Have you noticed the bike stations popping up around town? Have you been looking forward to the day when you could ride one of the bikes across town to your favorite lunch spot or take a quick a.m. spin through the Riverpark? If so, then I have good news: The day has arrived! The Bike Chattanooga Bicycle Transit System is open to the public, making it the first large scale bicycle transit system in the Southeast.
With issue of “when” resolved, only two questions remain: How well does it work and how much does it cost?
Chattanooga is about as bike friendly as a city can get. Sure, there are a lot of hills, but there are also plenty of bike lanes on busy streets, and the relatively compact nature of the greater downtown area makes getting to a destination fairly easy. The bike-accessible bridges are nice, as is the Tennessee Riverpark, a scenic, moderately easy path that snakes along the shore of the Tennessee River for eight miles from Ross’s Landing to Chickamauga Dam. So unless you’re a devout “loungian” (it’s a real word; I found it on the Internet), there’s no excuse for not giving two-wheeled transportation a shot.
I usually run the Riverpark, but recently decided to take the bicycle transit system for a test run. Being an early riser, I drove to work and hiked to the station at the Bluff View Art District. Each station features a solar-powered kiosk consisting of a 7-inch color LCD screen, a credit card reader, a wireless GPS interface, and member and smart card readers. Unfortunately, the LCD screen was on the blink, so I walked to the station at Georgia and 5th Street. As I approached the kiosk, I was relieved to see its screen glowing in the dim early morning light.
This is where my ride got a little bumpy – and I wasn’t even on a bike yet. The press release issued by Bike Chattanooga, and subsequently many of the reports in the media, say “24 access passes are available for $6 at each kiosk.” My initial thought was, wow, six bucks is pretty good for a day’s use! I envisioned going for a ride, then taking the bike up to my office, then biking to lunch, and then returning it at the end of the work day after another brief spin.
Um, no.
Six dollars gives you 24-hour access to unlimited one-hour rides. However, if at any time the bike remains in your possession for longer than one hour, you’ll pay $5 for every additional 30 minutes you keep it, up to a maximum charge of $100.
You can work the system by returning a bike within the one-hour time limit, waiting five minutes, and then grabbing another bike, which would be convenient in some situations. Imagine riding one of the bikes to a restaurant, returning it at a nearby station, eating a leisurely lunch, and then grabbing another bike and returning to the office. Although that might take you more than one hour, as long as you’re not in possession of a bike for more than 60 minutes at a time, you won’t be charged extra money.
You can currently purchase a year-long membership for $60, giving you unlimited one-hour rides for one year, which is a great deal – as long as you limit your time on the bikes.
You’ll also need some money in your bank account or space on your credit card, as the system places a $101 hold on your account for seven days to ensure you’ve returned the bike. This is understandable, but it could be a cost barrier for some people.
After swiping my debit card, entering my phone number and zip code, and navigating a few additional screens (there’s a lengthy disclaimer screen I assume says something along the lines of, “If you have a heart attack or steer into traffic while riding one of our bikes, it’s not our fault”), I got a printed receipt with a number code. My next task was to punch the code into a “keypad” on one of the bike stands. It took me a moment to figure out the “keypad” was the card reader, which has three numbers alongside the slot. Three punches and one audible click later, and I was pulling my bike onto the sidewalk.
The bicycles are nice. Each one comes with a step-through frame suitable for male and female riders, chain and skirt guards, front and rear lights, a large seat and seven-speed gearing. They’re not stylish, but they have all the right features.
They also ride well. Gearing and braking are responsive, and the tires held my weight. Whether I was shifting into high gear at the bottom of a hill or slipping into a lower gear to make the climb back up, I felt as though I was in control.
The adjustable seats are another nice feature. When I hopped onto mine, it was too low for me, but a quick adjustment had me riding comfortably. The bikes are designed to accommodate people from five feet to six feet, five inches, so if you fall outside that spectrum (as my wife does), you might be out of luck.
Another nice feature: the secondary locking system, which allows you to secure your bike for short stops without having to return it to a station. I stopped on the Riverpark to photograph rowers, and appreciated the opportunity to not worry about someone stealing my ride while my attention was elsewhere.
Bike Chattanooga has over 300 bikes at 28 fixed stations, so accessibility is good. There are stations from Main Street on the Southside to the North Shore and the UTC campus. While the system is designed for short trips within this footprint, there are no restrictions on where you may ride.
I’m considering a yearlong membership. I have easy access to the Riverpark from my office, and can see taking several rides a week, either for exercise or to lunch. Sixty bucks is cheaper than an annual gym membership, and I won’t have to maintain and haul my own bike. I also might bring my wife, who doesn’t own a bike, downtown some weekend and introduce her to the Riverpark and the Saturday River Market outside the Tennessee Aquarium.
What reasons might you have for renting one of the bikes?
Email David Laprad at dlaprad@hamiltoncountyherald.com.