Yellow Bikes . . . Free Comunity Service

[otherthan]

Your opinion on this idea...anyone can donate a bike they dont need or no longer wants it aboard...it can also be a bike fund in the trash, many peoples discard of them...these bikes should be painted yellow and left at your marinas for all sailors to use freely without cost...they belong to the sailing comunity not the marinas...marinas cant chrge any fees for the use of yellow bikes and therfore have no liabilities about them...it is all sailors responsability and the use them at there risk...if a bike is broken and you have the skils to fix it, do it...if not someone els will fix it or replace the bike...if thers a real need for yellow bikes we will see them in every marinas soon.

[Bergovoy]

i love it when someone comes up with something new and helpful, at least it is planned as being helpful... although the only problem with teh plan is that someone will have to deal with the bikes..the marina probably...

[otherthan]

the marinas only provide a bike rack...sailors service the bikes...I can service a dozen a day...so servicing one in a blue moon is no problem...much easyer then transporting one on my boat.

[serah]

We had a similar program at UBC; communal bikes were painted purple and yellow, and students (or anyone really) could use them to commute across the huge campus.

Seemed to work well from what I remember. I can see it working well for the islands around here too.

[GordMay]

Bike sharing seems to be catching on.

Bike sharing originated in Amsterdam in 1965, when Luud Schimmelpennick (an anarchist) and friends gathered a handful of bicycles, which they painted white and distributed around the city of Amsterdam, for free use by the public.
Unfortunately, most of the bikes were quickly vandalized or stolen. Nonetheless, Amsterdam’s White Bicycle certainly provided the impetus and inspiration for modern bicycle sharing systems.
➥ Sustainable Transport

[SkiprJohn]

Yes, yellow bikes have been tried before but it was city wide in a large city and theft was a problem. If it was just a marina or several marinas it might be well worth trying again. There seems to be an abundance of bicycles being thrown out at our dump and there are many folks who know how to work on them.
I think its a great concept. Ride the bike when you need it and then return it to the marina and park it to let the next boatowner use it.
kind regards,

[SaucySailoress]

Might help some way towards keeping the cruising budget to $500 a month....
Might also drive local taxi companies out of business.

[s/v 'Faith']

Jobi,

Good idea.

It is funny, just last week I was in Marathon on a delivery. I made several walking trips to the store, and each time past by the hundreds of rusting bicycles chained to the racks at the city marina.

If I had been there longer, I might have offered to fix one in exchange for use (boot key harbor has an active cruisers net on ch 68 at 0900). In your scheme I would certainly not mind doing some work on a bicycle in exchange for it's use.

[David_Old_Jersey]

I think an idea worth trying out - could maybe even include some sponsorship on the bike - appreciate that not a lot of room on a bike, but might generate a little bit of cash for spare parts / yellow paint.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

... I think its a great concept. Ride the bike when you need it and then return it to the marina and park it to let the next boatowner use it.
kind regards,

Unfortunately, I’m reminded of the “leave one - take one” library that I instituted at Club Thunderball (Staniel Cay, Exuma). Initially stocked with several dozens of novels (best seller types) and a dozen or so reference books (not to be removed); the library shelves were soon reduced to a dozen or so “romance novels”, and half the original complement of reference works.
Prior to this, I used to run an informal “bookmobile” exchange. When I specified NO romance novels; I was routinely informed that nobody brings romances on a cruise. Nonetheless ...

[Minggat]

Wondeful concept. But.... (I feel so ashamed to say that because it is a wonderful concept)

As already mentioned- theft.

Free stuff gets un-appreaciated real fast.

The bike with the flat that didn't get fixed by the last user because he didn't have a pump or patch or...whatever, will be somebody elses to fix, go unused and will be joined by the next one to get a flat.

I might suggest setting up a local kid to make a few dollars off of it, with the bikes being donated as part of the set up.

The more time one spends in one spot, the better the idea would be. But in the end, I can see the bad apple spoiling the bunch.

[gettinthere]

Sorry, but it likely won't work. If the marina allows the bikes to be stored and even provides a bike rack for them, they can get stuck with liability. They knew the bikes were there on their property for the use of their guests, so they would be liable. The lawyers would find a way. And who is going to maintain these bikes? I was going to borrow a bike at the Kincardine, Ontario marina until I tried the brakes. Holy cr@p. And there is a big hill to climb up and down at the marina entrance. Once the bikes become an eyesore, which will be quick enough, they will get pitched.

"First, lets kill all the lawyers." Actually that should read "First, lets kill all the lawMAKERS"

[mjwarner]

From GordMay: "Unfortunately, I’m reminded of the “leave one - take one” library that I instituted at Club Thunderball (Staniel Cay, Exuma). Initially stocked with several dozens of novels (best seller types) and a dozen or so reference books (not to be removed); the library shelves were soon reduced to a dozen or so “romance novels”, and half the original complement of reference works."

Gord, I'm not sure as to the Club Thunderball library, when we were there winter 2009/10, Thunderball was completely closed, with no plans for reopening in the works. However, a library was opened up on the beach road between the yacht club and government dock. Being run as a self-serve, take one-leave one, this building is housing a few thousand books, and cruisers were sending them in by the boxload. If this is an offshoot to what you started up at Thunderball, I can say it lives!
and now, we return to the OP thread... sorry for the brief hijack!

[otherthan]

marinas alredy have insurance that covers premisis in case we fall or any kind of injury...I assure you as long as the yellow bikes belong to the sailing comunity...thers no problem.

we ask of them to provide a rack no more...its a service like car parkings, toilet, walkways, really thats not much to ask.

also if one will use a bike for half a day, its nothing to at all to adjust to personal fit, as livaboards we all have tools.

also many of us have mecanic skills and plenty of time, spending a few minuts to fix a flat or change brake bads is nothing at all...the conditions of yellow bikes reflects our comunity...they dont have to look like crap.

sins they stay at marinas its less likely that the generald public will steel them...and sailors can do what they want with them as it is there bikes...if you think thers none at your next stop, strap the dang thing on deck and leave, its yours...thats how yellow bikes will get spread to islands and the thrend will catch on...you cant steel what you own and if you damage it try to fix it or leave it where other boaters will fix it...all free of charge.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by mjwarner

Gord, I'm not sure as to the Club Thunderball library, when we were there winter 2009/10, Thunderball was completely closed, with no plans for reopening in the works. However, a library was opened up on the beach road between the yacht club and government dock. Being run as a self-serve, take one-leave one, this building is housing a few thousand books, and cruisers were sending them in by the boxload. If this is an offshoot to what you started up at Thunderball, I can say it lives!
and now, we return to the OP thread... sorry for the brief hijack!

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, mjwarner.

Thanks for the update. At one time, the oldest building on the Island was the public library.
Is this the one to which you refer?
➥ Staniel Cay Library - Cruisers & Sailing Photo Gallery