TORONTO — Years after Bixi and its competitors set up shop in Canada, another bike-sharing system that some describe as the AirBnB of cycling is making inroads.
Spinlister allows people to list their bicycles and search for available ones in a specific area.
The bikes can be rented by the hour, day or week through a website or app, and users can search by type, frame size and rider height.
The California-based company launched in 2012 and branched out to other countries, including Canada, the following year — but a spokesman said the number and type of bikes available in any given location depend entirely on the users.
Many of those who rent out their bikes are cycling enthusiasts with more than one bicycle, said spokesman Andrew Batey.
The company targets certain cities for expansion if there appears to be enough community interest, Batey said, and both Victoria and Vancouver are on the short list.
“I love Victoria, I’m very familiar with the area,” he said.
Batey said there are two key elements that are considered in going to a new area — participation in and attitudes toward cycling, and tourism.
“Seventy per cent of the people that are renting are travelling, and [Victoria is] a really big travel destination.”
He said others book bikes for charity events or to test drive expensive models before investing in one of their own.
Victoria cycling consultant John Luton, executive director of the Capital Bike and Walk Society, said the rental service is “an interesting concept” that he has not come across before. Victoria already has a good bike-rental sector, he said.
He said the service raises questions for him such as are the bikes in good condition and do they come with quality helmets.
Each bicycle is insured for $10,000 and those who list theirs aren’t liable if a renter is injured. No bicycle has ever been stolen by a renter, Batey said, largely because renters have to enter a credit card and go through other verification procedures.
Bikes in Toronto go for $15 to $100 a day, depending on the model, and the company takes a 17.5 per cent cut of the rental fee. — With files from Jeff Bell
