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Toronto Bike Share

I dunno how long a Bixi bike lasts, but I've used them every winter since they've been introduced. They're well maintained. I've never had a problem, not even once.
 
steveintoronto said:
The Bixis, for the massive 42 freakin pounds they weigh, are *Aluminum*! Their website boasts as to how (gist) "it means they don't rust". LOL...of course not...it *corrodes*....and faster than steel rusts. And more insidiously, as anyone with a modicum of mechanics will attest to.

They claim to keep them in tip-top shape. Whatever....At $4000 bucks a shot, and not their money, it matters little.

As much as couriers are at least part crazy, they know what kind of machines to ride this time of year, and how to take care of them as best possible. None of them ride anything close to a Bike Share type.

I wonder why....?
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Was this supposed to be an answer to their question, or is this just another rant about how much you hate bike share?

You've already been told multiple times in this thread why couriers don't use bike share type bikes.
 
LNahid2000 said:
Was this supposed to be an answer to their question, or is this just another rant about how much you hate bike share?

You've already been told multiple times in this thread why couriers don't use bike share type bikes.
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I don't "hate bikeshare" at all. I don't like the type of machines offered.
You've already been told multiple times in this thread why couriers don't use bike share type bikes.
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Then remind me of why that is...

Is this it?
[...]
Heavy bikes aren’t exactly a pleasure to pedal, said one shop owner, who rents bikes to tourists.

“I wouldn’t say [City Bikes] are a joyride,” said Bob Fesselmeyer, 32, who manages Blazing Saddles in the Financial District. “I think our bicycles are definitely better.”

He added he doesn’t think the bike share is a threat to his business. “It might affect us a little bit — but I’m being optimistic,” he said.

The city’s bicycles feature lights on both the front and back that are activated by pedaling.

There’s also a chip inside the bike that records who checked it out, based on credit-card records. Users have 30 minutes to return the bike to a station after checkout — and cyclists who come upon full kiosks are directed to the next-nearest one by a computer screen.

If a kiosk is full, cyclists are allotted an extra 15 minutes to return the bikes before incurring a late fee.

City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan yesterday said the heavy bikes are simply safer.

“These bikes are very sturdy and heavy — they go slow,” Sadik-Khan said. “So we don’t anticipate issues with safety on the streets of New York.”
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https://nypost.com/2013/05/13/ridin...le-as-bulky-45-lb-units-not-easy-to-maneuver/

Is that the fate for 'carshare' too? Heavy, and slow, therefore safer? (which is not the case in slippery conditions, but I digress)
 
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Bike Share is well-liked (increasing well-used) and plays a significant role in rounding out Toronto's biking infrastructure.

What kind of bikes would you suggest Bike Share use instead of the ones that they're currently using? Light road bikes with skinny tires?
 
LNahid2000 said:
Because they're no good for longer distances. I've already said this before. And they seem to be fine for everyone except for you for its intended use (short trips, one way trips, impromptu trips). I've yet to slam into anything on a bike share since I use my brakes when necessary.
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That's it?
Bike Share is being heavily supported, if not totally underwritten, by my tax dollars as well as that of many others. Where is the option for persons like myself who'd *gladly* and *willingly* use Bike Share if they offered bikes for bikers instead of bikes for those who wear lead shoes?
mettle said:
Light road bikes with skinny tires?
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lol...you really fail to understand the needs of the average avid cyclist. Even road racers, let alone distance cyclists are typically up to using 25c tires or larger, a whole other discussion in itself. I've done so for the past three or four years, mostly to accommodate off-road trails as well as asphalt. Oddly, rolling resistance is lower, but I'm sure technical details don't enter into your rationale.

How about a 23 pounds, Raleigh classic three speed type of machine? Excellent handling for what they are, came/come stock with sensible all weather/condition tires, comfortable riding position and a hell of a lot cheaper than Four Grand$.

Not exactly my preferable choice, but an excellent compromise to suit all users. And if you go down, which is inevitable this time of year, they are quite forgiving. I'd actually recommend, since the Bixis are so expensive, to use better than just Manganese-Steel for the frame. Something springy, forgiving, much better ride and more efficient...to add $50 to $100 each to a fleet purchase cost.

But then again, some think that all carshares should be Jeeps or Tanks, not efficient, easy to handle and maintain lighter and cleaner vehicles.

I'm boggled but not surprised that so many of you tout how green things should be, and yet when it comes to bikes, you take the complete opposite tack.
 
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steveintoronto said:
The Bixis, for the massive 42 freakin pounds they weigh, are *Aluminum*! Their website boasts as to how (gist) "it means they don't rust". LOL...of course not...it *corrodes*....and faster than steel rusts. And more insidiously, as anyone with a modicum of mechanics will attest to.
Click to expand...

I have with a university education in this, and you're completely wrong. Aluminum doesn't rust or corrode in the real world. (If you're gonna be stupidly technical, aluminum does corrode but that produces aluminum oxide, which doesn't. Essentially you get a very thin layer of rust on top of anything made of aluminum, which gives aluminum its matte metallic color). It can corrode in extremely acidic or basic environments, but people wouldn't be able to survive in the kind of environment where aluminum corrodes.

There's no reason why they should use a bike that doesn't have an aluminum frame. Steel is way too heavy and lighter materials won't last long.
 
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steveintoronto said:
lol...you really fail to understand the needs of the average avid cyclist. Even road racers, let alone distance cyclists are typically up to using 25c tires or larger, a whole other discussion in itself. I've done so for the past three or four years, mostly to accommodate off-road trails as well as asphalt. Oddly, rolling resistance is lower, but I'm sure technical details don't enter into your rationale.
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Bike Share isn't for "the average avid cyclist". You're like a coffee connoisseur complaining about Coffee Time or a craft beer geek complaining about Miller Light. You aren't the target market!
 
steveintoronto said:
Bike Share is being heavily supported, if not totally underwritten, by my tax dollars as well as that of many others. Where is the option for persons like myself who'd *gladly* and *willingly* use Bike Share if they offered bikes for bikers instead of bikes for those who wear lead shoes?
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Heavily? Around $15 million has been spent on Bike Share so far. That's about $6 per Torontonian.

And the majority of people are fine with the bikes. Why should they spend more money to cater to a minority?
 
amnesiajune said:
I have with a university education in this, and you're completely wrong. Aluminum doesn't rust or corrode in the real world. (If you're gonna be stupidly technical, aluminum does corrode but that produces aluminum oxide, which doesn't. Essentially you get a very thin layer of rust on top of anything made of aluminum, which gives aluminum its matte metallic color). It can corrode in extremely acidic or basic environments, but people wouldn't be able to survive in the kind of environment where aluminum corrodes.

There's no reason why they should use a bike that doesn't have an aluminum frame. Steel is way too heavy and lighter materials won't last long.
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Uh huh. You epitomize the rampant assumptions on many aspects of the machines, let alone the market for bike share:
By Jim Langley

Our last Tech Talk of 2015 provided 5 tips for Winterizing Your Ride, which, unless you live in the southern hemisphere should come in pretty handy about now. Even here in recently drought-plagued Northern California, we’re getting a lot of rain and cold already in 2016.

In the introduction to that article, I wrote, “It’s easy for water to get inside frames, and it’s a common cause of rusting on steel frames (there are no such worries with aluminum, titanium or carbon frames).”

Aluminum corrodes, too
To which Holland, Michigan, roadie Kerry Irons took exception and replied, “In your article you twice note that aluminum won't rust. While this is technically correct (rust = iron oxide) the follow-on implication that we don't need to worry about protecting aluminum frames is not correct. Aluminum (especially when exposed with no anodizing or paint) will easily corrode, and that corrosion is enhanced by the same things that make steel rust faster.

“Of course you know what happens to aluminum spoke nipples that haven't been properly lubed during a build. The white powder that we see on exposed aluminum is aluminum oxide, and I can attest from personal experience that aluminum frames certainly do corrode and need the same kinds of protection that steel does.”

I asked Kerry if he would like to share his experiences with aluminum corrosion to help other RBR readers, and he agreed. So this week, I’m turning over Tech Talk to him.
[...]
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https://www.roadbikerider.com/tech-gear/tech-columns/tech-talk/1839-about-aluminum-corrosion
 
To which Holland, Michigan, roadie Kerry Irons took exception and replied, “In your article you twice note that aluminum won't rust. While this is technically correct (rust = iron oxide) the follow-on implication that we don't need to worry about protecting aluminum frames is not correct. Aluminum (especially when exposed with no anodizing or paint) will easily corrode, and that corrosion is enhanced by the same things that make steel rust faster.
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He's getting into technical stupidity. What happens to aluminum is that it forms a very thin layer of aluminum oxide, which doesn't corrode, and that thin layer protects the aluminum. Aluminum oxide only corrodes in environments that would kill humans within seconds. In practice, aluminum does not corrode.

Again, an aluminum frame is exactly what every Bike Share system should be using. It's not heavy, extremely durable, and very resistant to weather damage. The huge number of bikes that predate Metrolinx's involvement in Bike Share is a testament to this.
 
Here's the direction the model is moving towards, albeit it still has some distance to go: (The Dutch national bike-share is also going this way) https://www.ns.nl/en/door-to-door/ov-fiets/the-ov-fiets.html
SINGAPORE — Homegrown bike-sharing firm oBike will add 1,000 new and lighter bicycles all over the island on Wednesday (May 10).

The bicycles are 5kg lighter with a slimmer frame, and have deeper baskets to hold bulkier or more items. Other enhanced features are the one-piece steel handlebars that are more ergonomic and streamlined for easier manoeuvres. [...]
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http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/obike-deploy-lighter-bicycles-new-features

I find this debate reminiscent of the early introduction of "Foreign" cars to the North Am market decades ago. Many of the same mantras were mimed then for cars as people are now for bike share.

And how many behemoth motorized vehicles are sold or rented now? Bike Share is an excellent approach. It's time to bring the machines into the modern era too.

"Other enhanced features are the one-piece steel handlebars that are more ergonomic and streamlined for easier manoeuvres." Well of course. Whose bright idea was it to do it otherwise?

Many answers to endurable bikes were figured out almost a century ago. Reynolds tubing was originally aimed at aircraft, adapted to bike use, the alloy still unsurpassed to this day. The Sturmey-Archer internal epi-cyclic three speed hub was also from the Thirties. Only slight improvements have been made since (multi-ratios and engagement mechanisms mostly).

As time progresses, the Bike Share machine is looking more and more like the ergonomics of the the last century. No great surprise there, lessons to be learned, including keeping the weight down, durability up, and usability optimal.
 
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