Citi Bike

I’m a huge fan and user of the Citi Bike bike share program in NYC. I have an annual membership, which allows me to take unlimited free 60 minute rides on the classic bikes. I also get discounted e-bike rates, although I rarely take the e-bikes because I like to exercise as I’m riding.

I genuinely believe that it is one of the most efficient ways to get around the city, especially when traveling relatively short distances. Ever since starting to use the Citi Bike, I rarely take the subway anymore. I usually only take the subway when I have to travel a very long distance, like to another borough, or if the weather is really bad.

Normally, the annual membership only grants unlimited 45 minute classic bike rides, but because I am a “Bike Angel” member with 250+ lifetime points, I get the limit extended to 60 minutes. The time limit has rarely been an issue, since you can always just dock and pick another bike to surpass the limit, but it has come in clutch sometimes.

Of course, biking in Manhattan can be a kind of sketchy experience sometimes. There are so many potential dangers, from cars and trucks to ongoing construction. Many people are killed or grievously injured riding bikes in the city every year. It’s no joke.

But there are always risks associated with any method of transportation, and given recent subway incidents, I sometimes feel sketched out simply taking the subway. Being above ground and cycling through the streets feels safer in comparison.

There are also some best practices for biking in the city that can help bikers avoid trouble, like biking defensively, knowing the rules of the road, sticking to and knowing the bike lanes, and overall just biking with the mindset that each ride could be your last based on how careful you are.

Specifically, I’ve found that using the Citi Bike app to plot your route beforehand and to stick to bike lanes is good for ensuring a smooth trip. Also, it’s important to travel in the correct direction on bike lanes, although sometimes, you can get away with traveling a very short distance in the opposite direction, which I will sometimes do if it will save me a significant amount of time and is not extremely dangerous.

After biking for a while, you’ll start to get a feel for where the bikeable roads are, and how to get around Manhattan without even looking at the map.

The bikes themselves are also a bit shoddy. As publicly shared bikes, Citi Bikes can come in all sorts of conditions, from barely usable to great. One time, I had my bike chain break in the middle of a ride, and the force almost caused an injury to my leg, and another time, the pedal fell off as I was riding. It really varies, and over time, I’ve developed my own methods for trying to identify “better” bikes at each station. However, it isn’t perfect by any means, and I often end up with a bike that is passable. If I’m feeling like it, I will switch my bike at the next dock to try to get a better one, although sometimes I will actually end up with a worse bike than I had before. So, I generally try to stick with my original bike unless it is really not working for me.

To me, a great bike is one that is able to get to the highest gear and has no other general issues with the wheels, seats, brakes, etc. However, this can be hard to come across these days. It seems like the gearing is commonly messed up on Citi Bikes. I guess the Citi Bike maintenance program doesn’t pay as much attention to whether or not the gears are working optimally as they do to the other aspects of the bike. Which makes some sense, since the gearing is not super critical to the functioning of the bike. It’s more of a quality of life issue, I guess.

I often hear complaints that the Citi Bikes are very heavy and unwieldy to ride. It is true that the classic bikes can weigh around 45 pounds, which can be problematic if you are on the more petite side. However, I’ve gotten used to them, and I generally feel okay riding them.

Cost-wise, I believe the annual Citi Bike membership allows you to save money if you regularly use it instead of the subway. The annual membership costs around $200 per year, and if you can replace about 60 subway rides with classic bike rides, then you would have broken even.

I rarely take the electric Citi Bikes because they cost extra and are billed by the minute. I also enjoy the cardio exercise from biking around everywhere. However, if there are no classic Citi Bikes available at a certain dock, any e-bikes there will become free to use, although in a “low assist” mode, which can still get quite fast and feels faster than riding a classic bike. So, whenever this happens (quite rarely), I will get a chance to ride the e-bike.

During the winters, biking can be quite brutal, and wearing very warm clothing is very important. I have various sets of clothing and gloves that I will use depending on the temperature outside.

Rain is unfortunately very problematic for me as a biker, as I’ve found it’s hard to stay dry if it’s really pouring outside. A few times, I’ve taken the bike when it was raining, and arrived at my destination with my pants and shoes completely wet (I had a rain jacket on). There are no umbrellas designed for bikers (yet), and I haven’t found a good poncho solution that will keep me fully dry while biking. If it’s raining lightly, I might risk getting a little bit wet, but if it’s raining heavily, I may end up just staying in, or taking the subway if I really need to go somewhere.

Compared to having your own bike, Citi Bike has some pros and cons. Of course, having your own bike means you can make sure your bike is in great shape and that you don’t need to share your bike with a bunch of other riders. But bike ownership can be annoying, too. You need to store the bike in your apartment, and I don’t have much space. You also need to worry about parking and locking your bike once you’ve arrived at your destination, and also about the possibility that the bike might be stolen. When you use a Citi Bike, you just need to find the nearest dock (usually within a few blocks), and then you can dock it and forget about it.

It’s definitely not for everyone, but the Citi Bike, when used correctly and safely, can be a great way to save money, do more cardio by just getting around, and also get around Manhattan more efficiently.