What's Up With These Bikes?

[ Originally Published March 2018 : northparkradio.com ]

It is 2018 and San Diego milennials are now fascinated by bicycles. The future is here and it is the bikes that are taking over.. What really is the deal with these things suddenly swarming our streets and sidewalks?

Even the general public seems confused by the sudden appearance and general use of these nearly neon bicycles scattered about town. Just the other day I heard a group of hip passerbys ask out loud 'why is there a bike just sitting there on the sidewalk unlocked?' before walking on by without any true care. Friends have asked about them, customers at my work have been curious about the yellow bike seemingly always parked outside our store. I even overheard security guards at a North Park venue discussing the recent plague of bikes and their ability or duty to move them. I assumed these were going to be temporary or promotional, but after a rigorous internet investigation and personal experimentation I've come to learn how these bikes/scooters work, their potential impact on our city, and I want to share my thoughts here. So, what is up with these bikes?

The old bikesharing service San Diegans have seen or used since 2015 is currently on its way out. Those DecoBikes, now branded as "Discover Bikes," were bicycles that users could rent half-hourly from stations located around town. Customers would pick up and drop off the bikes at specific docking stations throughout the city, limiting access but opening the doors to more reliable and available bikesharing services. Enter Ofo & Lime... The bikesharing companies breaking into the Southern California area this year, that have no docking stations or required pickup/dropoff locations.

The Ofo bikes are bright yellow with black accents, you have probably seen them parked on a sidewalk around town by now. They cost $1 for every hour used and are activated with your smartphone. The app is free and quite easy to use, allowing users to find available bikes on a map resembling the Pokemon Go interface. These bikes are also free for the rest of March, so if you are wanting to try out these new bikeshare services right now is the time! Download the Ofo app and follow the instructions provided to take advantage of this offer!

In addition to my free Ofo test rides, I gave Lime bikes a spin and came away very impressed. These bikes cost twice as much, with rates of $1 for each half hour. However, this service allows users the ability to avoid investing in the entire hour. Unlike Ofo & Discover Bikes, Lime provides customers with the option for electric-augmented bikes, where each peddle generates an electric boost. These motorized bikes are optional, and must be tracked down using the map on the app, but they really make going uphill a breeze. Definitely download the limebike app and track down the lighting bolts on the map to test out one of their motorized bikes, it is quite enjoyable and nearly free.

Coming on to the city scene at the same time as these bikeshare services are Bird Scooters. These are all-black colored electrically motorized scooters, also available to rent by users outside of specific docking locations with only a smartphone. As with the Ofo & Lime apps, the Bird app allows users the ability to very simply track down a scooter to hop on and go. These are a bit more of a thrill, and also a bit more dangerous, reaching speeds of up to 15-20 mph with far less stability than your average bicycle. These are definitely worth trying out, and genuinely a fun activity to partake in with friends or dates, but make sure to take necessary safety precautions to protect your head and potentially your arms and legs from scrapes. These scooters cost more than the other newly available rideshare bikes, costing users $1 to unlock and 15 cents for every 10 minutes after. This is still in no way breaking the bank, but the Bird scooters are definitely less practical for users. However, in my opinion, these scooters are by far the most fun and inviting options out there, but please make sure you're wearing that helmet regardless of how uncomfortable or uncool it may look..

Overall I am personally jumping all in on these new "share economy" services, even if they do turn out to be short lived. The fact that the bikes and scooters can be left or picked up at nearly any/all concrete surfaces around town is beyond convenient. The prices are extroardinarily low and reasonable, providing more legitimate transportation options for the major city with limited public transportation options. This revolutionary service is going to ruffle some feathers, but could generally be the significant spark this city needed to get more cars off of the incredibly conjested roads, while putting pressure on our city council members to actually make more bike lanes as well as more trolly or bus routes in the future.

As of now these bikes are cute, quirky, mysterious, and slowly being integrated into the movements or happenings of San Diegans around town. In the very near future, these bikeshare services could be utilized by the public as legitimate methods of transportation to and from work, community events or even just going out for a night on the town.. Just as rideshare services like Uber/Lyft took over our lives and made taxis essentially useless over the last 6 years, these bikeshare services could also significantly change the transportation game for the better. If the bikes remain cheap, readily available, and practical in general, we could see a sizeable societal and economic shift towards these cheaper, gas-free, and environmentally friendly transportation options. We could be experiencing the beginning of a significant change in philosophy regarding transportation here, and if we decide to utilize the cheaper and more environmentally friendly options now out there, we'll see significant improvements to many aspects of our daily Southern Californian lives.

So what say you, San Diego? It is 2018, get with the times and hop on a bicycle. These dockless bikes are our future, at least until the computers actually figure out how to drive cars for us.