I have been jetsetting quite a bit lately, so I apologize for the prolonged and uncomfortable silence. Post Breck Epic was mayhem and I spent over a week playing catch up – I missed the first week of school, and am enrolled in 2 science classes with lab, and basically missed a week of work too! By the time I was caught up, I found myself boarding a plane to Montreal to work at a Trade Show called ExpoCycle for Ergon. I also felt a little down after the Breck Epic. It’s like coming back from a really great vacation where you’re on top of the world, and inevitably, crashing back down to Earth. I am still thinking about that wakesurfing though!
Now back to the point of my post! While in Montreal, I saw bike racks every couple of blocks. I looked a little closer and discovered that they were actually rental commuter bikes called BIXI.
It’s actually a great idea other than the fact that it takes local business away from bike shops. It costs 5 dollars which is a little expensive, but you always have a bike to get from point A to point B. How does it work? You swipe your credit card and it charges you 5 dollars and puts a 500 dollar deposit on your credit card. The machine spits out a piece of paper with a code on it. You enter the code and the bike unlocks. You can get up to 24 hours for a rental. When you want to return it, you locate a bike rack and just put it back. It beeps and locks, and all is well. It’s a great alternative to taking a cab. My one complaint – NO HELMETS. They have lights for when it gets dark, but no helmets…. so important!
Looking for more info: click here.
I’m in Albuquerque, NM this weekend – my hometown, and Tuesday I will be heading to Vegas for our US Trade Show called Interbike. I’ll be reporting from there. Then maybe I’ll get to spend more than 2 days at home!
