do you bixi?

bicycle + taxi = bixi. quickly becoming my favourite way to get around this city, the montreal-based bixi is a very popular bike share program. with stations smattered around the city (just on the island of MTL actually), it's a super convenient way to get from point a to point b.

the idea is that you go to the bike station (large bike racks on random city streets) and either pay for a single use or insert your bixi key-tag and unlock your bike. if you are a subscriber (which we are), you get to use the bixi for 45 mins before having to return it. to any other bike station around town. if you don't subscribe, it's only 30 mins.

the bikes are rather comfortable dutch-style bikes (or hipster bikes, as my friend noted) but have 3 gears and hand brakes. there are built in lights that flash when you pedal, and a rack at the front to hold a bag or 2. they are all easily adjustable for varying heights and easy to ride.

at first, we didn't know what to make of the bixis. we have our own bikes, so we thought it might just be an unnecessary expense. but as the stations started to pop up around town, slowly infiltrating the streets, we were intrigued. we weren't going to subscribe, mostly because the nearest station to us was about 1km away. not that convenient. and then one day -as if by magic- a bike station appeared about 200m down the road. we were ready to embrace our newfound chariots.

think about it. bixis eliminated the annoying part of riding a bike downtown. you lock the bike, go to the bar. move bars. move bars again. then have to get home. but now instead of trying to remember where you parked your bike, you just hop on a new one...at a station just around the corner.  they also eliminate the risk of having your bike pinched. which i'm told is rather common here. they definitely eliminate the waiting around for the bus, or the price of a taxi. i'd like to say they decrease the quantity of cars on the road too, but i think that most people who use the system aren't those who generally drive everywhere anyhow.

the few downsides to bixi, in my opinion are these. first, very few people wear helmets when riding them. i see the occasional person, but it's definitely an afterthought for most people (myself included) when on the bixi. second, whilst it has encouraged many people to start riding a bike to the metro/work/bar, many of these people don't have bike etiquette (upcoming post...) and are giving good cyclists a bad name. and third, some people get frustrated when they show up to a bike stand and see that they're all full / all gone and have to wait a few minutes before getting their bike (this problem is all but eliminated with the right iphone app. which i have)

the bixi system isn't unique; there are plenty of bike share programs around the world (clearly a budding trend), offering cheap, quick and easy transportation around major cities. but it is fun. and it really is convenient.

so, the question remains: do you bixi?
xo