Brian

So I just posted this on my blog, and I have to ask - does anyone think something like this would ever work in the US?

Allen

Only in special areas such as Walt Disney World, or like closed environments.
In public I don't see that there would be a draw to such.

Brian

For use in New York, I suppose they would have to be built with either undesirable or proprietary sized parts. Either way, I'm sure they still wouldn't last long.

wahoonc

I don't know about the dispenser part of it. But I do know they tried the public bike think back in the Netherlands about 10-15 years ago and it was a failure. The bikes got stolen and ended up in canals, etc, etc. I can email a couple of my Dutch friends and ask about it if you want. Also FWIW Google has a translation section for websites. Not the greatest thing in the world but it will give you the gist of what they are selling you

Aaron

Platy

To clarify the topic for everyone, it's a mention of an automated bike rental system with a mechanical bike dispenser.

Such a system could be installed by public transit systems at Park & Ride lots. Maybe even in conjunction with rentable lockers for privately owned bikes.

Brian

I think that if they had some secure way to sign up for an access card, there would be a way to hold folks accountable for the bike, once they rented one.

Platy

I think rentable bike lockers would be a more feasible idea. There might be more demand for bike lockers than rental bikes. I'd imagine the liability issues of a locker would be more insurable. Plus, one size does not fit all in the bike world, and how would you handle rental accessories such as helmets and locks.

SanSarf

The idea of the community bike was launched in Amsterdam by Luud Schimmelpennink in the sixties. But it consisted of putting some unlocked bikes which were painted white (it was originally dubbed "het witte fietsen plan"). Such a thing does only work in special areas like Walt Disney World or in the Hoge Veluwe national park in the Netherlands.

It was revived in Amsterdam a couple of years ago but it had a number of problems so it was dismantled again https://home.deds.nl/~quip/deel/witfiets.html.

The website you've linked to is apperantly another attempt. But his time you do need to sign up for a membership card (9,50 Euro a year). If People are registered they are more likely to take better care of their bikes. They Amsterdam one only required you to have a stored-value card and you were not allowed to lock them. So far they're only doing one pilot near office block in Eindhoven.

There bikes with are easy adjustable seats, lock can be mounted on the bike and bassicalle noone here uses a helmet when cycling.

Accutally according to wikipedia they are experimenting with it in the U.S.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_bicycle_program

wahoonc

Maybe qualify people like they do with the Flex/Zip Car accounts?

Aaron

wahoonc

SansSarf,
Thanks for the links and explanation. I remembered it was tried but couldn't remember the details of it. From what I gather bike theft can be a bit of problem in the bigger cities. And the Dutch love their bikes. It is kind of strange to see an old spray painted bike with a $100 chain lock on it, but it makes sense too when you consider that is the main way that person has to get home from where the bike is locked up.

Aaron

cerewa

I wouldn't be too surprised if a copycat of that dutch system shows up soon at a very high-density place in the USA where bicycling is popular. I was thinking New York City would be a good candidate, except that NYC traffic is scary to lots of people. I guess theft would also be a problem, even if the rented bikes came with good locks.

I had assumed Visa/Mastercard were sufficient.

wahoonc

Another thought comes to mind...I would hate to be using that system, have the bike stolen and then have to pay for it....I am sure some type of theft insurance could be arranged but at what cost?

Aaron

cerewa

I agree. One of the tough things about the whole insurance thing would be preventing it from turning into a scam where person A rents the bike, gives the bike to person B, and then claims a "theft".

Brian

No, I think the Flex/Zip car account would be the way to go. This would not be for the casual renter who takes a bike out on a whim. You would fill out an online or paper application with your details, then get a special card, probably linked to your credit or debit card. This gives the renter a vested interest in making sure no harm comes to the bike.

SanSarf

Theft is a problem indeed and i do own a rusty old bike for commuting together with shiny new lock. Estimates are that every bike is stolen on average twice a year. Ever since police declared stolen bicycles had no priority it went rampage and loads of people don't report it stolen anymore.

Well might be a solution to clogged up city centres. They've already something similar in Lyon (france) and in London they are looking for alternatives to cars.

Theft is a problem but if you have a chain lock and you can secure it to something unmovable, it should work.

cerewa

There are advantages to the carsharing-style account system, (I'm a Philly-carshare member myself) but if you were a tourist, it would be cool to be able to use the bikes without a delay to sign up.

Of course, it occurs to me that if you're a member of a carshare system that operates in lots of cities, you can easily use a car when you travel to those cities. Now, it would be nifty to make bike sharing just as common.

Roody

Paris has just initiated a huge bike rental scheme with automated locking dispensers. You have to use a credit or debit card and have an account. The rental fee gets higher as you keep the bike out longer. This encourages people to keep the bikes in circulation. Even if you were just going into the store for a short time, it would be cheaper to return the bike to a dispenser than to leave it unattended. They hope this will reduce theft. I think we'll have to wait a while for an evaluation of the Parisian system.

Doug5150

Two respectful suggestions:

First - learn what a permalink is, and-
Second - don't post a link to a link to a story, just post the link that goes directly to the story.
~

Brian

Your first suggestion was not respectful.
Your second suggestion implies that I don't know what I'm doing, which would be entirely incorrect.


Back on topic, I wrote about the Paris bikes not too long ago. They are large and heavy 3 speed bikes. I wonder if that might make them any less prone to theft. Or would the dispenser bikes, with their little mags and other odd bits be undesirable to thieves?

I-Like-To-Bike

Less prone to theft than what? I suspect that traditional 3 speed upright bikes make them more prone to being rented by the general public or tourists, than less adaptable (to numerous various physiques), more complicated esoteric/enthusiast preferred models.

Roody

I've gotta agree with you, even if it causes me very real physical pain.

Paris probably chose the big 3 speeds not because they're less desirable, but because they're more desirable to most users. The bikeforum lovers of light and fast bikes are a very small minority in the big wide bicycle world.

Bushman

+ 1 and maybe a security deposit too....

I-Like-To-Bike

What else? Maybe a biometric eye scan, background check and security clearance? Good Gosh it's a $100 or $200 item! Anyone can rent a $20,000+ automobile with nothing but a credit card and driver's license, no questions asked.

cerewa

Interesting thing about automobiles, they get lots of police attention when stolen. Cars also have a VIN number but I'm not sure that really puts them ahead of bicycles (which typically have a serial number engraved in the frame). The fact that cars get stolen and resold is proof that registering VIN numbers is no perfect solution, at any rate.

(Yeah, I'm aware that "VIN number" is redundant, just like "ATM machine". )

Nightshade

While your heart it in the right place I seriously doubt that utility or carfree
cyclist will get past your blogs RacerBoy header and all the RacerBoy ads.

I know I didn't..........


That means that you will more than likely miss the very cyclist you wish to share with.