Try and not find the yellow, green and orange bikes popping up on every corner in Seattle. I often see them parked near the kids’ school and at community centers on sunny days. Maybe you’ve also seen them being pedaled around South Lake Union and Green Lake too. We have become a biking family-my husband rides to work downtown even on miserable Seattle winter days and when ski season is over the kids and I switch to our bikes as well and we love seeing all the biking around the city. Now I’m super excited about the neon-green, LimeBike e-bikes, especially with all of our killer Seattle hills.
And how easy are the LimeBike E-bikes to ride?
I admit at first I was a little nervous. I have tried a Pedego Electric bike on a recent trip to Orange County and I loved it but it had a bit of a learning curve. I’ve also tried a gas-pedal scooter in Vancouver BC which was also fun but I almost didn’t pass the test to ride it. I met with a team from LimeBike who graciously answered all my questions about this new addition to their bike share and they told me we were going to try the new LimeBike E-bike in the bustling bike lanes on 2nd Avenue! I tentatively hopped on one of the e-bikes and I was impressed at how you just had to pedal. There is no adjusting or learning how to maneuver the power-you just get on,
and go. In a few minutes, I totally felt like an e-biking pro! We even saw another user whiz by on a LimeBike E-bike while I was testing it out.
Do you know how awesome e-bikes are for Seattle hills?!!
Electric-Assist bikes are such a game-changer in the bike world. I really wanted to bike to Pike Place Market when I volunteered there but I was always worried about showing up super sweaty from the few hills I’d have to maneuver. I biked a handful of times but it wasn’t totally feasible. Now, with the LimeBike E-bike I could totally make the ride, show up a lot less winded and it would even be cheaper than parking too!
How many other adventures can you buy for $3?
$3 might even be an overestimation for the price it might cost you to get somewhere downtown. By the time you rent the bike (e-bikes are $1 to unlock the bike and 10 cents a minute thereafter) and zoom to where you’re going, you are looking at a very minimal cost.
And you don’t have to worry about parking.
We have seen quite a few cars pretty vandalized lately in the city-we were at an event in Pike Place Market a little while ago (mark your calendars for next years ChocoFest if you love beer, chocolate and Pike Place Market) and saw a Subaru station wagon near the market with its back windows all bashed in. We took a Reach Now so we wouldn’t have to take our own car or pay for parking (and so we could take an Uber home after the event) and it was really convenient. But we still had to find a spot to park the car near the crowded market once we got there. With bike share bikes you don’t have to worry too much about where you leave them-when you are finished you hop off and lock out of your ride and you are done!
And what about a helmet?
So this is one of my only big concerns about bike-sharing programs. I will not ride a bike without a helmet and I think it’s still a Seattle law so I brought along my own. I have seen many riders though without helmets and I think it’s because it’s hard to carry a traditional helmet everywhere you go. I have found a few helmets that might be a little more portable so you can keep one in your bag and still be safe if you choose an unplanned ride. The most-promising helmet I’ve discovered is by a company called Morpher. It folds up small and flat and then pops up into a wearable helmet when you need it and I’m dying to try this one in real life to see how it actually works. I’ve also seen a cardboard helmet that is both a foldable helmet and a recycleable one so this looks like another good helmet you could keep on hand too (I’m not sure you can actually buy one yet-please let me know if you can!) I have no doubt that with all the innovation in Seattle there will definitely be some creative solutions soon.
Have you tried an LimeBike Ebike or other bike sharing ride in the city? What did you think? And do you have any ideas for helmets with bike sharing? I’d love to hear those too!
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)
Hi Terumi – I’m trying to track down your email address to send you a story idea. Can you provide it? THANKS!!