BCycle

Last updated
BCycle
FormerlyFreewheelin [1]
Type Privately held
Founded2008
Headquarters
Waterloo, Wisconsin [2]
,

United States
Number of locations
34 systems [1]
Area served
 United States [1]
Key people
Morgan Ramaker, Executive Director [3]
Services Bicycle sharing system
Website bcycle.com

BCycle is a public bicycle sharing company owned by Trek Bicycle [1] and is based in Waterloo, Wisconsin, United States. [2] It has 34 local systems operating in cities across the United States. However, in several cities it operates under a name other than BCycle (i.e., CAT Bike, Red Bike, GREENbike, etc.) [4] [1]

Contents

Description

The BCycle system consists of bicycles and solar-powered stations positioned throughout a city or region. The result is a slight variation in the system, depending on the city of operation. Such variations can include differences in pricing and operating under a name other than BCycle. Notwithstanding, even though they may operate under different names, their stations will still include the logo with a circled "B" (but perhaps with a different color outer circle). Variations are also affected by the primary sponsors of the local system.

BCycle's 2.0 bike share system in front of the Trek Bicycle headquarters in Waterloo, Wisconsin. BCycle 2.0 bike and station.JPG
BCycle's 2.0 bike share system in front of the Trek Bicycle headquarters in Waterloo, Wisconsin.
Solar powered Boulder B-cycle station with double sided docks. Boulder.bcycle.solar.jpg
Solar powered Boulder B-cycle station with double sided docks.

Users of the system can purchase annual memberships or just a day or week pass. The system is intended for short trips rather than using an automobile or bike rentals. [5] They can then check out and return bikes at any station in their city. [6] Depending on the local system and type of membership or pass, users can keep the bicycles for 30–60 minutes without any additional charge for an unlimited number of times. Bicycles can be used longer for a nominal hourly assessment. However, if a bicycle is returned to any station, it can usually be immediately checked back out for an additional 30-60 free minutes. [7] [8] Another variation is dates and hours of operations. Some systems do not operate at night and some do not operate during the winter months. Notwithstanding the variations, annual memberships are recognized in most BCycle cities in a reciprocity program called "B-connected." [9] The cost of annual memberships vary from US$50 to US$80.

The bicycles used by BCycle were designed specifically for bike sharing by Trek Bicycle. [10]

History

In 2007, the founding partners of BCycle, Trek and health care insurance company Humana, launched their bike sharing venture with the nation's largest ever temporary bike sharing program at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. Called Freewheelin, this program made 1,000 bikes available to the delegates at both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. [11] [12] The programs proved so successful that the Democratic host committee selected bike sharing as a special legacy program to receive a donation to launch the country's first smart bike sharing system.

Following the Democratic National Convention, Trek, Humana and advertising agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky formed B-Cycle, LLC to develop a technologically and visually appealing bike share system. The joint venture worked with a non-profit created to operate the system, Denver Bike Sharing, operating as Denver B-cycle, to launch with 500 bikes and 40 stations in Denver on Earth Day, April 22, 2010. [13] [14] [15] In 2018, the eighth year of Denver B-cycle, it received a US$400,000 subsidy from the City of Denver government. [16]

Controversy and competition

Denver, Colorado

In 2018, controversy emerged on the Denver City Council, with criticism that "B-cycle is mainly in areas where it's white and wealthy and not in neighborhoods of color and working-class neighborhoods where transit is a need." [16] Substantial competition to dockable bicycle transportation has emerged from unsubsidized "[d]ockless bike and scooter companies have flocked to Denver," including Jump bicycles and Lime scooters. [16]

In mid-November 2019, the city announced the end of the B-cycle operation, with 700 bikes and all stations to be removed by the end of January 2020. [17] [18] [19]

Locations

A 15 dock, solar powered station in Denver Denver B-Cycle station on 1350 Larimer Street (1).jpg
A 15 dock, solar powered station in Denver
Madison BCycle station Madison August 2022 018 (Madison BCycle).jpg
Madison BCycle station
Philly Indego Bikeshare Philly Indego Bikeshare.jpg
Philly Indego Bikeshare

As of January 2024, B-cycle has bicycle sharing systems in the following areas: [4] [20]

United States

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bicycle-sharing system</span> Short-time bicycle rental service

A bicycle-sharing system, bike share program, public bicycle scheme, or public bike share (PBS) scheme, is a shared transport service where bicycles are available for shared use by individuals at low cost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cycling in Toronto</span>

Toronto, Ontario, like many North American cities, has slowly been expanding its purpose-built cycling infrastructure. The number of cyclists in Toronto has been increasing progressively, particularly in the city's downtown core. As cycling conditions improve, a cycling culture has grown and alternatives such as automobiles are seen as less attractive. The politics of providing resources for cyclists, particularly dedicated bike lanes, has been contentious, particularly since the 2010s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nice Ride Minnesota</span> Bike sharing system in the Minneapolis and St. Paul Minnesota area

Nice Ride Minnesota was a seasonally operated nonprofit bicycle sharing system in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota based on the BIXI brand created by Public Bike System Company and first used in Montreal. Launched on June 10, 2010, it served over 10,000 trips in its first month and reached 100,817 rides in the first season of operation. The bicycles in the system are manufactured by Cycles Devinci. They are painted fluorescent green and include a cargo carrier and headlights. They receive daily maintenance, and are redistributed throughout the system via truck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cycles Devinci</span>

Cycles Devinci is a Canadian bicycle manufacturer established in Chicoutimi, Quebec in 1987. In addition to a full line of road, mountain and hybrid bicycles, it also manufactures the BIXI-brand of bicycle used in bicycle sharing schemes in cities such as Montreal, Toronto and Minneapolis. In most cities, like Montreal, BIXI offers both normal and electric bicycles.

BIXI Montréal is a public bicycle sharing system serving Montréal, Quebec, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melbourne Bike Share</span>

Melbourne Bike Share was a bicycle sharing system that served the central business district of Melbourne, Australia. The stations and bicycles were owned by the government and operated in a public-private partnership with RACV. Launched in 2010, the network utilized a system designed by Montreal-based PBSC Urban Solutions with 600 bicycles operating from 51 stations. Melbourne Bike Share was one of two such systems in Australia until the Victorian Government shut down the service on 30 November 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houston Bcycle</span> Bike sharing system in Houston, Texas, United States

Houston BCycle is a bicycle sharing system, owned and operated by Houston Bike Share, a non-profit organization that administers bike sharing for the City of Houston. There are currently over 150 stations located within the city limits, and over 1300 bicycles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bike Share Toronto</span> Canadian bicycle-sharing system

Bike Share Toronto is a bicycle-sharing system in Toronto, Ontario, operated by the Toronto Parking Authority (TPA). The system consists of over 9,000 bicycles and over 700 stations, and covers over 200 square kilometres in 21 of the 25 wards of the city, with plans to expand to the entire city by 2025.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pronto Cycle Share</span> Bike sharing system in Seattle, Washington, United States

Pronto Cycle Share, branded as Pronto!, was a public bicycle sharing system in Seattle, Washington, that operated from 2014 to 2017. The system, owned initially by a non-profit and later by the Seattle Department of Transportation, included 54 stations in the city's central neighborhoods and 500 bicycles. Motivate operated the system and Alaska Airlines was the program's presenting sponsor. On March 31, 2017, Pronto shut down operations and disassembly of stations began, with the bicycles being offered to other cities that wish to start a similar system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PBSC Urban Solutions</span> Bicycle-sharing system developer and supplier

PBSC Urban Solutions, formerly the Public Bike System Company, is an international bicycle-sharing system equipment vendor with their headquarters based in Longueuil, Quebec. The company develops bicycle-sharing systems, equipment, parts, and software, and sells its products to cities in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Brazil and more. The company has sold about 100,000 bikes and 9,000 stations to 45 cities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indiana Pacers Bikeshare</span> Public bike-sharing system in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.

Indiana Pacers Bikeshare, also known as Pacers Bikeshare, is a public bicycle-sharing system in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. The service is operated by BCycle, a public bicycle-sharing company owned by Trek Bicycle Corporation. The system launched in April 2014 with 250 bikes and 25 docking stations and has since expanded to 525 bikes and 50 stations. The service is available to users 24/7 year-round. Pacers Bikeshare is owned by and managed as a program of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biketown</span> Bike sharing system in Portland, Oregon, United States

Biketown, also known as Biketown PDX, is a bicycle-sharing system in Portland, Oregon, that began operation on July 19, 2016. The system is owned by Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and operated by Lyft, with Nike, Inc. as the title sponsor. At launch, the system had 100 stations and 1,000 bicycles serving the city's central and eastside neighborhoods, with hopes to expand outward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobi (bike share)</span> Bicycle-sharing system of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Mobi is the trade name of Vancouver Bike Share, Inc. a bicycle-sharing system in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The system is administered by the city and is owned and operated by CycleHop. The system launched on July 20, 2016, with a limited number of stations and bicycles for founding members.

8D Technologies was a Canadian company that developed bicycle-sharing systems and automated parking management systems. It merged with Motivate in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spin (company)</span>

Spin is an electric bicycle-sharing and electric scooter-sharing company. It is based in San Francisco and was founded as a start-up in 2017, launching as a dockless bicycle-sharing system controlled by a mobile app for reservations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jump (transportation company)</span>

Jump was a dockless scooter and electric bicycle sharing system operating in the United States, New Zealand, Canada, France, Germany, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Mexico and Australia. The bikes were a bright red orange and weighed 70 pounds (32 kg). Riders unlocked bikes using the Uber app and were charged to their Uber account.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CycleHop</span> Bicycle sharing company

CycleHop LLC is a bicycle sharing platform and mobility company that operates bike share systems in fifteen cities in North America, including Vancouver Bike Share in British Columbia.

Bcycle, b-cycle, or variation, may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Micromobility</span> Modes of transport involving very light vehicles

Micromobility refers to a range of small, lightweight vehicles operating at speeds typically below 25 km/h (15 mph) and driven by users personally. Micromobility devices include bicycles, e-bikes, electric scooters, electric skateboards, shared bicycle fleets, and electric pedal assisted (pedelec) bicycles.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "B cycle: leadership and innovation in bike sharing (media kit)". bcycle.com. B-Cycle. Feb 2014. p. 2. Archived from the original on June 26, 2014. Retrieved 19 Aug 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Contact B-cycle". bcycle.com. B-Cycle. Retrieved 16 Apr 2015.
  3. ↑ https://business.wisc.edu/spotlight/morgan-ramaker/
  4. 1 2 "B cycle cities". bcycle.com. B-Cycle. Feb 2014. Retrieved 19 Aug 2014.
  5. ↑ Sumner, Jason (8 Mar 2011). "Bikes meant for sharing, B-Cycle and BIXI: Urban PressCamp highlights equipment behind North America's public bike shares". bikeradar.com. Retrieved 19 Aug 2014.
  6. ↑ Jentzen, Aaron (3 Jul 2011). "Users fitting bike share into their lifestyles". San Antonio Express-News . San Antonio: Hearst Corporation . Retrieved 19 Aug 2014.
  7. ↑ "GREENbike: SLC Bike Share". greenbikeslc.org. B Cycle. Retrieved 19 Aug 2014.
  8. ↑ "GREENbike FAQs". greenbikeslc.org. B Cycle. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved 19 Aug 2014. Can I check out a bike immediately after returning a bike? Yes.
  9. ↑ Graham Richard, Michael (18 Mar 2013). "B-Cycle bike-sharing membership now works in 15 U.S. cities". treehugger.com. MNN Holding Company, LLC. Retrieved 19 Aug 2014.
  10. ↑ "B cycle: leadership and innovation in bike sharing (media kit)". bcycle.com. B-Cycle. Feb 2014. p. 4. Archived from the original on June 26, 2014. Retrieved 19 Aug 2014.
  11. ↑ Post, Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier | The Denver (2008-05-15). "DNC offers chance to go free-wheelin'". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2020-01-03.
  12. ↑ "Freewheelin at the Democratic National Convention: "What a great ride!" | Humana Healthcare". press.humana.com. 2008-08-29. Retrieved 2020-01-03.
  13. ↑ Profis, Sharon (2010-04-21). "B-cycle bike sharing to be the largest in U.S." CNET. Retrieved 2020-01-03.
  14. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". denverbikesharing.org. Retrieved 19 Aug 2014.
  15. ↑ Huang, James (23 Apr 2010). "First big US bike share scheme debuts in Denver, Colorado: B-Cycle starts with 400 bicycles across 40 stations". bikeradar.com. Retrieved 19 Aug 2014.
  16. 1 2 3 Navarro, Natalia V. (31 August 2018). "As Bikes And Scooters Put Their Stamp On Denver, B-Cycle Talks Expansion, Subsidies". Colorado Public Radio . Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  17. ↑ "Denver B-cycle to end operations". KUSA. 2019-11-21. Retrieved 2020-01-03.
  18. ↑ Hern, Elizabeth; Ehern, Ez | (2019-11-21). "Denver B-cycle to end, city may thin herd of scooter operators as it tightens regulation of "micromobility" services". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2020-01-03.
  19. ↑ Bouchard, Jay (2019-11-21). "B-Cycle in Denver Will Cease Operations at the End of January". 5280. Retrieved 2020-01-03.
  20. ↑ https://www.bcycle.com/top-nav-bar/find-a-city
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