ascherer 

Went to grab a bike to run an errand at lunch and saw some spankin' new Citibikes at the docking station. Got one and quickly realized it has continuously variable gearing in place of the 3-speed used in prior models. That was my first time on such a thing and it was kind of cool, and yet somehow disconcerting at the same time to not have a clear "gear". I don't think I got to the lowest ratio because it spun way too fast when I slid down the range. As with other Citibikes, the high gear could have been higher - probably not any different then the series 2 models have.

I also got a distinct impression of the new bike feeling lighter and having more responsive handling. That's not saying much, as most Citibikes have the handling characteristics of a La-Z-Boy.