Exploring The Great Outdoors

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So you’re exploring a city. Walking is slow. Taking a cab or using the subway takes you out of the fresh air. The solution? Riding a bike.

There are three different ways of getting a bike to explore a city:

• Bringing your own. If it’s possible, why not? Don’t forget a lock.
• Renting/hiring a bike. Bike hires have been around for many years on small “vacation” islands such as Nantucket, Massachusetts; however, they are gaining popularity in bigger cities as well. When I was visiting Amsterdam, there was a deal that if we parked for $6 in a specific lot on the edge of the city (to reduce congestion inside the city), we would receive bikes for that day at no additional cost. Of course, they weren’t stellar bikes, but they got us from A to B, and we didn’t have to be afraid of people trying to steal them.
• Using a bike share system. Some cities have developed a bike share system. For example, Melbourne, Australia, has a bike share system that has 50 stations around the city. An annual subscription would only cost $50, but one can also subscribe for a week, or even just a day. The subscription allows a member to simply borrow a bike from one station, and ride it to the next. This is ideal for short trips around the city, provided that you have some idea of where you are headed. At $2.50 for a day of unlimited use of the bike share system, this is much cheaper than the other forms of public transportation in Melbourne. The same is probably true in other cities with a bike share system.

Of course, there are a few disadvantages to relying on public bikes. One does have to find a way to get to the bike hire/share station. It is also possible, though unlikely, that the station you had in mind is out of bikes, or that the bikes are in poor condition. Weather can obviously cause some problems. There is also the issue of safety. Fortunately, many cities are working on updating their roads to better accommodate bikers. For example, Cambridge, Massachusetts is adding green bike lanes to several of the main roads. Last but not least, in many cities, not wearing a helmet is against the law, so you will need to figure out what to do with the helmet when you are not riding the bike.