Houston B Cycle, you know, those bike racks with colorful, sturdy bikes all over Inside the Loop?
Well, Houston B Cycle is hosting a fun activity for October. We are being challenged to visit all 153 bike stations during October. That is quite a challenge. By my estimates, I will need to hit the trails at least 10 times in a month/ There are prizes, but more importantly, here is an opportunity to see parts of Houston we may not have seen before. Here is their website:
https://www.houstonbcycle.com/tour-de-bcycle2022
I registered and very quickly got an email from BCycle. Among other prizes are a free month of bicycle rental, an aluminum water bottle that doubles as a place to put the badges (Badges! We don't need no stinkin Badges! Name that movie). the requisite T Shirt, and at some point, you could even get a whole year of bike rental, and maybe put your name on a new bike (without getting in trouble!).
The bike stations have been grouped by neighborhood. When you check out the website, you may have a hard time reading the neighborhood list, and even a harder time printing it, but do not despair, once you register for the fun, BCycle will let you download the list in wonderful PDF.
I'm a little analytical, so I have spent several days trying to figure out the best way to play this game. I live outside the Beltway. I plan to take Metro Park & Ride downtown during morning commute, grab a bike and head towards my chosen neighborhood. I have decided on Near Northside and 5th Ward for my first foray, so I will check out my first bike in the County Courts area and head north. On another day, I will take park and ride to the Medical Center.
The whole idea of B Cycle is to leave your car behind. I stopped at a local supermarket service desk and bought a Metro Q Card so I don't have to fumble for change when I board the bus. I will also study the Metro bus schedules. It really is not hard.
I asked the nice lady at B Cycle about stations that are out of order. She suggested I take a picture of the offending racks and send the picture to her, for credit on this treasure hunt. I would not trust the map - the App shows the Castillo Communtiy center as out of service, but I found 4 bikes there, including an E Bike. But, come to think of it, I did not try to check out a bike, so maybe......
Ah, E-Bike, the preferred method of transportation. If you manage to get one, I would check it in and out from as many stations as possible, as long as the battery lasts. Each time you dock or undock a bike, you get credit for that station.
Before you tell me you can't do it, you should know that I am a 69 year old overweight diabetic with other issues. At the start of the pandemic, I could cycle 2 miles. Saturday, my bike buddy and I did 24 miles, only a couple of those miles were because I cannot read a map!
Stay tuned, I hope to start this ride on Monday, October 3.
Badges! If you said "Blazing Saddles" you are either a Baby Boomer, or were raised by one. If you said "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" you know your black and white movies!
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