bcycle-- let the feeding frenzy begin.

http://www.bcycle.com/bknowledge.aspx

Is it legal to ride a bike without a helmet?

Adults may legally ride a bike without a helmet everywhere in the United States, but B-cycle strongly recommends wearing a helmet whenever riding
a bicycle.

Er . . .no helmet laws?  I don't think so.

Does B-cycle provide helmets for riders?

No. There are hygiene and safety issues with shared helmet use. It is the responsibility of the rider to supply his or her own helmet. 

I'm sure they will all be carrying helmets with them.


What if a station is full and I need to find an empty dock to return a bike?

If you have a bike you wish to return, but there are no available docks at a station, you must locate a station with available docks and return
the bike there. The kiosk located at each station will provide real-time
information about which nearby stations have available docks. The
kiosks at full stations will also add 15 free minutes to your ride so
that you can take the bike to an open station without financial penalty.

That mad dash for the next station before the 15 minutes are up sounds like it could be rather thrilling.

What if the bike is stolen? Will I be financially responsible for the loss of the bike?

Contact Customer Service. Under the Terms and Conditions agreed to upon registering for membership, members may be liable up to a specified
limit if a bicycle is stolen or lost while under their care. Refer to
the Terms and Conditions posted on your system’s website.

A "specified limit." Ah well, who needs to know what they might be liable for upfront? I'm sure it will be a very reasonable amount, right? I mean, they're just simple bikes . . .

How does B-cycle calculate my miles ridden, etc.?

B-cycles are equipped with an internal GPS device that tracks the bike’s trips. Other technology associates each trip with the member who checked out
the bike. After this information is transferred to B-cycle’s computers,
algorithms translate the trip information into estimates of the number
of calories burned and carbon emissions avoided (as compared to the use
of an average automobile for the same trip). If there are technical
errors with the data collection or transfer, an estimate will be applied
and clearly noted as such.

Er . . . about that "specified limit" . . .








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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on July 29, 2010 at 7:34am
He's trying to take over my job...

Arrak Thumrs said:
OP must be having a bad day... feels like trolling. Please don't feed the wildlife :)
Permalink Reply by Ben on July 30, 2010 at 5:12am
The whole rollout seems pretty half-assed, especially compared to Minneapolis' new program, Nice Ride MN. Bcycle charges $10 for a one hour rental, compared to $5 for 24 hours on Nice Ride or the Bixi in Montreal. Overall, the prices are much higher than other bike sharing programs, and also higher than the Zipcar. And of course, availability, which everyone has pointed out. Nice Ride launched with 60 stations and 1000 bikes. I think a bike sharing system would do well in the city, but in its current incarnation, Bcycle doesn't seem to be it.
Permalink Reply by Old Tom on July 30, 2010 at 2:52pm
This ain't "bike sharing"; it's bike renting. Just another businessman out to make a buck; he isn't doing anyone any favors and isn't "sharing" a goddam thing.
Permalink Reply by Liz W. Durham on July 30, 2010 at 3:34pm
Seems a bit pricey to me. But I don't really know who their targeted market is for this program. Downtown tourists? Commuters??? Random folks who might get the sudden urge to hop on a bike?

I am in favor of bike-sharing though. And in the spirit of that, I will be following how this Bcycle program works and evolves. Hoping that it is indeed "baby steps" in a positive direction.

And why do they call it "bike sharing" instead of bike rental? Just as with Zipcar and I-Go...why do they get a different term than "car rental"? IS it about the spirit of it?
Permalink Reply by John Casey on July 30, 2010 at 5:14pm
Exactly. Bike and Roll is just looking to expand its business from the lakefront to the loop.

Old Tom said:
This ain't "bike sharing"; it's bike renting. Just another businessman out to make a buck; he isn't doing anyone any favors and isn't "sharing" a goddam thing.
Permalink Reply by Holly on July 31, 2010 at 5:01am
Dear Bike and Roll,
I applaud your efforts to increase the number of cyclists in this city, but your profit driven program is not sharing, it's renting. Your rates are absurd.

This is how sharing works; I have an extra bike in my basement and I'll let you borrow it for a day. If you've got something to barter for it, that'd be swell. If not, I'll just share it with you. Be nice to it. And be sure to lock it with the provided U-lock. If you get a flat, please fix it before returning it to me.
'Kthnxbye.
Permalink Reply by Ricardo Cervantes on July 31, 2010 at 2:47pm
St. Xavier University has this type of program up and running. Their Green Bike program has much more reasonable fees, with the 1st 15 minutes actually being free. Here's a short write-up on it...

http://www.examiner.com/x-731-Chicago-Progress-Examiner~y2008m9d18-...

Ricardo Cervantes said:
Meh.

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