Wednesday, April 21, 2010

The USA's answer to DublinBikes

If you read this blog on occasion you may be familiar with my reporting on DublinBikes - the city wide scheme that gives you access to bicycles on several city centre stands for either an annual membership of €10 or 3-day passes for something like €2. Pretty good right?

Looks like the scheme (which is already successful in Paris - and I think Amsterdam) is now headed to the US with Denver being the inaugural city (you can vote on the next city they come to). I think anything to get people out of their cars and onto their feet (or two wheels) is a step in the sustainably right direction. These 'B-cycles' as they're called, look a bit more high-tech than the ones we've got here with GPS and data logging to tell you how many calories you're burning etc. Even the electronic bike stands have a low environmental impact as they run off solar panels. Brilliant stuff.

I've become a HUGE fan of Dublin Bikes as of late. It took me a while, at first they felt awkward, heavy and slow when compared to the mountain bike I usually cruise around in. But the handiness of having them around for those quick jaunts around town is invaluable. I'm lucky enough to have a stand super close to my house and near all my usual haunts, the band's practice studio, the bank, exchequer st. etc. LOVE EM.

Visit the B-cycles site
Visit the DublinBikes site

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