Have You Seen These Orange Bikes Around Rochester?

Have you seen anyone riding these orange bikes around the Med City? What are they-- and how do you get to ride one?

I'm a big bicyclist, and love to get out on my bike and hit the trails in and around Rochester.  So I was curious when I saw this row of bright orange bikes lined up outside the People's Food Co-Op, along 1st Avenue SW in Rochester the other day.

As it turns out, they're part of the Nice Ride Rochester bike rental program, which only recently opened here in the Med City. Nice Ride bikes have been available in the Twin Cities for several years already, but as a bikeshare program. As of last Friday, however, they're now available here in Rochester, too-- but as a standard bike rental program.

According to the Nice Ride website, the program offers "bikes for rent for a flat fee by the hour, or by the day. The bike is designed for all types of riding, from short errands like a trip to the grocery store to longer rides of ten or more miles. All bikes come fully outfitted with everything you need for a great biking adventure."

Right now, you can rent them from two locations: People’s Food Co-op (seven days a week) and Peace Plaza (Monday through Friday only). And while renting them in the Twin Cities can be done at the self-serve kiosk, for now, you have to rent them from a staffer (though, if successful here, automated stations might be available down the road, so to speak.)

The sight says Nice Ride Rochester is a "pilot project designed to increase biking in Rochester by both residents and visitors." I think it's a cool idea! Would you be interested in renting a Nice Ride Bike?