This was supposed to be the summer of bike share, but the only bike sharing we saw was some guy on my block who decided he wanted to “share” the front wheel of my bike, and never return it. Mayor Booo-mberg said today that what will eventually be the country’s largest bike share program now won’t roll out until spring 2013 (it was originally supposed to be this July) at the earliest, due to unspecified “software issues.” And as we know, a bike is nothing without its software. So what to do until then? Get some damn wheels of your own, obvs. Here’s some options to help fill the void, from free bike rentals to cheap ones for sale.
1. AirBnB a bike
Ok, it’s not exactly AirBnB, but Spinlister uses the same model: you can pay to rent a bike from your fellow Brooklynites (or rent out a spare for extra cash if you have one). Prices vary by bike, but it’s generally in the $15-$30 per day range.
2. Go to Governors Island
The car-free island off the coast of Brooklyn offers free bike rentals on Labor Day weekend. Before that, you can test ride some Linus bikes while DJs spin for you on Aug. 25. Find stuff to do on the isle in our Governors Island guide.
3. Buy a car
Find all the information you need to do that here.
4. Become a bike owner
It’s way more useful than bike share will be anyway, minus the CitiBank advertising. Here’s a sampling of what’s for sale in Brooklyn on Craigslist and Krrb right now:
This men’s 60cm Centurion Road Bike in BK Heights for $225
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This Paul Frank cruiser for $200 in Williamsburg
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This vintage Free Spirit in Park Slope for $160
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Another Free Spirit for $170 in Williamsburg
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This C.ITOH one for $160 in Williamsburg
____________This sweet classic BMX in Park Slope for $200.
5. Join a gang
And finaly, when all else fails, you could always get a moped.
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Don’t forget Brooklyn Vintage Bicycles. Pete runs it from his house near Marine Park. He’s got hundreds of bikes and takes awesome care of them.