Boulder, Colo., Nashville, Tenn. BCycle, one of the country’s leading bike share providers and operators, has introduced electric cargo bikes to service their electric bike fleets in Boulder, Colorado and Nashville, Tennessee as the company furthers its commitment to sustainable micro-mobility in its communities.

The cargo bikes will help both systems reduce their operational carbon emissions while adding another tool for the in-market service teams to provide an unmatched experience for riders as bike share use continues to rise in both cities.

Both the Boulder and Nashville systems are among the country’s longest-running public bike share operations, with more than a decade of continuous operation and millions of bike share trips taken.

While bike share allows riders to choose an eco-friendly option to commute and explore, both BCycle system managers in Boulder and Nashville looked inward for ways to introduce sustainable alternatives to their day-to-day operations.

“Bike share is a great way for Boulder residents and visitors to reduce their carbon footprint by choosing to make trips by bike” said Boulder BCycle General Manager Kevin Crouse. “Just this past year, over 40 percent of our riders in Boulder said that bike share replaced what would have otherwise been a single-occupancy car trip.”

Since rolling out fully electric bike fleets in 2019, BCycle systems have traditionally used only their fleet vehicles to swap out e-bike batteries with low charges, redistribute e-bikes to different areas of the city, and collect bicycles for maintenance.

“We identified bike battery swapping as a huge opportunity to reduce our emissions and make the operation more sustainable going forward,” said Crouse. “That’s where we looked to cargo bikes as an easy solution with a big impact.”

In Nashville, the system was looking for a better way to reduce commute times to stations and e-bikes, while showing other area businesses that small changes can have a big impact on the city.

“Like any big city, there’s traffic that can be unpredictable depending on the day, and even time of day,” said Nashville BCycle Operations Manager Eric Magas. “We saw cargo bikes as a way to take away the uncertainty of time it could take to get to stations to swap bike batteries or solve a problem for a rider.”

Having partnered previously on campaigns aimed at getting more people on bikes and riding bike share, BCycle started working again with their partners at Bosch eBike Systems, whose electric bike drive systems power all BCycle e-bikes, to collaborate on a solution that creates more sustainable bike share operations. Timing was perfect as BCycle’s parent company Trek was set to unveil the Fetch+ 4 cargo bike, an electric bike utilizing Bosch technology.

The Fetch+ 4 is Trek’s newest electric cargo bike powered by Bosch and gives both BCycle operators flexibility to configure the bike to fit the needs of the system. Both Boulder and Nashville systems have installed their battery transport cases on the bike, servicing the needs of growing ridership in both cities.

“It’s thrilling to support the expansion from powering the BCycle bike share fleet to innovative e-bikes like Trek’s Fetch+ 4” said Bosch NA Marketing Director, Jocelyn Vande Velde.  “Cargo bikes are growing in popularity, especially as a fun, healthy alternative for transporting children, however, carrying cargo for business purposes is also on the rise.”

Since August, cargo bikes have been used for thousands of bike battery swaps in Boulder and Nashville.

BCycle says that the example set by the Boulder and Nashville systems using cargo bikes in their operations will shape the way other BCycle systems operate moving forward and will improve the service delivered to riders in every community.

BCycle joins the cycling industry as the first transportation sector united under battery recycling solution

Photo courtesy: BCycle

WATERLOO, Wis. (April 28, 2022) Starting today, BCycle bike share systems across the country will begin participating in Call2Recycle’s landmark E-Bike Battery Recycling Program.

The program unites the cycling industry as the first transportation sector united under a single battery recycling solution. BCycle, a subsidiary of Trek Bicycle, is the sole shared mobility participant in the program.

 BCycle is proud to take part in a program that provides on-demand training and the necessary materials to recycle e-bike batteries, making responsible e-bike battery lifecycle management easier for our operators.

“As a bike share operator and supplier of electric bikes to cities across the U.S., BCycle is committed to leading the industry in building sustainable, responsible bike share programs,” said BCycle Executive Director, Morgan Ramaker. “Our product longevity is unmatched, and the Call2Recycle program further incorporates sustainability into our bike share ecosystem by giving e-bike batteries a new life after BCycle.”

BCycle currently operates eight bike share systems in the U.S., while supplying electric bikes and equipment to 28 additional bike share systems across the country. Last year alone, there were over 1.5 million rides taken on BCycle e-bikes.

Bike share and e-bikes have proven to be solutions to some of the world’s most pressing concerns- including physical wellness, traffic congestion, and carbon emissions from personal vehicles.

“With more electric bikes being ridden than ever before, now’s an important time to establish a battery recycling solution that bike share operators and the cities they call home can be proud of,” said Ramaker. "I hope BCycle’s participation in the Call2Recycle program will set the standard in the shared mobility industry for responsible recycling of e-bike batteries.”

To learn more about Call2Recycle, visit their website.

Riders across the country will have access to free e-bike rentals from coast-to-coast in eight cities over Earth Day weekend

The free ride pass can be accessed by downloading and using the BCycle app by selecting ‘Bosch Earth Day Pass’ in participating cities and at kiosks in applicable cities, allowing consumers to check out an eBike for free to experience the ease of using an electric bike all weekend. There is no cost to register for the pass, which grants riders unlimited 60-minute trips. For rides that are more than 60 minutes, riders will accrue the same usage fees that would be applied otherwise in their local BCycle system. Participating BCycle stations include Madison BCycle (Madison, Wis.); Santa Barbara BCycle (Santa Barbara, Calif.), Broward BCycle (Broward, Fla.); San Antonio BCycle (San Antonio, Texas); Boulder BCycle (Boulder, Colo.); Encinitas BCycle (Encinitas, Calif.); Nashville BCycle (Nashville, Tenn.); and Greenville BCycle (Greenville, S.C.).

"Earth Day is an important reminder of how we must be more mindful of our impact on the environment. Mobility accounts for more than one fifth of all CO2 emissions worldwide, and riding an eBike is an amazing way to help lower this amount," said Claudia Wasko, Vice President of Bosch eBike Systems Americas. "We're thrilled to partner with BCycle to offer free rides in celebration of Earth Day, exposing riders to a sustainable mode of transportation that is fun, safe, and efficient. We're excited to invite existing riders out for a day of fun and introduce new riders to the endless benefits and joys of riding an eBike."

BCycle currently operates eight bike-shares in the U.S., supplying eBikes and equipment to over 25 additional bike-share programs. Bosch eBike Systems power BCycle's electric fleet, including those at the participating stations. In addition, the Bosch drive systems, which are used by over 100 of the world’s leading bicycle manufacturers, offer bike pedal-assist technology that enhances the ride experience, whether riding through a city leisurely, heading to work, or running errands.

"With help from Bosch powering our electric bikes, BCycle e-bikes are changing how communities move," said BCycle Executive Director Morgan Ramaker. "Our ultimate goal is to change the world by getting more people on bikes. And thanks to our friends at Bosch, we can introduce more people across the country to bike share as an alternative transportation option with free rides this Earth Day."

Photo credit: BCycle

An electric bike share program is coming to Truckee this summer.

At its Tuesday meeting, Truckee Town Council unanimously approved to enter into an agreement with BCycle Inc. to install electric bike-share docking stations on town-controlled property.

“We are thrilled that the Truckee town council has approved moving forward with BCycle to provide an e-bike share program,” said Morgan Ramaker, Executive Director of BCycle. “Truckee is an ideal community for electric assist bike sharing. We’ve seen the positive impact of e-bikes in communities across the country and look forward to bringing the same benefits to Truckee’s residents and visitors.”

Read more about bike share coming to Truckee here

In partnership with Boulder Bike Sharing and World Vision, Boulder BCycle will donate red pedal bikes to underserved communities

Boulder, Colorado - Boulder BCycle today announced that their bike share system has surpassed one million lifetime bike trips, a milestone that represents roughly 2.5 million miles traveled on BCycle bikes, equivalent to 100 trips around the Earth. This momentous occasion was more than a decade in the making and emphasizes the immense power of bicycles to support ecological sustainability and social equity. To celebrate, Boulder BCycle is working with previous system operator Boulder Bike Sharing to donate the original red pedal bike fleet to World Vision, an organization dedicated to supporting underserved communities, and is launching a “Path to Two Million” campaign to reach the next million shared e-bike trips in the region by the end of 2024.

“We are thrilled that our community members have taken more than a million bike share rides since B-Cycle first began operating in Boulder,” said Erika Vandenbrande, director of the Transportation and Mobility Department for the City of Boulder. “Having a robust e-bike share program is key to reaching Boulder’s goals to make biking a more convenient option for trips around town and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.”

While the first million Boulder BCycle trips took place throughout the city, much of the system’s recent growth has occurred at the University of Colorado Boulder. “BCycle has been instrumental in helping CU get more of our affiliates out of vehicles and onto bikes,” said Brandon Smith, Assistant Director of Sustainable Transportation at the CU Boulder Environmental Center. “I’m looking forward to continuing to grow the system and hitting two million rides in the next few years.”

On the Path to Two Million, Boulder BCycle is prioritizing equity and the environment by:

• Offering more shared e-bikes: Boulder BCycle hopes to expand within Boulder and in the region, adding hundreds more shared e-bikes.

  Increasing rider access: As part of the City of Boulder’s micromobility program, Boulder BCycle will be adding stations in underserved areas and enhancing their equity program offerings as part of an effort to establish relationships with a more diverse group of riders.
  

• Ensuring positive environmental impacts: Bike share seeks to provide positive environmental benefits by replacing car trips and supporting multimodal transportation. BCycle is also investigating enhanced solar power generation and carbon neutral operations, and more. Aligning with the Trek Bicycle Sustainability Report, BCycle will place a focus on lowering bike production impacts and removing plastic waste from packaging.
  

Learn more about Boulder BCycle at boulder.bcycle.com and follow them on Instagram. All BCycle bikes are designed in Waterloo, WI by Trek Bicycle. To learn more about BCycle visit bcycle.com or follow BCycle on Instagram. Download the BCycle app in the App Store or Google Play Store.