We Cycle B-Cycle

By Chris Arneson

What’s with all those red bikes with baskets lined up all over the city? That’s B-Cycle, a bike-sharing system that’s been in Denver since April 2010. The bikes are available for rent with an affordable membership. Denver currently has 84 stations supplying around 700 bikes to the metro area. Many of these stations are just blocks from each other, so it’s pretty simple to find one nearby and return it close to your destination, especially in the downtown area.

To rent a bike, you need a credit card, and the lowest price is $9 for 24-hour access. This gives you free riding up to 30 minutes at a time. After 30 minutes, you’re charged $1 for the next 30 minutes, then an additional $4 for each additional half hour.

Memberships start at $15/month or $90/annual. (If you plan to use B-Cycle for more than 10 days throughout the year, it’s smart to grab an annual membership.) Bonus: If you renew your membership, you get a B-card, which allows you to quickly check out a bike at any station.

The area for stations extends from RiNo to the University of Denver campus, bordered by the Highlands and Colorado Boulevard. If you time it right, you should be able to ride most of these areas without the extra time fees, but there’s a bit of space between the south end of Wash Park and the nearest station at Speer Boulevard.

The bikes have really solid construction, and come with a handy basket that’s great for quick trips to the grocery store. If you’re a Cap Hill resident, both Whole Foods and Queen Soopers have stations outside. If you’re unable to find a station close enough to your destination, the bikes come with locks — but keep in mind, the clock is still running on your rental.

Keep a close eye on your wheels, though! If you lose your bike, there’s a hefty replacement fee of $1,188 … and it’s usually charged to your card by the next morning.

B-Cycle isn’t a 24-hour system, which is unfortunate during Denver’s warmer months. You can rent or return a bike from 5am – 12am. If you’re out for a late night, don’t plan on utilizing the system to get home.

But the bike system is more than just a way to get from one place to the next. According to their website, Denver B-Cycle uses electronics to keep track of members and bikes along with all the interactions between users and bikes. Each bike is integrated with a system that tracks the miles you ride, the calories you burn, and the carbon emissions you avoid. To access these, just make sure you’ve signed up online for an account first. All your rides are tracked by the system.

Since the bike-sharing implementation, Mayor Hickenlooper announced a goal to increase the percentage of bicycling commuters from 1.6 to 10 percent by August 2018.

Follow @Denver_BCycle on Twitter for updates on station closures, memberships, and job postings with the company.