Bike Stands & Storage

Community bicycle programs (also known as Yellow bicycle programs, White bicycle programs, bike sharing, public bike or free bike) are one variation on an international movement to environmentally friendly transportation. more...

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Community programs appear in all shapes and sizes in cities throughout the world. The central concept is free (or nearly free) access to bicycles for inner-city transport. The goal is to reduce the use of automobiles for short trips inside the city and diminish traffic congestion, noise and air-pollution. Another goal is to reduce thefts of privately owned bicycles.

The bikes can be returned at any station in the system, which facilitates one way rides to work, education or shopping centres. Thus, one bike may take 10-15 rides a day with different users and can be ridden up to 10,000 km (6000 miles) a year ( this figure from the city of Lyon, France). The distance between stations is 300-400 m (1000-1300 feet) in inner city areas.

Community bicycle programs without user electronic identification struggle against theft and vandalism. In one program tried in 1993 in Cambridge, United Kingdom, all 300 bicycles were stolen on the first day of operation, and the program was abandoned.

In many community bicycle programs, each bicycle is painted yellow, white, or another solid colour. This is usually done for two primary reasons. First, as a fleet of coloured bicycles begin to appear around the city, it helps to get the word out about the program. Secondly, many programs paint over the brand name and other distinguishing features of the bicycle, some even going so far as to paint every component such as the pedals, shifters, and wheels. This is very helpful in deterring theft since the painted bicycle has little resale value.

Most of the more successful programs have designed their own bike with singular designs of frame and other parts to prevent disassembly and resale of stolen parts.

Types

There are many ways to provide community bicycles, but most programs are loosely based around one of the following designs:

Unregulated

In this type of program the bicycles are simply released into a city or given area. In some cases, such as a university campus, the bicycles are only designated for use within certain boundaries. Bicycles in this type of program are not intended for use by a single person. Instead, you are expected to leave the bike unlocked in a public area once you reach your destination.

In Amsterdam, the police were concerned about the possible theft of white bicycles, so a municipal ordinance was passed, requiring every bicycle in the city to be equipped with a lock. Within a week, every white bicycle sported a combination lock, with the combination painted legibly on the lock. It is not known whether any of these bicycles were stolen; it is not clear what the term \"stolen\" would mean in this context.

Read more at Wikipedia.org