Bike Share to ban overweight riders.

[JPD]

While this does not effect me, since I don't live in NY, and am under the weight requirement.
Link

I like the idea of a bike share program, as it helps get people moving and decreases pollution at the same time I can see both sides of this. My opinion is that anyone who wants to ride a bike and does not have a medically condition preventing them from doing so should be able to.

While I'm aware that the extra weight can cause more wear and tear on the bike, if the bike that the program is using does have a weight limit I would think they program could benefit from looking into getting bikes that have a higher weight limit.

The weight limit is: 260lbs

Rules for the program:
Link

[Andara Bledin]

The contract doesn't say what some people seem to think it does.

In part of the Prohibited Acts it states that "You must not exceed the maximum weight limit for the Citi Bike bicycle (260 pounds) or the cargo carrier (17 pounds), and You must not otherwise use the cargo carrier improperly with regard to type of contents or any visual obstruction or riding impediment."

They've put down the manufacturer specified limitations of the equipment. They have to so that when something breaks, they don't get sued. It's to limit their liability, and I don't blame them.

I expect that, much like other such programs, they will generally ignore those who might be breaking that rule other than egregious examples or when it leads to damaged equipment.

[Gravekeeper]

Yeah, its a pure liability thing. The standard bike does have a weight limit of around 250-300ish. Any higher and the bike has to be specially ordered from one of a few companies that make such models. A quick Google-fu seems to show all of one manufacturer in the US that allows custom orders of industrial bikes for 300+. ( Worksman Cycles ).

Its not a matter of discrimination, its a matter of physics. We all know if they didn't have this, they'd be sued out of business the moment something happened.

“If you’re 260 pounds or 300 pounds and want to ride a bike, you should be allowed to," Jhoskaira Ferman told the tabloid. "You’re making a choice to live healthier and to lose weight.”

Then buy your own bike. You entitled twat. >.>

[s_stabeler]

yeah, thye should allow people who are over the manufacturer's reccommended weight limit to ride the bike. And when said overweight person ends up damaging themselves, or the bike, I assume those same people will be demanding compensation from the bikie share scheme for any injuries.

seocnd, it looks like this is a scheme for renting bikes for getting around ( i.e. on the way to work) not for getting fit. There is a difference- you need to be fit to cycle to work. Someone 260lb+ is probably unfit enough to be a hazard cycling on the roads.

[bara]

Had a mishap with a ladder a few years back, no injuries except the grass that broke my fall. But ever since then I carefully observe the weight limit on things.

[HYHYBT]

I'm with S Stabler on this: the overlap between people weighing more than 260 pounds and people willing and able to use the program as intended is going to be very small anyway.

[Ginger Tea]

I have no idea how much my shopping weighs, but I have two saddle baskets that can hold 4 2l bottles each with just a smidge for something a bit thinner than a pringles tube on each side, but my old bike, even with a foot pump never felt fully inflated, even with a brand new inner tube.

Thus with 8 2l bottles in the saddle baskets the back wheel squashed rather flatly leading to a bumpy ride home, upon removal of the baskets and their contents the bike was just as good as new, I don't know how heavy that would be, but I stopped getting 8 bottles at a time (dirt cheap sales normally and ran multiple trips over the week instead), if that weight was a part of me, my bike would probably not last long enough to deduct a bottle's worth before either popping a flat or doing the tread a nasty.

[Rapscallion]

A litre of water is one Kg, or 2.2 pounds. Coke is going to be reasonably similar to that in density.

Very roughly speaking, that would be 35 lb.

Rapscallion

[Ginger Tea]

I'm crap with weights and measurements etc.
But I just had a 1kg bag of sugar in one hand and a 2lt bottle in another, granted that is 2kg's aprox, but the sugar I didn't even notice in my hand, but the larger (and heavier) bottle I could not help but notice, guess it's the shape and water displacement fluid dynamics malarkey doing it more.

[violiav]

Snip..

There is a difference- you need to be fit to cycle to work. Someone 260lb+ is probably unfit enough to be a hazard cycling on the roads.

See, my bf is about 280 and he could ride a bike just fine. But he's tall and not round (except for his pregnant woman belly). He can ride any old bike with no issues, I've seen him.

I'm between 190-200 and carry my weight in my rear. I need a good solid seat. The Wally world bikes just don't do it for me (I tried one and it bent). I can ride, well enough to get to were I work, but I'm not an enthusiast and I'd be drenched in sweat.

[Nyoibo]

seocnd, it looks like this is a scheme for renting bikes for getting around ( i.e. on the way to work) not for getting fit. There is a difference- you need to be fit to cycle to work. Someone 260lb+ is probably unfit enough to be a hazard cycling on the roads.

If they're anything like me, not really, I could do it without much problem and I'm somewhere between 255 and 265 depending on when I've eaten and made boom boom