El Paso Bike Share

ep bike share stationBike share! What a great idea! I love to ride my bike. And now there’s rental bikes, all over the city center!

And the bikes look nice. Well, they look okay. They look like tanks, really. They must tip the scales at close to forty pounds. But that’s not a problem if you stay on the flats. Once you get going, the weight gives you inertia. Three speed grip shift. Drum brakes. Step-through (girl’s) frame. Fenders and lights. And a basket.

ep bike share kiosk signWhat!? Six bucks for a half an hour? And $2 for each half hour after that? And a max charge of $65 a day, according to the website. (Note: $6 + (23.5 * $2) = $53, and $53 < $65.) Well, six bucks is a little steep. For six bucks you can go see a matinee. All day on the buses costs $3.50. ep bike share website ratesBut look, you can get a monthly pass for thirty rats, and for that, the first half hour of every trip is included, according to this website. Does that mean if I take two half hour trips in a day, they’re both included? Because that’s what my limited command of the English language leads me to believe the website says.

Well, thirty bucks for a month of bike rides isn’t too bad. And then it’s $50 for 120 days, and $75 for a year. It might be worth it if you went to UTEP, and commuted to downtown, just to scoot downhill. You might hit 25 mph going down Oregon. Then you just drop the bike off at one of those stations.

It might be a good idea to put a station up at Scenic Point. Or at the top of Transmountain.

At least until we get a zipline.

9 comments

  1. I am completely turned off by the simple fact that they dare to call it “Bike share,” when no one is sharing anything! Note even the streets (since most motorists fail to see too many bikes). Also, looking at your figures, I’d say that if one really, really, really wants to ride a bike, he’d be better off just buying one at Walmart.

  2. Just saying you can walk around downtown for free..What is also expensive are parking meters!

  3. If it the bike share makes money great. Prices sound steep to me but it’s here. I’d like to move down town though just because of your writings. I’ll give it a shot, but hopefully there is a bike share check in at the bridge.

      1. Bikes should be set up by people who know what they’re doing. You’re not saving any money if you buy a bike and don’t ride it. And you’re more likely to ride a bike that works properly, and doesn’t rattle and squeak.

        You know, you get what you pay for. If you’re lucky.

        1. Ordinary, everyday bikes? I suspect you’re thinking of special racing bikes, not the standard, no gears, foot brakes, simple, stripped-down bike that used to be the norm. And, I’ve seen plenty of them at places like Walmart.

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