Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Bicycling

Citi Bikes Are Not Fixies, and Most People Will Be Happy With That

Citi Bike isn't enough of an adrenaline rush for Simone Weichselbaum. This bodes well for its success. Photos: Daily News (##http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/daily-news-reporter-simone-weichselbaum-wins-national-award-article-1.1329978##left##, ##http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/news-reporter-rides-citibike-article-1.1342004?localLinksEnabled=false##right##)

Daily News reporter Simone Weichselbaum likes her bikes light and fast. The self-proclaimed "proud bike snob who is rarely without her SE Draft steel-frame fixie" said in 2009 that "biking here can be a death sentence," and that bike lanes are "battle zones."

So it's no surprise that Citi Bike -- featuring a 45-pound three-speed with balloon tires and a low center of gravity -- wasn't her cup of tea. What she intended as a scathing review of the bike-share two-wheelers might turn out to be their best endorsement yet.

"The seat is wide and spongy. The handlebars are extra wide. The tires are fat," Weischelbaum wrote, as if it were a bad thing. If even the Daily News's resident bike daredevil couldn't manage to do much beyond an easy pedal on a Citi Bike, it's hard to see how the unfounded nightmare visions of "hell on wheels" conjured by the paper's editorial board could come true.

To be fair, Weichselbaum did run into a common problem when she tried to take the bike out of its dock, but only because she was doing it the wrong way. "The thing wouldn't move. I kept yanking on the handlebars. Nothing," she wrote. If she had followed instructions printed on the bike and lifted by the seat instead of the handlebars, she could have saved herself the trouble.

Bicycling should be for everyone, not just people who keep a fixie in their apartment for a high-speed, high-stakes experience. For those just looking to get around town safely, cheaply and quickly, Weichselbaum's review shows that Citi Bike should be exactly what they need.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Analysis: Hochul’s $9 Congestion Toll May Stave Off Trump, But Won’t Reduce Traffic as Much

A $9 could raise enough money for the MTA and save face for Kathy Hochul, but it would not reduce traffic nearly enough.

November 8, 2024

Friday Video: Busting the ‘City of Yes’ Myths

There are many lies being told about Mayor Adams's City of Yes rezoning plan. So let's debunk them together!

November 8, 2024

New City Trash Bin Rules Begin Tuesday

New Yorkers who live in buildings with nine of fewer units must put their trash out in bins on the sidewalk starting Tuesday.

November 8, 2024

No Charges as Bus Driver Kills Senior at Dangerous Downtown Brooklyn Crossing

No surprise: In just the 22 months since January 2023, there have been 70 reported crashes on the single block of Tillary Street between Jay and Adams streets

November 7, 2024
See all posts