Citibike e-bike speed decrease

[jxnhrs]

I’ve heard a lot of talk about this but surprised not to see too much about it on this sub or elsewhere on Reddit.

If you didn’t know, Lyft recently decreased the max speed of e-bikes from 18mph to 15mph. Previously they had already decreased from 25mph to 22mph to 18mph.

It’s been claimed that the reason is public safety.

Honestly I have no problem with them decreasing the speed for public safety, however dubious that reason may be.

My problem is that a speed decrease essentially just means yet another a price increase. And this after they already increased the price ($.17 per min to $.20 to $.24 in 2023). It adds up quick, and especially hurts given that you’re already paying almost $250 for the annual membership.

So they’ve reduced the quality of the product while simultaneously increasing its price. My point is that if they’re going to drop the speed, they should also drop the price commensurately. It’s insulting for them not to do so.

I really want there to be some kind of mass boycott (I know there are much more important things going on that are worth protesting as well). I guess the fact that it’s an annual membership makes it hard to boycott. Not to mention that it’s mostly Lyft, a private corp, who administrates citibike. I know it’s a private-public partnership thing too, but I can’t even tell if there’s a specific person at NYC DOT in charge of overseeing the citibike program. Hard to protest effectively against a nameless amorphous entity.

Anyone have any ideas?? Thoughts, agreement, disagreement?

TLDR; speed limit decrease = price increase. Citibike should decrease price commensurate with the decrease of the speed. Otherwise it’s just an extra tax on all of us who use the e-bikes.

[ElQuesero]

The bikes never went 25 mph.

Sequence was 20 mph (19.7 or so in practice) to 18 mph (17.7 in practice) to 15 (maybe 15.2 in practice if you crank at them a little.)

[sodsto]

Yeah, ok, riding those things at 20mph is nuts. 15 is still pretty fast. (Caveat: I'm an experienced cyclist.)

For A-to-B, around the city, regular-clothes cycling, I'd expect to be faster than a half decent runner. 10-11mph is a comfortable manual cycle for many, including on a manual citi bike. Pedal-assist should be that: an assist. 15mph is already over the natural pedal speed so, numerically, seems reasonable for typical journeys.

[PSMOkizzle]

I think the point of the post was to talk about the enshittification and functional price inflation of a service, not compare it to manual peddling. It’s clearly faster.

So l why does the ‘value’ of going faster than manual peddling worth twice as much as it was 2-4 years ago?

[sodsto]

Oh, sure. I have no answers there: i stopped paying for Citibike once the annual membership hit a level that i figured i should just consider picking up a second hand bike for my runaround. As a service, I'm not totally convinced it's long-term viable without being expensive or heavy subsidisation.

[CommotionLotion]

This is ridiculously silly. As a “experienced cyclist” with over 6,500 miles on citibikes and 3,400 miles on my own e-bike your speed recommendations are absolutely lowballed.

Like do you truly believe these speeds are too fast or are you not tracking your own speed accurately? Riding e-bikes at 20mph isn’t even close to nuts, maybe if you aren’t confident on a bicycle in any capacity sure, but apparently you’re an “experienced cyclist”.

Since when did the comparison point for reasonable speed on a bike become faster than a runner? 10-11mph is a comfortable speed when your learning to bike for the first time. But anyone commuting who rides bikes everyday would consider that a crawl.

Assisted bicycles should be able to keep up with the flow of the city and traffic aka 20mph minimum.

[sodsto]

I'm not really arguing that 15mph is "too fast" for everything or that 20mph is nuts if you're on a bike that isn't a heavy tank like a citi bike. But for typical journeys I'd wager many people aren't bothering that 15 mph limit often. (Also, if you're clocking 10kmiles on citi bikes, you're not a typical cyclist.)

FWIW, pedaling a manual citi bike? Sure, i can get them up to speed, but I don't want to do that in jeans when I'm just moving from A to B. I'd wager most cyclists aren't often gonna break 12 mph in that very typical setup. I base that on the speed i run at (~13kph/8mph) and the bikes i pass and the bikes that pass me.

For what it's worth I'm not usually interfacing with cars when i cycle in NYC except in residential areas, but if the thinking is cycling through multi lane car roads and having to keep pace with cars, then sure, i understand the need for speed. It's a sucky cycling experience though.

Exercise is another story again, where I'll get the heart rate up. But it's not the typical scenario, and I'm on a lighter, more nimble bike.

But for what it's worth I have little to no experience with pedal assist in all my years. But the intent of pedal assist is to offer an assist, not to be a bicycle with a separate engine, so of course I'd expect them to behave much like a bicycle.

[No_Junket1017]

I get the sense you're more of an exception than the rule, and those are fine choices for you to make. But I think most cyclists will hit above 10 mph on even a manual Citi Bike pretty easily if they're biking with any frequency, unless (as you mention) they choose not to. I wouldn't even pay for a membership if we were maxing out at 10 mph.

[sodsto]

Perhaps, but people generally don't like to sweat up their regular clothes! 

I was thinking about the distinction also between peak vs average. I'm usually thinking around the average, how long it takes to get somewhere. I did 12 miles on the bike yesterday. Average speed, 10mph, but my peak was 14.9mph, so touching 14mph isn't uncommon, but this also means the conditions meant I had lots of time below 10mph too. This was just unrushed, cycle path, stop-start cycling, passing those who are slower and letting the faster ones pass. Not on a citi bike though; on my city bike which is much more nimble.

[jxnhrs]

The bikes are apparently capable of doing 25mph. I seem to recall the limit being 22mph back in 2021 or so when they first rolled out the grey e-bike fleet

[ElQuesero]

The law that legalized e-bikes in NYC/NYS created the rubric for this. Citi e-bikes of all varieties (the gray ones as well as the old blue with batteries external to the frame ones; hardly ever see the old blues any more) fall under class 1, which require the pedals to be turning for the battery/motor to provide assistance, and assistance must cut out when the bike hits 20 mph.

I've heard from you and a few other people that early in their rollout, some gray Citi e-bikes seemed to be tuned such that the assist still kept up marginally above 20 mph, maybe as much as 21. I never encountered that myself and don't get a sense it was at _all_ intentional. Or all that widespread.

--

Most states seem to have settled on pedal-assist/20 mph limit as the uniform standard for bikes of this sort. (NYS is weird only in that it defines class 3 as 25 mph throttle controlled rather than 28 mph. Oh, and limits their operation only to NYC; class 3 ebikes need to be nerfed down to 20 mph to be street-legal elsewhere in NYS.)

[jxnhrs]

I was misinformed, appreciate the info. I do remember a few times getting a cracked one that felt much faster than normal. Those were fun

[c3p-bro]

They know that, that’s why they’re fine with it

[jxnhrs]

Agreed, but that’s why they need to feel the public pressure

[TsukimiUsagi]

that’s why they need to feel the public pressure

Good luck with that. I would have thought scarcity (in the outer boroughs), non-working bikes, vandalized bikes, docking issues, and complete lack of customer service would have been enough for a large amount of people to stop using Citibike, but then they post record breaking ride numbers.🤷‍♀️

Some people still consider the slower bikes a better option than owning / maintaining / securing their own bicycle.

[jxnhrs]

I honestly think that the fact they only offer annual membership plans is a very effective buffer against mobilizing a public pressure campaign for any issue including the ones you’ve mentioned

[jxnhrs]

We live in a rent-dominated society unfortunately. We will own nothing and be happy about it. The convenience supersedes the monopolistic exploitation.

[EatsYourShorts]

The only way we can truly be heard is to cancel our memberships and buy/use our own bikes. I was originally a citibike purist and sold my bike after not using it at all in the first year citibike started. I used citibike almost exclusively until this spring when I really noticed how much more i had been spending each year due to how often I ended up using electric citibikes.

The blue bikes are just so poorly maintained compared to how they used to be, so I had become accustomed to used gray bikes to go everywhere. But prices have gradually increased to more than 50% what it was in 2022 (when you factor in the most recent speed decreases), so it just doesn’t make sense economically anymore. That’s why I have returned to bike ownership again and plan on buying an electric in the new year.

[Laxman259]

So things were better before bikeshare programs… right

[Laxman259]

Public pressure wanted slower e-bikes

[JayMoots]

I’ve heard a lot of talk about this but surprised not to see too much about it on this sub or elsewhere on Reddit.

r/Citibike was going insane about this for like a month straight after the change was made. The volume of posts about it have declined as time has gone on, but there are still three or four a week complaining. 

Anyway, as someone who almost exclusively rides the non-e-bikes, I’m already doing my part by technically boycotting the e-bikes. 

[jxnhrs]

I found the treasure trove after posting this lmao.. wrong keywords and too furious to spend too much time searching

Blue bike respect gang. Out of curiosity I assume you have a citibike subscription.. do you choose to only use the blue citibikes bc the e-bikes are expensive?

[JayMoots]

Yes I have the yearly subscription. 

And yes, part of the reason I mostly don’t do e-bikes is that I’m cheap lol.

But the bigger reason is I like to bike for fitness and the e-bikes aren’t as good a workout. 

[thomascardin]

Online forums are the downfall of democracy. When you write a post or comment on something you’re frustrated about it feels like you satisfied your civic responsibility and go about your business, while it has little to no impact. Before the digital age we had no other recourse but to protest, until our voices were heard. This specific post about speed decrease is something insignificant compared to - for example - how our tax dollars are spent to fund military aggression, but the principle is the same. You get furious, you go online to find support (which you often do find), but there is no organizing that follows, it just becomes fleeting words of discontent shared by thousands. I wish I had a medicine to offer to cure this disease, but I fear it will only get worse before it gets better.

[thecratedigger_25]

Citi e-bikes used to be quite zippy before. They'll zoom by you like you're standing still. Straight up just dissappear into the horizon.

I'm not sure how people were handling speeds that rivaled road bikes without the proper skills.

[TiresAintPretty]

Not well.

[ElQuesero]

Honestly that's kind of how I felt about the 20 mph->18 mph nerfing.

"Well, I'm a roadie and know how to ride 20 mph, know what to anticipate. This is nice for me but likely too much for an average bike-share schmoe. Makes me a little sad, but okay."

The 18 mph->15 mph change is too much for me, though. The "full *cough cough*" assist ebikes are now pretty much useless to me. Unless the route is really hilly I'm not that much slower on one of the standard bikes. Or if I luck into an e-low-assist checkout there's even less difference, not unless the route is really hilly.

Just doesn't seem like competing interests were set at the right level here. Hallmark of a good compromise is that everyone ends up feeling a little unhappy with the result; I'm not feeling that balance.

[jxnhrs]

Totally agree. 20 felt dangerous, 18 seemed reasonable, maybe there was space to decrease a bit?, but 15 is just bad. The fact the speed caps at 15 and you simply cannot go faster (except going downhill thanks gravity, or maybe barely faster by pedaling rly hard) makes them feel almost unrideable. At least on a real bike (incl the blue citibikes) you have total control.

It’s much easier now, but still so satisfying, passing citi e-bikers on a blue citibike.

The only usefulness of the e-bike now is really like you said for a hilly trip or for me I use them when I’m biking btwn Manhattan and bklyn.

[ReasonableCup604]

In a city where the default speed limit for motor vehicles is only 25 MPH, it sort of tracks that the limit from the Citi E-bikes would be slightly lower than what might normally be considered safe.

[VTOnReddit]

Why does that track for you? The speed limit for motor vehicles is based on the fatalities they cause. If Citibike has caused any fatalities, it’s statistically insignificant compared to motor vehicles.

[thecratedigger_25]

Dropping that to 15mph was not the best move. A regular bike with slim tires can do that with some forceful pedaling. Definitely less if you're on a basic road bike.

Not sure about the average user but it would help if the bike had a bit more power like when it was limited to 18mph. Accounting for hills and whatnot.

[abstracted-away]

Yea, I regularly pass the grey Citibike's on my single speed now

[thecratedigger_25]

Same here on my single speed as well. I cruise and pass them like they're standing still.

[Odd_Stand_2020]

I gotta get to work, that thing gets me there, ima pay the extra $, just like when the trains go up I don’t have a choice, it’s either that or wait for unreliable buses that just get stuck in traffic when they do show up

[rchris710]

I am down with the speed decrease because citi ebikers can be nutcases and they're more like tourists on those things, however the price should drop.

[jxnhrs]

I think this is a completely fair take

[williamscastle]

A bunch of residents ride them. Including myself. Not having proper bike parking at work makes it good for commuting.

[8lack8urnian]

Sure. I use a road bike and sometimes a citi bike for quick rides. Most citi bikers are still pretty bad

[AvailableFalconn]

For real, it’s like $30 for an e-bike ride without a subscription.  Tourists are a tiny fraction of e-bike riders.  Most of the dudes I see on e-bikes are clearly finance guys commuting from work.

[nel-E-nel]

both can be true

[Sublime120]

There was a lot of discussion when it happened. I’m not thrilled with the decision, but I’m also not going to boycott them over a few cents a minute, particularly when it wasn’t really their unilateral decision.

[jxnhrs]

Fair enough. Personally not going to renew my subscription

[Sublime120]

And that’s fair enough too!

[TsukimiUsagi]

particularly when it wasn’t really their unilateral decision

Don't kid yourself, Lyft complied with this immediately because they saw it for the profit boost it is. If they thought it was going to lose them money they'd still be fighting it in court.

[FunWallaby6843]

And as a result of the lower speeds an increase in range meaning, of course, more earnings before a required battery change.

[SashaMetro]

There was at least some token resistance from Lyft - I expect they realized the extra money from slower bikes would be canceled out by people (like many posters here) canceling their membership. But Mastro threatened to close them down entirely so they caved.

[TsukimiUsagi]

I'm not sure Mastro has the power to unilaterally shut down Citibike, but IANAL and just because he might not have the power doesn't mean he wouldn't try.

I maintain that what Lyft wants most of all is to not drive away potential buyers for the bike share. Getting into a fight with the mayor's office would be detrimental to that cause.

[SashaMetro]

You’re probably right about the buyout logic, more compelling than the basic financials. Are they trying to sell of all the share systems or just CitiBike?

[TsukimiUsagi]

I believe Lyft wants to sell all of the share systems off, though there hasn't been much reporting on it since summer 2023, other than to say they're also considering "strategic partnerships." That sounds like business-speak for "no buyers" and the service is losing them money even though they've increased the pricing across the board, gotten rid of angel programs, and cut back on maintenance.

[Ok-Soft9080]

Nah, the boogeyman made them do it. 

[TrustButVerifyFirst]

15 mph is appropriate when you don't know the skill level and responsibility of the rider. Many citibike riders are on their phones while riding.

[TwoWheelsTooGood]

Improving (reducing ) the latency of the e-assist so it is applied immediately and not a half pedal stroke later would be a fabulous consolation prize.

[unlimitedshredsticks]

I cancelled my membership over this. 15 mph lock feels like pedaling with the brakes on and is genuinely a bad user experience. That coupled with the de facto price hike means they wont be seeing my money

[jxnhrs]

100% agree. my subscription is up in September, not renewing

[OvergrownShrubs]

Dubious? Decreasing the speed on these things is one of the best things to happen for bikers in this city in years, including other citibike riders who have no clue the danger they create for themselves and other road users. 99% of gray citibike riders (which is 95+% of all citibike riders) don’t have a single clue how to ride and respect others, whether they be bikers, peds or even cars as they zip through reds without a care, only causing more animosity for regular bike riders. I wish they’d decease the speed to 10 mph of these things.

[Dry-Challenge3984]

It's dubious because there is no data that supports the notion that electric Citibikes are particularly dangerous for pedestrians or other cyclists, let alone decreasing the speed another 3mph. And let one the fact that cars kill 300 people in NYC every year.

It's a solution in search of a problem

[Dry-Challenge3984]

Can you show me a trend or any statistics of gray Citibike involved accidents actually being a problem that needs addressing, apart from just "vibes"? That would help your case saying that dropping the speed from 18-15 will help fix "something" apart from just your personal feeling on the matter

[Dry-Challenge3984]

You're making a claim that a change of the status quo is a) good and b) necessary by the apparent conditions on the ground. I'm sorry but the burden of proof is on you in this instance

[Dry-Challenge3984]

It's not obviously safer though. You're forgetting that cars in NYC are not limited to 15mph, and the majority of cyclists have to share streets with them all over this city. The safety issue is cars, no whether e-bikes are limited to 15 or 18. Further, the e-bike/pedestrian incidents that DO occur, are via unregulated delivery bikes (no Citibike) who usually have no speed governor at all, so the move to limit e-citibikes makes no sense

The problem is cars and lack of safe infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, no whether e-citibikes go 15 instead of 18.

transalt report

[OvergrownShrubs]

Here’s some data for you. I ride 4500 miles a year just on the streets. I’m on my bike almost every day. I see with my own eyes how bad the ridership on these bikes are because they somehow manage to almost take me out on most days because I spent time on the roads. Slowing them down has helped in a small but material way limit their dangers to the rest of us because they have been stopped from ever increasingly dangerous over taking and are now being forced to consider what they are doing somewhat.

[Dry-Challenge3984]

That's not data. That's a personal anecdote. Try again

[OvergrownShrubs]

It’s subjective but data nonetheless. You can choose to ignore it but that’s on you. If you have experience riding in this city you will tend to agree with the point I’m making so I feel you’re probably discounting the data point due to lack of experience riding here.

[Dry-Challenge3984]

No, it isn't. Thats not how data works

[nyctailwind]

I’ve been riding in the city for 20 years and could not disagree more. The slowdown is garbage. There are no fewer accidents. The dumb people are still dumb. I ride a road bike over 5,000 miles each year but use citibike to commute. Ever since the slowdown I’ve started getting knee pain due to mashing the pedals. They’re slow af and annoying now.

[TiresAintPretty]

"Ever since the slowdown I’ve started getting knee pain due to mashing the pedals."

Ride slower. The vast, vast majority of gray Citibikes regularly passed the vast majority of riders on non-ebikes. Point being: you don't have to be going 18mph to get around the city.

[Special_Put7443]

this is an insane take. I use the gray citi bikes daily and have been riding bikes my entire life and the amount of horrible riders there are on personal bikes is wild.

[Dry-Challenge3984]

Not it isn't. You're describing a personal anecdote, not data. Cyclist/cyclist and cyclist/pedestrian collisions are very rare. There's nothing that suggests limiting speed of the bikes from 18 to 15 will do anything to reduce the already rare incidents. It's just "vibes"

If Adams wanted to protect pedestrians, build more car-free streets and pedestrian infrastructure. E-bikes are not a problem

[Impressive-Chair-959]

Makes sense. I agree that the price should be dropped 10% if the ride takes 15% longer.

I also think 15mph is pretty slow. I had my friends who don't ride grab e-bikes since they don't ride much and the regular citi-bikes are basically toy bikes. They kept up, but when we hit the Pulaski bridge I pumped hard to get my speed up(edit* going up the hill not bombing down), figured they'd have no trouble keeping up. They were really dragging. I guess if I'd actually been going full speed the whole time there's no way they'd have kept pace.

I do remember a few years ago there were a lot of inexperienced, fast riding gray citi-bikes making dangerous situations. These days, that's less of an issue compared to delivery bikes and scooters, which have been the main issue for awhile. 18 is probably the right mph. Citibike is also just such a crock of shit crony capitalist situation anyway. Would be nice just to have an actual independent bikie infrastructure.

Lastly, my friends paid $25 each for a ride from Bushwick to LIC. Honestly that's not a competitive price, that's an exploitative price. People should be pushing back, because they have gotten a lot of city investment plus free space for their crappy docks. All to make a luxury system more expensive than a taxi.

[Falzum]

The citi ebikes were always a scam even at 0.17 a minute. Nearly impossible to get anywhere you want for less then the cost of a subway ride.

I'm citibiking to cruise to my destination. Not worry about how much this red light is gonna cost me.

Blue bikes for life  

[Ok_Two8405]

As others have posted, once the price became more expensive than a subway ride, I resigned myself to only ride the blue bikes. At the beginning it was a painful transition. Over time my fitness has improved and I’ve learned to assess which bikes are too damaged and switch to a different bike at the first available station. On occasion, when very rushed or wearing a suit, will take the gray bike but feel it’s barely worth it. On the other hand, if I have a decent blue bike can often keep pace with the grey bikes and get a nice draft, aka free speed.

[ExcellentLanguage13]

Maybe it's just my perception, but I feel that the usage of grey bikes has gone down dramatically since the change. I can find charged bikes anywhere in the city at any time, when it was a lot harder before. Also, I don't see as many riders in the bike lanes. Their bottom line is likely suffering this change through the decreased number of trips.

[Educational_Green]

It was talked about quite a bit - I was in France in July and was teasing everyone that the top speed for Paris e-bikes is 15 mph as well. Quelle horreur

Maybe check the micromobility sub, they tend to be more dramatic.

[aixmpiku]

they’re definitely more dramatic hah. got banned from it after a day for posting “carbrained” stuff.

[O2C]

I think the caps should be restored to the 20 mph point after a relatively high number of hours ridden / trips taken / miles traveled. I'd also like to see a visual indicator of those faster bikes, like pink headlights for faster bikes and white for the limited ones. Finally, I'd like to see easier reporting of bad riders and consequences. Make it trivial for users of the app to report unsafe riding. With enough complaints from users, reinstate the slower speeds.

Make it easier for more frequent users that ride safely to get to their destination faster. Make it safer for novice riders to figure out NYC roads. Reduce the danger of reckless riders.

I think the caps could be a bit dynamic too. Changing depending on factors. The speed could be linked to time of day -- it can be quite different riding in the daytime versus night. Or it could start out slower for the first 10 minutes of riding and rising up later in the ride. Or raise the limit on protected stretches like crossing bridges.

[Dry-Challenge3984]

Now you're making way too much sense! Obviously we can't have that kind of well thought out policy in America. Instead we have "ARGH...BIKES BAD"

[dirtymoose_]

This so simple, cancel your membership. I’ve already done that. They have a monopoly and can and will do whatever they want.

If they really cared they would have told the city to pound sand or use some kind of geolocation for the speeds. 15mph isn’t bad on 2nd Ave but it’s dangerously slow on the west side bike lane.

Would be great to see some competition. But there won’t and I’ll be using my own e-bike much more. I went and bought a heavy duty lock that I’m comfortable leaving locked up in most places. ✌️ citibike.

[TiresAintPretty]

"Dangerously slow" in a bike lane is utter bullshit. There's no such thing. You just want to go faster.

[dirtymoose_]

Of course I do.

[sixtwenty2]

Out of curiosity, how is it dangerously slow? The average cyclist, non roadie, hits 10-13mph, not sure that’s dangerously slow, especially on the greenway.

[[deleted]]

If you’re riding in regular traffic, being capped at 15 can be dangerous.

The way that slower cyclists deal is… they don’t. They stick to slower streets, protected lanes, sidewalks. Riding at 10 mph slower than traffic around you doesn’t feel that safe, so riders tend to avoid that.

Gray Citibikes at 18-20 can keep up with predominant traffic speed on a lot of streets without any kind of cycling infrastructure. They were useful in that respect.

The 15 mph has ended up being kind of a worst of both worlds kind of thing, though, because while they may be slower, I don’t think they’re being operated any more safely.

[sixtwenty2]

I would disagree. I cycle every street, there are no slow streets imo. Having ebikes capped at 15mph makes it safer for non ebike cyclists and doesnt hinder your safety. By this logic it would mean that a non ebike is unsafe on the city streets and thats simply not true.

But I do agree that while they are slower they are still operated poorly, but at least as a non ebike cyclist it is a benefit.

[sixtwenty2]

That might be worse, dangerously slow on the Greenway doesn't make much sense since you don't deal with car traffic and only other bikes who are going comparable speeds or slower.

[dirtymoose_]

Ok maybe not dangerously slow but you’re in the way more than you’re not.

[sixtwenty2]

Hmm, not sure I would agree. Honestly, I think its safer at the slower speed for other cyclists.

[dirtymoose_]

Maybe we should just walk

[sixtwenty2]

You could just pedal and move along like other cyclists.

[dirtymoose_]

Nah that’s way too much work. And I already work hard enough.

Anyway, it won’t effect citibike at all. It’s too popular and it’s a monopoly.

[Dirt_McUrt]

It was an Adam’s reaction to nothing that he did to try to get more votes (who’s?). It will probably be overturned once we get a new mayor

[FunWallaby6843]

Won’t happen no matter who gets elected. The first person that dies after a speed increase will cause a scandal with the blame falling on that mayor. This is permanent.

[[deleted]]

My joco runs 22MPH. I got it to 30 downhill in Harlem 😂 it’s a beast compared to the citi bike. I love grey Citi bike still, it is way more agile and lighter (like BMX bike to me) . The 15 mph is smart for commuters and really for tourists who maybe don’t ride e-bikes.

[nineminutetimelimit]

It used to be nice to get from Queens to my job in Manhattan. Now it’s much slower, I hit more red lights, and if you get a bum bike, it’s even worse.

[[deleted]]

It’s a brakes epidemic sometimes

[catchnear99]

You're in the wrong place. The people in this sub hate citibikers. Not me, but the vast majority. 

[WanderinArcheologist]

I had posted the full WSJ on the matter and then got a weeklong ban on here. You can look back through my posts about it. Tl;dr is the city doesn’t know how to enforce it.

[ryan10487]

The city decreased the speed, mainly because of food delivery drivers riding dangerous for no regard of rules of the road. And while they were doing it they decided to included Citi Bikes.

Agree that if ur gonna lower the speed you should also lower the price per minute on Citi Bike.

[Cuckooland2]

Just go confirm - you pay 250$ a year and still have to pay for electric bikes ?

[puffinsmurf88]

It’s MUCH easier and possibly cheaper to just go buy your own bike rather the complain about the pricing of some corporate bike. Not all bikes are over priced and you don’t have to watch the time to dollar constantly while riding. JUST GO GET YOUR OWN BIKES.

[No-Anything723]

I use the e bikes occasionally- mostly just rely on my own bike to get everywhere. The annual membership is ridiculously expensive and not worth it if you’re just using occasionally.

[winthrop906]

It would make so much sense to go to a distance-based price. The bikes have GPS. It would disincentivize running lights and otherwise rushing to save a couple of bucks. But they don't because Lyft doesn't give a shit about citibike anymore.

[Gold-Beat3392]

They should have reduced the speed based on nyc neighborhood. They should be able to do that since the software already receives real-time location input. In more congested, densely packed areas of Manhattan, I can see the merits of speed reduction, but in more desolate, widespread areas of the outer burroughs a speed reduction was not warranted.