I finally managed to get on one of those blue bikes today, and I must say they are fairly comfortable to ride. It’s not your average bike though. They are heavy, and require a bit of grunt getting them in and out of the parking bay.
Also, the key operation lacked feedback and it wasn’t clear how to use the thing. One thing that was confusing was that a green light meant that the bike was successfully parked (locked) or unlocked (removed). I was wondering how one signal could mean two things that are completely opposed to one another.
Turns out that green means what most people think it means - that the key has been recognized in the slot, and that you’re either A) free to remove the bike from the dock if you’re attempting to get the bike out or B) safe to walk away as the bike has been locked in place if you’re attempting to lock the bike. It just didn’t make sense straightaway when I was using it. So, now I know.
I did make use of http://cyclehi.com to locate the stations, and I was pleased that it worked so well. The near real-time updates of station status (available bicycles and empty docks) seemed to match what I observed at the stations, and on the station terminal screens.
I’ve been making small improvements bit by bit, such as adding the ability to zoom in and out of maps, fixing the search algorithm, and adding an about page and a tips page.
I probably won’t make use of it everyday, but it’ll be useful on weekends to get around town fairly briskly, or to get from one place to another after working hours. I’m still contemplating upgrading to a yearly access fee.
We’ll have to see!
