikenite #BikeNite A5, part 2. I will also say that my experience of the dockless bikes in Burlingame, CA, was mostly negative, because they are apparently GPS fenced to a radius of just a mile or so, which like, what even is the point. I rode one a 2 miles away to San Mateo to go to a couple of Japanese grocers, and the power assist stopped and an alarm started sounding continuously. The bikes are unbelievably heavy and difficult to pedal without assist.
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@ascentale @xtaran @bikenite #BikeNite A5, part 2. I will also say that my experience of the dockless bikes in Burlingame, CA, was mostly negative, because they are apparently GPS fenced to a radius of just a mile or so, which like, what even is the point. I rode one a 2 miles away to San Mateo to go to a couple of Japanese grocers, and the power assist stopped and an alarm started sounding continuously. The bikes are unbelievably heavy and difficult to pedal without assist.
@ascentale @xtaran @bikenite I of course, continued to ride, anyway, despite the lack of power assist and the stupid alarm trying to tell everyone I'd stolen the bike. I have zero figs to give.
Now that I know they can't be taken beyond 1 mile, I'll likely never use them again, even if I have to visit family in Burlingame, again.
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@xtaran asks:
Q5. What's your take on bicycle rentals, like those big bike sharing systems, but also the local ones often offering cargobikes?
Do you have the same opinion on them as on car sharing and rental e-scooters? Does bike sharing bring as many advantages to city life as car sharing?
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes cc @bikenite
@ascentale @xtaran @bikenite Personally i think they're great for a number if reasons but there are lots poor ways to implement them.
I like them because they are very flexible and they can allow for lots of spontaneous trips that might not be well served by transit. For instance I can take the bus into work but use a bike in the afternoon if the bus is delayed. Or I can take the bus/train somewhere and then hop on a rental bike to get to my destination. They also can enourage a lot of people to try biking who otherwise wouldn't.
I think the main issues are private dock less bike rentals that get left everywhere and cause a nuisance. Another is cities charging fees which drives up prices. The best systems are publicly subsidized usually.
There's a great video from About Here that discusses some of the economics of the bike rental services in different cities.
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@xtaran asks:
Q5. What's your take on bicycle rentals, like those big bike sharing systems, but also the local ones often offering cargobikes?
Do you have the same opinion on them as on car sharing and rental e-scooters? Does bike sharing bring as many advantages to city life as car sharing?
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes cc @bikenite
@ascentale @xtaran @bikenite
#bikenite A5:
I've only rented bikes in tourist locations. The last time in Victoria BC so I could ride the Galloping Goose Trail. I think tourist rentals are a different beast than ride share -
@xtaran asks:
Q5. What's your take on bicycle rentals, like those big bike sharing systems, but also the local ones often offering cargobikes?
Do you have the same opinion on them as on car sharing and rental e-scooters? Does bike sharing bring as many advantages to city life as car sharing?
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes cc @bikenite
@ascentale @xtaran @bikenite I've become dependent on bike share and haven't ridden one of my own bikes for a long time. Most of my trips throughout the city are multi-modal: walking, biking, train/bussing. I don't want to worry about the bike or where I locked it up or if I get a flat tire, picking it up the next day, etc. I just pick one up and drop it off. I might get a ride home or walk. It's added a lot of flexibility to my transit.
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@ascentale @xtaran @bikenite
The bikeshare I worked for used a return-to-hub model, and now it's all ebikes with charging stations; I think that helps a lot with litter.We also had a feature to pause a ride, so you could park & lock the bike to run inside a store or whatever, without getting a fine for parking it away from a hub, and it was guaranteed to be there when you come out.
Unless someone threw it in a truck, but that hardly ever happened.@silvermoon82 @ascentale @xtaran @bikenite FYI thieves don't care if a rental bike is locked (and they have time)
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@ascentale @xtaran @bikenite way too expensive in the Bay Area. Helpful in areas where transit is poor (Presidio to Van Ness comes to mind. I know there’s the shuttle but the bikeshare is fast. And very expensive). It shouldn’t cost $20 to do that
@skinnylatte @ascentale @xtaran @bikenite A5: When I took a Dahon K3 as ordinary checkin baggage on a trip from home in Japan to visit the SF East Bay, I got multiple compliments per day on the bike. How much does it cost, how fast does it go, is it battery assisted, and always "cool bike!" Mostly from working class people. I think there's a yet untapped demand for niche personal mobility solutions that aren't pay-as-you-go and controlled by Big Brother.
#bikeNite -
@xtaran asks:
Q5. What's your take on bicycle rentals, like those big bike sharing systems, but also the local ones often offering cargobikes?
Do you have the same opinion on them as on car sharing and rental e-scooters? Does bike sharing bring as many advantages to city life as car sharing?
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes cc @bikenite
@ascentale @xtaran @bikenite A5. I'd like to try it, but the condition of many of the bikes I see scattered about is discouraging. #BikeNite
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@xtaran asks:
Q5. What's your take on bicycle rentals, like those big bike sharing systems, but also the local ones often offering cargobikes?
Do you have the same opinion on them as on car sharing and rental e-scooters? Does bike sharing bring as many advantages to city life as car sharing?
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes cc @bikenite
@ascentale @xtaran @bikenite #bikenite A5, I like to use the citibikes in NY City because you can ride them from station to station and they are “good enough” even if they leave something to be desired. But I think @meganL makes an important point that these systems are ridiculously ableist and need a lot of improvement. I experienced @ai6yr ‘s point when Bike Newport sold me a Giant Iguana for less than the cost of a weekend rental (I donated it back when I left - still jonesing for it)
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@xtaran asks:
Q5. What's your take on bicycle rentals, like those big bike sharing systems, but also the local ones often offering cargobikes?
Do you have the same opinion on them as on car sharing and rental e-scooters? Does bike sharing bring as many advantages to city life as car sharing?
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes cc @bikenite
Cost is the make-or-break feature of bikeshare.
Minneapolis had city-run bikeshare that cost $110(?) per year for unlimited 45 minute rides. Very practical bike-replacement
Then Lyft replaced it, switched to ebikes and raised prices. Now it's $1 + $0.39/minute. Riding 2 hours each weekend would cost about $200/month.
OTOH we have a great car-share network at $7/month + $0.30/minute, so driving 1 hour each weekend would cost $80/month (no insurance needed)
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@xtaran asks:
Q5. What's your take on bicycle rentals, like those big bike sharing systems, but also the local ones often offering cargobikes?
Do you have the same opinion on them as on car sharing and rental e-scooters? Does bike sharing bring as many advantages to city life as car sharing?
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes cc @bikenite
@ascentale @xtaran @bikenite A5 I'm a big fan of bike rentals. More specifically I'm a big fan of LA's docked Metro Bikes and hold my nose and use the dock less Lime Bikes here.
I like the flexibility bike rentals give me. It lets me do interesting trip chains without having to fiddle with bringing my bike on public transit. I would use the Metro Bikes exclusively, but Metro hasn't figured out that their bikes are useful where bus service is patchy so I find myself on Lime Bike a fair bit. I'm not a fan of their cost and how they clutter up the sidewalk but they have saved me from many a cold night at a bus stop after a missed transfer. #bikenite
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@xtaran asks:
Q5. What's your take on bicycle rentals, like those big bike sharing systems, but also the local ones often offering cargobikes?
Do you have the same opinion on them as on car sharing and rental e-scooters? Does bike sharing bring as many advantages to city life as car sharing?
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes cc @bikenite
@ascentale @xtaran @bikenite #BikeNite A5: I don't really bother with bikeshare in my own area, but when traveling I’ve used it and found it pretty convenient. I guess it occupies a niche more like rental cars than carshare for me.
One of my proudest moments was when I was riding a bikeshare bike in NYC and another tourist approached me to ask for directions. I guess I looked like I really knew what I was doing.
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@xtaran asks:
Q5. What's your take on bicycle rentals, like those big bike sharing systems, but also the local ones often offering cargobikes?
Do you have the same opinion on them as on car sharing and rental e-scooters? Does bike sharing bring as many advantages to city life as car sharing?
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes cc @bikenite
@ascentale @xtaran @bikenite publicly owned docked bikeshare (like Boston) is an incredible asset to the city and to bike advocacy efforts. If the transit system is having a bad time, people can grab a bike. If transit isn't direct to where you want to go, biking can be much faster. You can park your bike and walk somewhere else and pick up a bike without worry about security and transporting of your bike. If the system is dense enough, it just becomes the obvious choice for many trips.
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@ascentale @xtaran @bikenite publicly owned docked bikeshare (like Boston) is an incredible asset to the city and to bike advocacy efforts. If the transit system is having a bad time, people can grab a bike. If transit isn't direct to where you want to go, biking can be much faster. You can park your bike and walk somewhere else and pick up a bike without worry about security and transporting of your bike. If the system is dense enough, it just becomes the obvious choice for many trips.
@ascentale @xtaran @bikenite and that last bit - being the obvious trip choice - is self-evident to normies who grab a bike when it makes sense for them. Which means bike advocates now have a much larger audience of people that understand why we need better bike lanes, because they have experienced the lack and can see themselves biking in the city. The friction to have people try biking and see themselves as a cyclist is much lower, which is useful to build political power for bigger change
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@xtaran asks:
Q5. What's your take on bicycle rentals, like those big bike sharing systems, but also the local ones often offering cargobikes?
Do you have the same opinion on them as on car sharing and rental e-scooters? Does bike sharing bring as many advantages to city life as car sharing?
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes cc @bikenite
The first non e-bike dockless schemes were just venture capital raising scams. Get people to put in a deposit (say £50), roll out the cheapest bike possible (manufactured for say £25), hype it to get both cash and investment for the next scam. They were never meant to go anywhere unless city backed docking schemes.
E-bikes seem to be different and actually run as a business with asset and a business model because they serve a function the public actually want
