He did pay his $1,200 guarantee from the rental agreement so it still works out for CitiBike. It is the same as keeping a video tape from a rental place: they bill you the cost and effectively you have purchased it by not returning it – not stolen it.

I would have expected CitiBike to use this as a promotional opportunity to demonstrate how ridable the bike really are. Frankly, I am surprised they denied him permission to do this ride. I suppose they didn't want to deal with the legal waivers for this sort of a ride and the potentially bad press if anything happened to him because of a bike failure. Since he made it, this seems like a good time to promote how well they ride, countering all those "too heavy" complaints. (Of course, I ride a '78 Continental in the city so the weight seems normal to me.)

I am curious about how well the bike held up with that much use. I suspect it did well and that most of the mechanical issues the bikes have here are related to abuse. I have yelled at my fair share of people kicking them in the racks as they walk past.