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22 July 2013

CitiBikes are a pain in the ass... [More:]

...or not. YMMV.

we've actively been petitioning the City of Boulder to put a b-cycle (aka CitiBike) stop in the shopping centre near our house, just so that we don't have to risk taking our good bikes downtown. They're extremely convenient and I've seen more and more travellers / tourists using them, which is a net good, I think.
I am a CitiBike member and I love it! I never thought I'd have the guts to ride around NYC, but I am finding it very convenient (this is the only neighborhood I've ever lived in that now has stations; I know Astoria very much wants them), particularly for cross-town errands.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero 22 July | 16:53
If you didn't get a chance to watch the video TPS you should - it's hilarious and he debunks most of his preconceived notions around CitiBike.
posted by lonefrontranger 22 July | 16:57
I ride mine to the bus station or train station, stash it, and hop aboard. Then I change at work. Since I'm in a suit/dress/skirt/pantsuit environment and always in heels, downtown bikes wouldn't do much for me. But I like the idea!

Also, great video.
posted by bearwife 22 July | 17:33
Oh ya, I saw that video when I was waiting for my membership card (it took about 18 days to get it). It made me so anxious to get my card and get rolling!

I took a ride last night after Oliver went to bed- went up the bike path on the Hudson river from Chelsea to the Intrepid and back. It was so lovely. Great people watching, too.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero 22 July | 17:43
We got Divvy bikes here in Chicago around the same time as Citibikes arrived in NYC.

I hadn't even heard of the Divvy thing until they showed up. It was like Chicago heard about what NYC was going to do and scrambled to catch up. But I was probably just oblivious to the local discussion leading up to it.
posted by mullacc 22 July | 21:07
We got B-Cycle in Fort Worth in April (on EARTH DAY!) I've ridden the bikes a couple times but so far I haven't joined. I intend to but I haven't yet. (Part of it was that I broke my arm in April and I'm just starting to ride again.)

I used a DC Bikeshare bike while in Arlington, VA, on business, and rode the 3.5 miles from Crystal City where I was staying over to the National Mall, which was a very cool and efficient way to get around.

B-Cycle is cheaper than CitiBike, even more so if you sign up online. I live in the urban sprawl, about 10 miles from downtown, and about 6 miles from the nearest B-Cycle station. I envision using B-Cycle when I'm already downtown or in one of the nearby neighborhoods (soutside, westside), to get around from place to place. In the future, though, we want to move closer into the city core and then I think B-Cycle will be much more useful.
posted by Doohickie 22 July | 22:35
100$ for a full year is a good deal.
In NL it's 3,50 euro per day.
posted by jouke 23 July | 01:19
It does feel like a good deal once you think of how often you can use it. Your profile on the CitiBike website includes a list of all the trips you've taken. I've already taken 23 rides.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero 23 July | 07:46
Interesting. The biggest problem people in London have is the stations being full, so they have to hunt for another one to dock the bike. If they're close to their 30-minute time limit, it can definitely be a pain. And if the only bike station with empty docks is some distance from where you want to be, you haven't saved yourself any time at all.

Also, I love that guy's house. A gated street in Greenwich Village!
posted by Senyar 23 July | 08:50
I'm waiting for them to get above 125th St.
posted by Eideteker 23 July | 09:12
That's happened to me once- I got to Trader Joe's in Chelsea and the station outside was fulll; several folks were waiting. Thankfully, I only waited 2-3 minutes before I got a spot to park, and by the time I came out of the store, there were a number of empty spots available.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero 23 July | 09:20
My bike is much more comfortable than his, evidently. But I also pay more annually for repairs. Also mine doesn't get stolen every 18 months and he has a better lock. (mine cost $15).

Also, Citibike only allows you at most 45 minutes at a time (if you're an annual member). Still I am considering it for the Fall for the following reasons:
1) If it rains on my return trip, I'm not stuck having to take my bike home.
2) It costs me more than $95/year for maintenance/repairs.
3) If I get (say) a flat, I just turn it in and get another bike rather than have to deal with the hassle.
posted by Obscure Reference 23 July | 12:39
one of the biggest "wins" for B-Cycle in the Denver / Boulder urban corridor has been the visibility and viability they've provides to regional multimodal transportation. People from the sprawl-urbs of Westminster and Superior, etc. are able to leave their car in a park-n-ride, and if they're residents of that zip they can use the PNR for free (we live within walking distance of a big bus hub, actually). They take a nonstop express bus to downtown Denver (or Boulder) At which point they use B-Cycle to get around downtown, since the b-cycle stations are concentrated around transport hubs anyhow. It's been getting more coverage of late, which is great because driving and parking in Denver sucks balls.

we use multimodal + B-Cycle to go to ball games. And it saves us the hassle of finding rack space and then safe lockup for our own bikes at the stadium. My fixie isn't worth a tinker's damn but that never stopped the thieves and I'd rather not lose it.

The only downside is that it has taken a small cut out of the local pedicab business but since they typically make the bulk of their loot from the nightclub crowd anyhows, I don't see that demographic adopting B-Cycles anytime soon.
posted by lonefrontranger 23 July | 12:43
I have been meaning to join citibike! I am scared of biking in the city and biking in general (last time I tried was 3 years ago and I fell over- I guess it did not come back like riding a bike for me). But I think it is a good skill and I want to have it.
posted by rmless2 23 July | 14:01
Just got buzzed by a B-25! || That time I wrote a SCP story

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