– –
By contributing writer Katie Campos: Reddy bikeshare Founding Member, Buffalover, Education Reform Agent
– –

Read on and I’ll let you in on the secret to becoming an esteemed  member of Reddy bikeshare!

“You never know when you’re just going to need to jump on a bike,” said Cindy Gimbrone, Founding Member of Reddy bikeshare and Slow Roll #squad member. Cindy wore her red dress with little bicycles on it to the Reddy bikeshare Ambassador training on Wednesday. Cindy’s enthusiasm matched the love and expertise that Reddy bikeshare brings to Buffalo.

Reddy bikeshare is hitting the streets of Buffalo this week with 200 state-of-the-art, GPS-capable bikes, with  stations located all around the city where you can pick up a Reddy bike. You can download the Social Bicycles (Sobi) app for IOS or Android, and get riding in minutes. The app allows you to find and reserve bikes and also tracks all of your trips.

As Reddy bikes just start to hit the road, there are already 30 founding members. By the end of August, they hope to  have 200  members signed up for the program. What are you waiting for!? Signing up is way easier and way faster than waiting for uber ice cream to deliver. http://bit.ly/29mkdPj

Becoming a founding member is a great deal – you get 3 years of unlimited access to Reddy bikes, and you get invited to awesome parties. Like the party I just left, which felt more like eating pizza and drinking beers with your favorite friends.

I became a founding member for a few reasons…

First

The main reason is because I want to be a part of their incredible team – they are committed to making Buffalo a stronger, more connected, thriving community. I share an office building with Shared Mobility Inc., and I see how hard this team works and how much fun they have – and I wanted to be a part of that. Jen White, one of the 3 founders of Reddy bike’s sent an email inviting us to an Ambassador training that started with: ” First, we love you. Straight up love you.” The love is mutual, Reddy bikeshare.

Second

I know I will use Reddy bikes all the time – it will be so easy to grab a bike and scoot down to Thin Man or Acropolis or Canalside and not have to worry about parking. Now that there are more bike lanes, it’s a breeze. And, as Cindy Gimbrone called out as she flew by me on a Reddy bike, “Oh my gosh, this is so perfect to ride in a dress”. These bikes are great for errands, commuting, or just for fun to explore the city. They are amazingly convenient in place of driving and parking, and allow you to get some exercise as you travel around town.

Third

I am the Executive Director of Teach For America Buffalo, and we recruit people from all over the country and from our backyard to move (home) to Buffalo to teach in our highest needs schools. Reddy bikes are a perfect way to introduce re-pats and new-pats to Buffalo by bike. And, in most cases, corps members are moving from one of over 50 US cities that already has a bike sharing program.  Reddy bikeshare is eager to re-ignite a love of bicycling in residents and visitors of the city of Buffalo.

Sign-ups for annual memberships are now available at this link: http://bit.ly/29mkdPj

Reddy bikes are manufactured by Social Bicycles, which are state-of-the-art, GPS capable bikes. What’s unique about these bikes is that the technology not only tracks the bike’s location, allowing users to find one when they are out and about, but it also tracks distance, ride duration, estimated reduction in carbon dioxide and a calculation of the money saved instead of driving.

Huge kudos to Independent Health for recognizing the importance of biking as it relates to one’s health, but also the huge added amenity this is providing to the city of Buffalo’s transportation scheme, environmental initiatives, and all around fun service. These bikes are aluminum, super light, easy to ride, and have a convenient front basket to store your goods. The city of Buffalo is so accessible by bike, you can get from the north end of the city to the south in under 50 minutes. In the summer time, it’s the best way to travel – to see Buffalo from a different perspective. And now it’s going to be even easier with bikes available on demand 24/7, “reddy” and waiting for you to go explore the Queen City.

Questions from the night:

What if you don’t want to leave the bike at a Reddy rack?Park the bike on any public bike rack within city limits for a $2 charge, and Reddy bikeshare staff will  pick it up and bring it back to a station for you.

How do I know if there is a bike available? Check out the app, and it will tell you how many available bikes are at the station nearest you!

What if I get a flat? First, call your legislator directly and demand that the State pass a law to allow Uber in Buffalo. While you are waiting for Uber to be allowed in Buffalo,  You can lock the bike to the nearest rack and hit the “REPAIR” button on the rear panel. Check your app for the next nearest bike or call Reddy bikeshare’s emergency line.

Am I liable for any damage to the bikes??First of all, these bikes are extremely hardy, they don’t damage easy – they are 50 lbs of steel. Nonetheless  if anything should happen ,  you won’t be charged for damage to the bike unless it was purposeful .

Does Reddy bikeshare ride in winter? No, they don’t have snow tires…yet. They hibernate from mid-November to March.