On my recent visit to Denver, my daughter and I decided using the B-Cycle might be a good way to see the city. For $9 we each become a "member" for 24 hours (there are also yearly fees for local residents), which gave us access to racks of red bicycles that are strategically placed in key locations around the Denver area, most prevalent in the downtown. We started our adventure at the Botanic Gardens.
We had 30 minutes to get to our next destination before other fees would start kicking in and adding up. I set the alarm on my phone and we started riding, exploring lovely Cherry Creek with the winding roads and unique mansions. Then we headed to Capitol Hill to refresh and exchange the bikes. We rode down the flooded Cherry Creek river to Confluence Park, taking a break at a bicycle festival with food and music along the way.
Another exchange at the REI got us into downtown and the 16th street mall. We dropped the bikes and had dinner on the patio at the Paramount Cafe where we enjoyed watching the multitude of tourists and locals converge. Then we found a nearby B-Cycle station and rode to Congress Park for some ice cream at Liks.
Every 20 minutes my alarm would sound, and we would start looking for the nearest B-Cycle station. Most often, we just exchanged them after 15 minutes or so if we saw a station. It felt like a scavenger hunt: fun! The phone app was very helpful in leading us to stations outside of downtown and only once did we run into a station in a popular area that was full, but we found another about 2 blocks away.
The bikes look clunky and heavy but are actually very comfortable and surprisingly easy to ride. After experiencing the soft B-Cycle seat, I might need to get one for my own road bike. As the sun went down we pulled into a station close to my daughter's city apartment. What a fun day, in a beautiful city, using a great way to get around!