“Life is like riding a bicycle. In order to keep your balance, you must keep moving.”
– Albert Einstein
If you’re like us and don’t own a bike but enjoy cycling every now and again, LimeBikes are a great alternative to buying and storing a bike. Ditto for scooters! All you need is a smartphone to download the LimeBike app and the map shows you where bikes and scooters are available to be picked up. Once you’ve located your bike, it can be unlocked by scanning the QR code on the back of the bike, just under the seat. LimeBikes are located in many major U.S. cities and several European cities.
How It Works – watch this 60-second video and find out
Recently on a beautiful sunny day, Barry (my husband) and I decided to go for a bike ride along the waterfront bike / jogging path in Foster City, overlooking San Francisco Bay. As neither one of us owns a bike, thanks to LimeBike, our bikes were just a click away. The app-based service lets you locate where any bike or scooter is available for pick up – it shows up as a green circle on your phone. You can tell whether it’s a regular bike, an electric bike or an e-scooter (see picture below).
How Much Does It Cost?
I opted for the regular bike, Barry chose the electric one. All bikes come fitted with a bell, handbrakes and a basket. As you can see from the pic below, the electric bike (on the left) has a battery pack. It’s a little more expensive but easier to ride if you want a little help along the way. You can rent bikes and e-scooters by the minute. LimeBikes cost just $1 for 30-minutes. Electric LimeBikes and Scooters cost $1 to unlock and about 15 cents per minute. Note that LimeBikes cannot be reserved; they are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, so you might want to get an early start before they’re all taken.
Word of Caution:
During our return ride, I switched bikes with my husband to try out the electric bike. I noticed right away that it was much heavier due to the battery pack. When I got on it and touched the pedals, it took off before I was ready. I lost my balance and fell hard with the bike on top of me. At the time, I didn’t realize that I was dehydrated and becoming light-headed. (Note: Be sure to take some water with you – we forgot to take a bottle) – not good as it was a very hot day. Hence the pic below (just a few cuts and bruises… luckily no broken bones!) We actually had a good laugh over it – so much for our relaxing bike ride 🙂
Needless to say, I ended up leaving my bike where it was – with a LimeBike you can drop off the bike or scooter any time, any place (as long as it’s not on private property and doesn’t block traffic or pedestrians). I rested in the shade under a big tree while my husband pedaled his electric-assisted bike back to our car to pick me up.
NOTE: In San Francisco, riders are required to wear helmets. Be sure to check your city to see if helmets are required. Check local listings for helmet rentals or purchase a helmet if you like to ride on a more regular basis.
We’re both looking forward to our next LimeBike or electric scooter adventure. I’ll leave you with an inspirational quote by Confucius…
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.”