Today marks the beginning of registration for New York City’s long-awaited Citi Bike bicycle share program, which will gives New Yorkers access to a fleet of two-wheeled transportation stations across Manhattan and Brooklyn. Prices are pretty reasonable: for $9.95, you get access to a bike for a day; for $25.00, a week; for $95.00, a full year. But what exactly does that membership get you?
Though the bikes will be available 24 hours a day, access to them is far from unlimited. For daily and weekly trips, rides are capped to 30 minutes, and for a yearly membership you get bumped up to 45 (you’ll get hit with fees for going over). And if you sign up for a membership now, you may get a slew of other perks, including discounts on helmets, access to a preview period, a free 24-hour pass for a friend, and invitations to classes.
The bikes themselves have three speeds, a handlebar-mounted rack for your stuff, an adjustable seat post for the tall guys, self-powered front and rear LED lights, a “step-through” frame with a lowered crossbar, and what Curbed calls a “stable, forgiving” ride (they also note that the bikes are “really heavy”).
Bike share stations have been cropping up in recent days, but the service won’t officially launch until next month. Happy riding, y’all.
(Photo: Jesse Chan-Norris/Flickr)
