Madison becomes first city in US to have full set of BCycle e-bikes available

June 19, 2019 2:22 AM

Jamie Perez,

Posted: June 19, 2019 2:22 AM

Updated: August 31, 2021 12:23 PM

by Jamie Perez

Madison becomes first city in US to have full set of BCycle e-bikes available

MADISON, Wis. — Madison officially became the first city in the country to have a full set of e-bikes available for public use Tuesday.

BCycle executive director Morgan Ramaker said the bikes will be a game-changer for Madison. Ramaker said that in other cities where the e-bikes are used, she has seen an increase in ridership.

Ramaker said other cities including Cincinnati, Omaha, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Antonio and several others have smaller sets of bikes.

For those who enjoy the regular bikes, riders will still be able to ride without the power assist if they don’t turn the bike on.

“You can still ride the bikes without the power and have a great experience but you’ve got that bonus of being able to turn the power on, go further faster, and really make it a great commuting solution,” Ramaker said.

The bikes are equipped with baskets to hold your belongings, an adjustable seat, lights that turn on when you begin pedaling, a bell, several gears to switch between and a strap in the middle of the handlebars to hold your phone. There is a monitor on the left handlebar that will tell you your speed and will show how much battery life is left.

#Madison is the first city in the country to have a huge set of #Bcycle #ebikes available for public use. pic.twitter.com/zcceCIqqAl

— Jamie Perez (@JamiePerezTV) June 18, 2019

Since the bikes are electric, you will no longer have to worry about grease from a bike chain.

Ramaker said the bikes can travel up to 17 mph and that riders will need to continuously pedal in order to keep moving forward.

If you currently have a membership for the red bike program, your membership will transfer to the new bikes. You must be at least 18 years old to ride the bikes.

The e-bikes will replace all the red bikes and all the stations for the bikes will remain at their current locations.

Ramaker said these bikes are good options for people who weren’t confident enough in their strength to pedal on regular bikes. She said these e-bikes are pedal assist and will do most of the work for you to get you further, faster.

If you are interested in trying out the bikes, you can pay for one 30-minute ride for $5 at the kiosk at each bike rack location. It will cost $20 for a monthly membership and $100 for a yearly membership. Click here to buy a membership.

Get your weather forecast from people who actually live in your community. We update with short, easy-to-use video forecasts you can watch on your phone every day. Download the iOS or Android app here.