Bike sharing

On the surface there seems no reason why I'd need to participate in a bike sharing program in my own town. I've had some success sharing abroad, but a year or two ago when Smartbikes came to DC, I had no use for them. I've got a bike (or two) that I can ride, so I couldn't justify becoming a member of the bike sharing community. The model Smartbikes was using didn't make sense to me either. They wanted a membership fee like Zipcar uses so they could issue a card for using their bikes. I understand why a person can't just walk up, swipe a credit card, and drive, but the same logic doesn't apply for a bike.

Recently, Capital Bikeshare has come to town. They've come to town in a big way, too. While I've only seen two Smartbike locations, I can rattle off at least five Capital Bikeshare racks. Capital Bikeshare has a member fee too, but they get it right because they also have a 24-membership fee of $5. Tourists and those as indecisive as me can take advantage without commitment. Grabbing a bike to get to and from a location in trips of less than 30 minutes keeps that fee at $5. That's more than a bus ride, but getting pretty close to a Metro ride. A little extra time costs more money, but it's a reasonable amount. These bikes aren't meant for all day touring, but they are great for short jaunts.

I chose to test them out because I didn't want to leave my bike locked out in the open all day this past Saturday. I had to be at CUA before the Metro was running. I had limited options, so it seemed like a good excuse for a test. The bikes have three speeds and for city riding third gear was passable. There were a few flat spots on the Metropolitan Branch Trail where I could have used a bigger gear, but it wasn't bad. The seat is oddly lumpy, but not as uncomfortable as it looks. I missed my toe clips a bit, but I suspect I'm in the minority on that. The system is simple to use. The charges are reasonable and now I'm considering adding a bike share membership for the year to my legion of transportation options.

Ah, big city life.