Get up and Ride National Bike Challenge

National Bike Month begins next Tuesday and the League of American Bicyclists isencouraging everyone to get up and ride more. With having a bike share system in our wonderful city, this challenge becomes that much easier. We challenge all of our b-cyclers to ride more in May and show the rest of San Antonio how awesome b-cycling, and biking in general, can be.

The National Bike Challenge is an opportunity to challenge yourself to ride more often. Record your rides, and add up the miles you've ridden, the calories you've burned, and the gas money you've saved. You can connect with other riders in the challenge, or embrace the spirit of competition by winning points for your employer, your community, or your state. You also become eligible for prize drawings after you've logged just three days on your bike.

You'll be part of a team of more than fifty thousand riders logging over ten million miles, demonstrating the power of the bicycle to build healthy people, healthy communities, and a healthy planet.

Participation is free, and open to anyone in the United States, or who is employed by a participating U.S.-based company.

Join at: http://www.endomondo.com/campaign/national/ and keep us updated on how it is going!

B-fit, B-green, B-cycle!

B-cycling Rules at Any Age

photo credit: www.joshhuskin.com



Solar San Antonio founder, Bill Sinkin, was recently featured in San Antonio Magazine's article about 101 fun things to do in San Antonio. Guess what made the list? Yep. B-cycling. The awesome thing about using the bike share system is that it really is universal and for EVERYONE. And, you really do get to experience the city in a new way, even if you have lived in SA your entire life. Bill Sinkin will be 99 in May and he still works. AND b-cycles. Happy Early Birthday, to a man that should inspire us all to B- MORE fit, green, and, of course, to B-cycle.

 

Why don't you experience Fiesta in a different way this year and b-cycle to your scheduled festivities. I am sure Bill would approve...

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day! In celebration of our dear Earth, we are offering $10 off annual memberships for TODAY ONLY! Visit our website and enter the promo code "earthday" when registering and get your annual membership at 20% so you can start treating the Earth better through b-cycling!


B-fit, B-green, B-cycle

Happy Friday and Happy Fiesta!

VIVA

To B or not to B this Fiesta...

Fiesta begins in a few days and we have a feeling it is going to be one of our busiest weeks of the year. 

Everyone has a Fiesta agenda... catch a parade, eat a gordita, crack a cascarone on a coworker, the list goes on and on. But, this year the City has an agenda of its own and it encourages Fiesta-goers to enjoy a more green, fit and friendly week. Amidst all of the indulgence and celebrations, Mayor Castro is encouraging Fiesta-goers to think "green" by recycling, making healthier food choices, etc. Most duly noted in his press release was the mention of the "opportunity to positively impact the health of residents and visitors through a citywide initiative to encourage participants to remain physically active while enjoying the festivities. Fiesta attendees are encouraged to utilize the city's bike share program, San Antonio B-Cycle, to travel to and from downtown Fiesta events, and participate in various events that promote physical fitness." Avoid the parking nightmares and crazy traffic by hopping on a b-cycle to get to and from your event and burn a few calories pre-Fiesta events.

Why not hop on a b-cycle to travel from event to event? It makes perfect sense. It is a win-win for everyone. Even the Mayor thinks it is a great idea. It's good for you and the environment. It will also make you feel less guilty about indulging in those margaritas and gorditas at NIOSA...

Below are some suggested routes from stations that may help you map out your fiesta details. Check out our website for exact locations of stations and to print off a more detailed map.

 

From the North:

Park at Pearl or SAMA and ride B-cycle following S. St Mary's to downtown; dock at Convention Center; Hemisfair Park, Central Hub, VIA Super Stop

From the East:

Ride the Bus to Ellis Alley on Crockett St and ride B-cycle following Commerce St. to downtown; dock at Convention Center; Hemisfair Park, Central Hub, VIA Super Stop

From the West:

Park near UTSA and ride B-cycle from Pico de Gallo or Market Square to downtown; dock at Convention Center; Hemisfair Park, Central Hub, VIA Super Stop

From the South:

Park in King William and ride B-cycle from Blue Star, Liberty Bar or SAHA Park to downtown; dock at Convention Center; Hemisfair Park, Central Hub, VIA Super Stop

***FYI- La Villita will be closed from the 18th-28th, so don't pencil it in to your route!


Viva Fiesta and Viva B-cycle!!!



B-fit, B-green, B-cycle

Connectivity

Happy Monday!
Most of you all have probably heard that SABS expanded once again and we are super pumped about it. We have added 3 stations to make our system total 23 stations and about 230 bikes... not bad that we have almost doubled the amount of stations and bikes in the program in a little more than a year! SABS is certainly well on the way to meeting its ultimate goal.

The key to any bike share system's success, no matter where it is located, is density. Yes, a city that already had a large commuter base to start out with may have an easier time in the beginning with ridership; but, ultimately denisity is what makes or breaks a bike share system. The greater the number of stations, the greater connectivity of the system to provide more bikes to San Antonians. San Antonio B-cycle wants to reach the greatest population of individuals in the most efficient and effective way. As we continue to add to the number of stations and bikes in our fleet, our dream of being a bicycling commmunity becomes more of a reality.

The ultimate goal is to have 500 bikes and 50 stations. Wouldn't it be awesome to be downtown, and even further out to its nearby corridors, like Broadway, and see a station within eyesight at all times?  Pretty cool thought... and we think we might just get there!

Check out our website for more info on where the new stations are located...

B-fit, B-green, B-cycle!

What can you get for $.16???

Most of us know that bike sharing is a good deal. It is good for your health, environment, AND your wallet. We wanted to see exactly how economically-friendly the program really is so we decided to do a little math... Here is what we calculated.
1 year membership = $60 ... 60/365 = $.164 ... So, being an annual member costs you about 16 cents/day.

1 ride = 30 minutes ... .16/30 = $.0055 ... So, every trip costs you about 1/2 a cent/minute.

Not bad... especially when comparing to almost $4 a gallon for gas. Yikes.

After doing our elementary arithmetic, we decided to take it one step further and figure out what else you can get for $.16 a day. We, of course, turned to google for research and our preliminary findings found...not much. There really is not much of anything you can get for 1 cent these days, which further supports our conclusion that b-cycling is an awesome deal. and. rocks.

What we did find for $.16/day:

-about .045 gallons of gas. That is like nothing.
-16 wishes in a fountain or wishing well (we came up with this one on our own)
-16 cents of your dollar that you purchase your food with goes to the farm
      (http://www.good.is/post/feast-your-eyes-16-cents-of-each-dollar-you-spend-on-food-goes-to-the-farm-what-happens-to-the-rest/)


Well, that's about it. Moral of the story- everyone should b-cycle. It is cheap.


Anyone think of anything else good that you can get for $.16? Please share.


B-fit, B-cycle, B-cycle... AND B-smart and B-thrifty.

Where do you B: Guest Blog

One of our MFB's (most frequent b-cyclers), Ray Maldonado, has clocked some serious mileage and trips since he became a member of the program. He is a pro at using the system and taking advantage of its benefits. He was kind enough to share his B-cycle experience/expertise with us. Thanks, Ray. You rock.

Dear B-Cycle,

Like any multimodal resident of San Antonio I’m always looking for new ways to travel efficiently, quickly, and most of all safely. When my coworkers told me about B-Cycle I was intrigued with the idea of bike sharing especially downtown where dense traffic restricts getting to points of interests in a timely manner. At the time I had a mountain bike, and lived near my office (MPO; SouthTown). Less than a month of bike ownership later I broke a pedal, caught a flat, and the bike was stolen from my complex. Soon after that I subscribed to B-Cycle’s annual program and sold my motorcycle, my only motorized transport. From October 2011 – January 2012 I  B-Cycled to work everyday and even on weekends to enjoy downtown scenery; Christmas décor on the Riverwalk was amazing! After just three months of daily riding I had traveled 200+ miles, scored all kinds of freebies on Nuride.com, and saved up enough to buy a motorcycle & truck! Not to mention I could feel the health benefits of muscle strength, increased energy, and weight loss. It’s been a fun ride, and as the weather improves I hope to be back on B-Cycle regularly :)

Ride Safe,

Ray Maldonado

Interested in sharing where you B? Shoot us an email!

B-fit, B-green, B-cycle!