Lark 'n Ride

queenseyes 12

Tenants of The Larkin @ Exchange Building have got it made. Not only do they have access to the coolest cab in the city, they now have a fleet of Larkin bikes to choose from whenever they feel the urge to head out for a spin. Keeping consistent with the originality of the Larkin Taxi, the Lark 'n Ride bikes have a distinguished look about them that identifies with the original Larkin vision as well as the current redevelopment and retro rebranding of the district.

Not only is the style of the bike something that would have been seen cruising around the Larkin compound in its heyday, the bike is also reflective of current trends in the bike market. The six single speed Larkin bikes boast green tires, custom chaincases produced by Republic Bikes, Larkin bells and brand markings - the bike also come with locks and helmets. Workers in the building can easily participate in the share program by filling out some paperwork and putting up a security deposit. After that the bikes are free to use when exploring The Hydraulics. It's fascinating to see the Larkin District following in the footsteps of the original visionaries who made a mark for being so inventive when it came to product branding. In this case, the product is the district itself.

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Comments

12 Comments Leave a comment

Johnny LoVecchio

June 10, 2011 1:43 PM

This to me is such an amazingly awesome idea. I wish more places in WNY had bikes for you to just hop on.

[ Reply ]

Score: 2 ( 2 votes )

majove

June 10, 2011 1:59 PM

Life in the city is so cool! Larkin sets a great example.

Score: 0 ( 6 votes )

JSmith

June 10, 2011 2:02 PM

These are bikes are perfectly designed for this sort of thing:

- An upright posture that makes it easy to see and be seen in traffic, and is much more comfortable and normal-feeling than the hunched-over posture of racing bikes.

- The option of a loop frame ("lady's bike") that makes it easy to mount and dismount, and allows women in dresses and skirts and men in long coats to ride in their everyday clothes.

- Baskets and racks for transporting the rider's briefcase, purse, or other cargo.

- A fully enclosed chain case to keep grease off the rider's pant legs, allowing people to ride in everyday business attire.

- A single-speed drive for simplicity and low maintenance.

- Fenders to keep rain and dirt off of the rider.

Now if only there were enough places in the Larkin District to actually ride a bike to!

Did you note the brand of the bicycles?

Score: 0 ( 4 votes )

RetroGrouch

June 10, 2011 3:17 PM

To answer your question -- Republic Bikes.

replied to JSmith

Score: 1 ( 3 votes )

June 10, 2011 3:36 PM

Thanks! The online reviews for this company's bikes are a bit grim. I hope the bikes stand up all right to the abuse they are bound to get. The basic design is still excellent for an urban transportation bike.

replied to RetroGrouch

Score: -2 ( 2 votes )

June 10, 2011 2:19 PM

Not sure what happened with the Blue Bikes but when I was in Denver they had similar bikes you could rent for the day and drop off at other stations.

http://www.bcycle.com/

You can vote to bring them to your city, Rochester is #1

Score: -1 ( 1 votes )

June 10, 2011 2:26 PM

Blue Bikes are still around at the college campuses, but they have had lots of problems with theft and maintenance and Green Options Buffalo lacks the financial and staffing resources to really make it work on a large scale. Every city-wide bike sharing program has had millions of dollars behind it (sometimes recouped by advertising on the bike stations). The big problem with bike shares like this is you need a critical mass of sufficient bikes (thousands) and hubs (dozens) to make the system effortlessly convenient.

Personally, I always puzzle at the point of bike sharing programs given that the bicycle is just about the most inexpensive form of transportation imaginable. But they do seem successful in many cities and I don't think tourists can account for all of the usage.

replied to JM

Score: 0 ( 2 votes )

hilaritee

June 10, 2011 8:42 PM

i think a lack of storage space in many urban living environments accounts for some of the bike share success in other cities.

Score: 0 ( 0 votes )

grad94

June 10, 2011 11:06 PM

sweeeeeeet!

bydesign

June 11, 2011 5:51 AM

While not as cool in appearance - we have a fleet as well - in the New Era Headquarters building. Great for running to a nearby vendor or meeting - or an jaunt at lunchtime. A fabulous idea.

Score: 3 ( 3 votes )

bobbycat

June 11, 2011 9:47 AM

These look really nice. I'd like to see them become a unique style and bike sharing system for Buffalo, similar to what Blue Bikes was doing before.