Bikeshare: Yellow bikes. Yours for the Taking.

Its hard being into bikes in Toronto. The utilities aim for the bike lanes to make them teeth-rattlingly awful; the Fedex trucks think they are their personal parking lane; drivers do not know that right-side mirrors exist and you risk the door prize every day.

But there are those who try to make a difference. After seeing ratty old yellow bikes in front of MEC we looked into where they came from and discovered the Community Bicycle Network.

CBN runs a number of programs, including:
Bikeshare,"is an innovative community bicycle-lending program in downtown Toronto that provides its members with access to a fleet of bright yellow bikes." -Just show your Season's Pass at any conveniently located hub and ride away on a retro single-speed bike equipped with lock, bell, basket and reflector tape. Use the bike for a couple of hours or the whole day and then drop it off at any hub - not just the one you signed it out of.

One way rental- this is better than owning a bike, you can subway home. We wondered about theft- it happens. However if you have two bikes stolen they cancel your pass.

Other interesting programs are lectures, a neat looking rodeo tonight that we may go look at, and other innovative programs.

Not only that, but if you donate C$75.00 they name a bike after you. ::Community Bicyle Network