Things to do in Charlotte: Rent-A-Bike

So ever since I moved to Charlotte almost 2 years ago I have wanted to try the really neat rent-a-bike system they have all over town.

This past week the weather has been fantastic so after a nice 'Taco Salad Tuesday' dinner, me and the hubby ran off to Freedom Park to try this:

It was so much fun! They say the key to happiness as an adult is to get back into things you loved as a child. I can't remember a day after school where I didn't ride my bike so, needless to say, I had a big smile on my face the entire time. I'm so glad I finally tried it. I briefly mentioned that I wanted to try this bike rental system last summer on the blog, so it's been a long time coming.
Procrastinators unite! Tomorrow.

So here's how it works. It's called the Charlotte B-cycle system and there are 'bike stations' all over town. Check out their website for a full map of bike stations. The stations will look like this:

When you arrive at the bike station, you will need to enter your information and swipe your credit card at the kiosk to unlock a bike. The kiosk will look like this:

Just plug in your information, pay $8, pick a bike and get cruisin'!

It's that easy!

Tips:

1. The pricing is confusing. $8 is the 'Access fee' which gives you 24 hours of usage time, BUT you have to pay $4 every 30 minutes. Confusing I know. So say I rented the bike at 1:00PM. It will cost me $8 until 1:30. If I rent the bike from 1:00-2:00, I will pay $12 total. Basically they add $4 to every 30 minutes after the first half hour. And if you're even more confused, my apologies. I promise it's not so bad ;)

2. Freedom Park is beautiful and has great bike paths, but very crowded in the evening. It is the inner city park and many inner city families rush there after work to get some outdoors time in.
Be good at dodging humans or go in the morning.

3. You do not have to return the bike at the same station you rented it at! You can rent a bike in North Charlotte and return it in South Charlotte. Awesome.

4. Bring hand sanitizer.



And now it's time for my evening walk! Later friends. Hope it's greening up where you are :)

PS. If you're looking for more fun activities to do in Charlotte, check out my 'Things to do in Charlotte' series! Featuring the Pinterest Popular Food Truck Friday which is still amazing.
You have to try the Papi Queso grilled cheese truck. I'm going tonight. #drool

Part 1:
Food Truck Friday & Strawberry Picking

Part 2:

 Segway Tours & Anne Springs Greenway

Part 3:
Carowinds!!

Part 4:
Discovery Place, Whole Foods Market & Epicentre