In Praise of CaBi bikes

[S. Arlington Observer]

After almost a year of almost daily commuting with a CaBi bike, I began using my own bike. Though it is fairly basic (a ten speed department store bike about 13 years old), it has more gears and is certainly lighter than the CaBi bikes.

I still use a bus for part of the morning commute (it is uphill and a long way from Shirlington to Courthouse – and I am not a morning type of guy.) I either put the bike on the front of a direct bus or ride to Crystal City and bus from there. I do ride home the entire way and look forward to the exercise and the chance to be outdoors.

The first day I got ready to hop on it to ride to CC on my own bike I realized I had no rack for my gym bag. So I had to finagle a backpack and a gym bag. The first time I tried to load the bike on my direct bus I had to get the driver to show me how. I’ve since installed a rear rack and mastered loading the bike on a bus. So my problems should be solved – and I can ride my own bike every day (using the bus partially in the morning and as a fallback in case of rain.) But the experience has given me a chance to appreciate the CaBi bike for what it is.

This a.m. I was back to a Bikeshare bike because it was a one way commute to Crystal City. (I am leaving to go out of town directly from the office.) I expected the experience to be somewhat of letdown, but it was not. CaBi bikes aren’t for racing and I wish they had a higher gear. But on flat grades they work very well. The fatter tires are more secure on rough pavement (something I think I will especially appreciate during ice season) and yes, the storage in the front is nice. And fenders! Not appreciated by some, but I image will be missed when going through puddles on my personal bike.

I’ll probably still experiment with my own bike. But over time I realize that will mean more maintenance and wear and tear. So, I will also probably mix in the Capital Bikeshare option as well. They’re not racing bikes, but they are good solid reliable transportation. And somebody else always keeps them well maintained.

Topic

[PotomacCyclist]

I started out with a triathlon bike, then a mountain bike too. But most of my rides over the past two years have been on CaBi. It’s so much more convenient in a lot of ways. I just wish that the time limit was a little longer than 30 minutes per ride (before the over-limit fees get added).

[S. Arlington Observer]

@PotomacCyclist 117921 wrote:

I started out with a triathlon bike, then a mountain bike too. But most of my rides over the past two years have been on CaBi. It’s so much more convenient in a lot of ways. I just wish that the time limit was a little longer than 30 minutes per ride (before the over-limit fees get added).

That reminds me of an important point for new users. You can “restart” the 30 minutes at any docking station along the way. My commute home takes more than 30 minutes. So I pull into a station about 1/4 of the way into the ride, dock the bike for about 30 seconds and check it out again. It’s like filling the tank with gas on one of those old fashioned modes of transportation. At first I thought I’d need to change to a different bike, but I found that the SAME bike can be recharged. I don’t even remove my gym bag from the front compartment. Stand there for a moment, admire the sunset, reinsert the key and I am on my way.

Whenever one needs to travel a distance that might take more than 30 minutes she/he should scout out the docking stations along the way for recharging purposes.

[PotomacCyclist]

I do check in the bikes along the way. But recently I’ve been doing some CaBi rides while mapping bike racks for RackSpotter. This means some back-and-forth riding, and meandering routes at times. Sometimes I forget to look at the Garmin and I lose track of how close I am to the 30-min. mark. Then I quickly look up the nearest bike station and head over there. (I’ve missed the time cutoff a few times. I’d prefer not to do that, but I guess there are worse things to spend a few dollars on than paying a little extra into the Capital Bikeshare system. I’m OK with that, as long as it isn’t too much extra.)

[KLizotte]

The Cabi style bikes in NYC are being upgraded (PotomacCyclist posted a recent article about this) so it’s possible we may see new and improved Cabi bikes here as well. Hopefully with an add’l gear and lighter!

[cvcalhoun]

I only wish we had a station close to my house. The lack of that is what has prevented me from ever getting a membership. If I’ve got to take my bike (or worse, a bus) to get to the CaBi in the first place (and to get home afterward), I’d rather just use my own bike. I’m envious of those of you for whom CaBi use is practical!

[PotomacCyclist]

You can suggest new bike station locations on the crowdsourcing map: http://cabistations.com/

http://www.bikearlington.com/pages/bikesharing/capital-bikeshare-crowdsourcing-map/

Suggesting a location doesn’t mean they will automatically add a station there. But if there is enough demand and the location makes sense (access to sunlight for the solar panels, relatively close to other stations, nearby retail/apartment buildings/offices, etc.), then they could add a station there.

DC, Arlington and Alexandria have announced plans to add bike stations this year. I don’t remember what Montgomery County’s plans are. But I found this article from yesterday that indicates the county has earmarked nearly $170 million in its six-year capital budget to improve and expand the existing bikeshare network in the county.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/making-way-for-bicycles-in-a-sprawling-suburb-where-cars-have-always-ruled/2015/06/12/b5f235a6-0a26-11e5-a7ad-b430fc1d3f5c_story.html

Contact your local representatives and let them know that more and more people support Capital Bikeshare. Let them know where you would like them to expand the system. (I believe each jurisdiction handles its station siting independently.) They seem to be listening, even if the move toward a more balanced transportation system is proceeding in fits and starts.

[cvcalhoun]

@PotomacCyclist 117998 wrote:

You can suggest new bike station locations on the crowdsourcing map: http://cabistations.com/

http://www.bikearlington.com/pages/bikesharing/capital-bikeshare-crowdsourcing-map/

Suggesting a location doesn’t mean they will automatically add a station there. But if there is enough demand and the location makes sense (access to sunlight for the solar panels, relatively close to other stations, nearby retail/apartment buildings/offices, etc.), then they could add a station there.

DC, Arlington and Alexandria have announced plans to add bike stations this year. I don’t remember what Montgomery County’s plans are. But I found this article from yesterday that indicates the county has earmarked nearly $170 million in its six-year capital budget to improve and expand the existing bikeshare network in the county.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/making-way-for-bicycles-in-a-sprawling-suburb-where-cars-have-always-ruled/2015/06/12/b5f235a6-0a26-11e5-a7ad-b430fc1d3f5c_story.html

Contact your local representatives and let them know that more and more people support Capital Bikeshare. Let them know where you would like them to expand the system. (I believe each jurisdiction handles its station siting independently.) They seem to be listening, even if the move toward a more balanced transportation system is proceeding in fits and starts.

I suspect a station in my area is unlikely. It’s a purely residential area, and doesn’t even have apartment buildings to increase the density. There is a CaBi station about 3/4 of a mile away, but I can think of few instances in which walking 3/4 of a mile to get to a CaBi would be preferable to using my own bike.

[mstone]

@cvcalhoun 118057 wrote:

I suspect a station in my area is unlikely. It’s a purely residential area, and doesn’t even have apartment buildings to increase the density. There is a CaBi station about 3/4 of a mile away, but I can think of few instances in which walking 3/4 of a mile to get to a CaBi would be preferable to using my own bike.

maybe if you were one of those joggers?

[PotomacCyclist]

What’s wrong with running?

[mstone]

@PotomacCyclist 118393 wrote:

What’s wrong with running?

Absolutely nothing, if you’re being chased.

[GovernorSilver]

How are these bikes for uphill climbing? Is the lowest gear suitable?

[PotomacCyclist]

@mstone 118401 wrote:

Absolutely nothing, if you’re being chased.

Mr. Happy strikes again

Why the strict insistence on separating out everyone by what they do, and creating little warring tribes? I spend almost as much time running as I do cycling. If we followed your approach of an exclusive no-one-else-allowed club, then someone like me should not post here at all because I dare to run. Oh, the horror! :rolleyes:

[PotomacCyclist]

@GovernorSilver 118412 wrote:

How are these bikes for uphill climbing? Is the lowest gear suitable?

I’d say it’s OK for most hills in DC and Arlington. But the main challenge with steeper climbs like Walter Reed Drive in Arlington or some of the hills in Tenleytown is the weight of the bikes. They are significantly heavier than road bikes. I know some people will say that they can still beat most people on regular bikes while riding CaBi, which may be true. But the fact is that you will definitely notice the extra weight on hills, especially if you aren’t a super-strong climber already. It’s not impossible to climb, and it’s not too bad for moderate hills.

If you’re worried about it, try out some of the hills on your route on a weekend. Or take a slight detour, if possible, to avoid the steepest climbs. Sometimes there may be a slightly longer route that spreads out the elevation change over a longer horizontal distance.

[mstone]

@PotomacCyclist 118414 wrote:

Mr. Happy strikes again

Why the strict insistence on separating out everyone by what they do, and creating little warring tribes? I spend almost as much time running as I do cycling. If we followed your approach of an exclusive no-one-else-allowed club, then someone like me should not post here at all because I dare to run. Oh, the horror! :rolleyes:

If you don’t lighten up a little bit, you’ll never be any fun at parties. Do you respond to everything with a wall of text in real life?

[GovernorSilver]

@PotomacCyclist 118415 wrote:

I’d say it’s OK for most hills in DC and Arlington. But the main challenge with steeper climbs like Walter Reed Drive in Arlington or some of the hills in Tenleytown is the weight of the bikes. They are significantly heavier than road bikes. I know some people will say that they can still beat most people on regular bikes while riding CaBi, which may be true. But the fact is that you will definitely notice the extra weight on hills, especially if you aren’t a super-strong climber already. It’s not impossible to climb, and it’s not too bad for moderate hills.

If you’re worried about it, try out some of the hills on your route on a weekend. Or take a slight detour, if possible, to avoid the steepest climbs. Sometimes there may be a slightly longer route that spreads out the elevation change over a longer horizontal distance.

Thanks!

I’m debating whether to ride my own bike to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival or take CaBi. Either way I’ll be coming from the vicinity of Huntington Metro in Alexandria, taking Huntington Ave to either the overpass to Eisenhower (a climb but not as steep a grade as I’ve seen in Tenleytown) or to the pedestrian bridge between Rt. 1 and Washington St./MVT.

I’ve already been dissuaded by someone else from the CaBi option on the grounds that I might fall victim to “dock block” in a festival environment. I was thinking of CaBi in the first place for fear of “rack block”.

[Author]

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