Take a complimentary ride on the Three Rivers Heritage Trail

In case you didn’t know, Friends of the Riverfront has a community bike program. All you have to do is sign up to get a swipe card, and there are bikes available on the Southside Trail and the North Shore Trail.

By Rochelle Hentges
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, April 5, 2007

If Tom Baxter stood out on a corner with a sign that read “Free Bike Rentals,” he’d have a hard time getting people to believe him.

As executive director of Friends of the Riverfront, Baxter heads the Community Bike Program, which allows Pittsburgh-area residents to rent bikes — yep, for free.

People merely complete a one-page application to get a “Blue Bikes” membership card, letting them access the bright blue bikes from lockers stationed on the South Side and the North Shore.

“That’s a good idea,” said Ken Savage as he walked down the Three Rivers Heritage Trail on the South Side. “What’s the membership fee?”

There is none.

“What’s the deposit?” asked Savage, 46, of Mt. Oliver.

Zero.

Really.

“That’s even better,” he said.

You don’t have to tell Nancy Kilbane that. Kilbane joined the program when it started, about two years ago.

“I was newly retired, so I had more free time,” said Kilbane, 59, of Mt. Lebanon. “So biking is my new hobby.”

And it’s the cheapest hobby she’s ever had, she said.

Kilbane said she uses the program about four times a week, always keeping a stash of clothes in her car in case she’s in the area and feels like going for a ride. The program has 30 bikes, 12 of which are on the South Side, where Kilbane usually goes.

“They’re old-fashioned bikes. None of the fancy stuff,” she said. “I mean the bikes aren’t perfect. Sometimes they make noise or the tires are a little flat.”

But they are free. And there’s a phone number on the lockers that members can call to leave comments. Friends of the Riverfront has partnered with Dasani, which gives them a yearly stipend to allow for refurbishing and upgrades on the bikes.

Member comments have led to adjustable seats, water bottle cages and smaller framed bikes for shorter people, Baxter said. “And bells. People love the bells.”

The only real complaint Kilbane said she has is that some of the lockers on the North Shore are beat up from nonmembers trying to break into the lockers and steal the bikes.

Baxter said Friends of the Riverfront is addressing security issues. In the next two months, all of the fiberglass locker doors will be replaced either with galvanized steel or 3/4-inch high-density polyethylene plastic (think kitchen cutting boards).

“A few of them have gone missing, which is normal,” Baxter said. But those hoping to steal a 15-speed Schwinn will be disappointed. The bikes are one-speeds meant for flat, trail riding, Baxter said.

“They max out at 14 mph. Essentially, you can jog faster,” he said.

The program has attracted more than 1,000 members, Baxter said. And on a nice summer day, there might be a short wait for a bike.

But Kilbane said she’s only had to wait once because she doesn’t think a lot of people know about the program.

“It’s a great thing,” she said. “It’s quick. It’s free. I don’t have to lug a bike around.

“But I don’t want anyone to know about it,” she laughed. “I should say it’s horrible.”

Rochelle Hentges can be reached at rhentges@tribweb.com or 412-380-5670.

‘Blue Bikes’ membership
To become a member, go to the Friends of the Riverfront office at 33 Terminal Way on the South Side to fill out an application and get a “Blue Bikes” swipe card.

Lockers are located off of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail: one in the South Side off of 4th Street, and the other along River Avenue adjacent to the Heinz Loft Apartments on the North Shore.

Members can use the bikes seven days a week but only on the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, which snakes through 30 miles of the city. Bikes must be returned by sundown.