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Honest question - why can't we have bike shares everywhere? Looks like there are something like 17.4 million new bikes sold in the US a year and around 100 mil

Honest question - why can't we have bike shares everywhere? Looks like there are something like 17.4 million new bikes sold in the US a year and around 100 million riders. [0] That works out to a new bike every five and a half years. What happens to the old bikes? Can't we figure out a way to standardize the components a bit and keep them in working condition as a municipal resource? Can't be that hard to pull off, and it would certainly have health benefits. [0] https://nbda.com/articles/industry-overview-2015-pg34.htm https://nbda.com/articles/industry-overview-2015-pg34.htm

gt_ 9y ago
For a brief period following the turn of the millennium, many urban centers in the west (Seattle, Washington, Portland) had bicycle clubs who introduced a slew of “green bikes” which were spray painted green and considered public domain. It was more an ideal than a productive measure. The painting and introduction of the bikes was one thing but maintenance was another. I knew a person who would repair them when he found broken ones, and I think it was briefly part of programming at certain bicycle co-ops. As the urban areas started growing again, tht effort came to an end, but I took many trips on green bikes myself. They were usually slow going and somewhat dangerous to ride, and of course one could not plan to find them later when left on the street. I had seen them locked up before but the understanding was breaking that lock wasn’t considered steeling because literally every part on the bike was spray painted green. The bikes were popular with people in their early twenties and homeless people. I never saw anyone using them whose appearance didn’t match these categories.
TulliusCicero 9y ago
With the recent introduction of dock less bikeshare to the states, we probably will have it everywhere. Well, everywhere with passable bike infrastructure anyway, which in the US leaves out most cities.

gt_ 9y ago

For a brief period following the turn of the millennium, many urban centers in the west (Seattle, Washington, Portland) had bicycle clubs who introduced a slew of “green bikes” which were spray painted green and considered public domain. It was more an ideal than a productive measure. The painting and introduction of the bikes was one thing but maintenance was another. I knew a person who would repair them when he found broken ones, and I think it was briefly part of programming at certain bicycle co-ops. As the urban areas started growing again, tht effort came to an end, but I took many trips on green bikes myself. They were usually slow going and somewhat dangerous to ride, and of course one could not plan to find them later when left on the street. I had seen them locked up before but the understanding was breaking that lock wasn’t considered steeling because literally every part on the bike was spray painted green. The bikes were popular with people in their early twenties and homeless people. I never saw anyone using them whose appearance didn’t match these categories.

TulliusCicero 9y ago

With the recent introduction of dock less bikeshare to the states, we probably will have it everywhere. Well, everywhere with passable bike infrastructure anyway, which in the US leaves out most cities.