social bicycles any bike parking rack Topeka Metro Bikes - part of the "social bicycle" movement where a shared bicycle can be locked to any bike parking rack (Source: Topeka Metro Bikes)

Most people enjoy cycling, but have a hard time accessing a bike or transporting one to a busy city. SoBi, or Social Bicycles, is a growing smart bike sharing system looking to solve that problem as their bicycles can be locked to ANY bike parking rack.

Social Bicycles are connected to the Internet so you can easily book them from your smart phone and pick one up at the nearest bicycle rack. If you're ready to pick up a bicycle with your phone, here are the simple steps to follow:

  1. Open up the SoBi application in your phone. This will show you where nearby social bicycles are parked on bike parking racks nearby.
  2. Select the bike that you want to checkout. Follow the on screen instructions to pay the hourly rental fee. For your initial check out, it might be easier to register online at home first. (There are also monthly and annual fee packages).
  3. Type in your 4-digit personal code on the security keypad on the bicycle. This will unlock the bike and officially check it out to your account. Social bicycles come with a metal U-bar lock that magnetically slides in a holster next to the seat.
  4. Park your SoBi on any bike parking rack. Lock it with the metal U-bar so it is secured on the slot just above the back tire. You'll hear a click once it's secured and the screen will show a "thank you" message to show that your account is logged out.

A bike share program that can use any bike parking rack

Topeka Metro Bikes is a vendor of Social Bicycles. Karl Fundenberger, director of bicycle operations in Topeka, Kansas, found that Social Bicycles was easy to integrate because it works with existing bike parking racks throughout Topeka. You can pick it up or ride the Social Bicycle to any location that has parking.

19-bicycle wave bike parking rack 19-bicycle wave bike parking rac

"Social Bicycles…could not be a better fit for Topeka. Since the SoBis have a built-in lock and real-time GPS, the bikes can be locked at any bike rack," Fundenberger said.

"This allowed Topeka to launch with just 10 main bike share stations, but include more than 50 of the existing bike racks in the city, including some at schools, grocery stores, parks, and centers of community activity. It's also an easy way for any business or organization to get involved in the bike share network—they need only to add good bike parking!"

The Boise GreenBike social bike program calls their program "innovative mobility for downtown Boise.

"Not only is it a great way to recreate and explore Boise's many beautiful parks, but it's also a great way to get across town for a business meeting, for coffee or to run an errand. Best of all, you never have to circle the block to find parking because our bikes can be locked to any ordinary bike rack," the organizers said.

Other bike sharing programs require you to return the rentals to designated bike parking stations. This can be a hassle for bikers who have to find designated racks or ride out of their way to return the bikes to the correct spot. Another challenge is that many times it can be impossible to find an open spot to park a bike at a bike station in a popular location.

SoBi still has designated bike parking racks, but you can lock the bikes on any bike rack around town for an additional $1 charge. Riders who return bikes parked on unaffiliated bike racks to a designated Social Bicycles rack receives a $1 coupon to their account. This encourages the bikes to stay within a manageable geographic area.

Additionally, Social Bicycles are equipped with GPS trackers. This means that stolen or lost bikes can be immediately located. Bikes that have unauthorized movements can signal operators of suspicious activity.

"SoBi offers cities a more advanced approach to bike share, at a much lower price point than dock-based models," said Justin Wiley, director of business development for Social Bicycles. "Since each bike has GPS and wireless connectivity, our system offers real-time data, which helps program staff optimize the system and reduce operating costs. City planners can leverage SoBi data to help improve and expand on local cycling infrastructure."

According to Wiley, Social Bicycle costs are as much as half the price of a dock-based bike share program.

"SoBi has taken all of the technology out of the kiosks and docking stations and integrated them into the bicycle," he said. "Instead of spending capital on kiosks and expensive and bulky docking stations, the SoBi system allows cities to invest in larger fleets of shared bikes."

How can SoBi affect cities?

In Topeka, the first six months of the Social Bicycles program resulted in cyclists pedaling more than 20,000 miles and burning 1 million calories. Most riders are between the ages of 30 and 50, which is a critical time in a person's life to stay physically fit.

Riding bikes is healthier—both for you and the environment. Social Bicycles makes bikes more accessible to encourage it as a healthy activity for our communities. And an alternative to driving a car.

It's surprising how many calories you can burn just riding a bike. A 180 lb. cyclist can burn a whopping 650 calories in just an hour of moderate biking. You'd have to jog almost 5 miles in an hour to burn the same amount on a run. Consider biking to and from work. Or after you're home, go on a ride to unwind from a long day. With a daily bike ride, you can cancel that expensive gym membership without feeling any guilt.

Biking also reduces your carbon footprint. Check out the Bike Commute Calculator to see how many pounds of toxic emissions you save every day that you bike to work instead of driving a vehicle. You can reduce emissions and save money on gasoline by using your bike as transportation.

At a time when obesity and pollution are real issues for communities, it's easy to see how encouraging a community of bikers will have a positive impact. More bicycles encourage healthier citizens and cleaner air. Social Bicycles and increased bike parking rack availability make cycling more accessible so it can really benefit cities as a whole. Plus, it reduces auto congestion. Every city has WAY too much traffic.

Why does the availability of more bike racks make a difference?

The number of bicyclists in America rose by 20 million since spring 2008. This means there are many more bikers searching for a parking spot. If they can't find one, desperate cyclists secure their bikes to poles and trees. This can result in environmental damage to the trees, fines from the police, cut locks by business owners and bicycle theft.

coffee cup custom bike racks Coffee cup custom bike rack

Installing a bike parking rack for your business can help attract more customers. Artistic or custom bike racks can also add to the unique look of a town or business. These custom bike racks provide instant, inexpensive street art that make a town stand out while also providing bike-friendly services to cyclists.

And now with this new bike-sharing technology, a business can add a commercial bike rack to the front of their location and attract all these Social Bicycle riders. Cities can save money by using the existing bike parking racks they already own or shopping for other options.

It's these innovations in bicycle technology that will have a  major impact on the quality of life for all citizens.

The Park Catalog offers a large variety of bike parking racks for towns, parks, universities, schools and businesses.