weBike: A Stationless Model of Bike Sharing

Rather than considering bike sharing as an add-on to the typical transportation modes, what if we shifted out attitude towards bike sharing and considered it another option for everyday transportation? Brad Eisenberg, CEO of weBike, asks himself this question everyday, contemplating why bike sharing can't be the new most frequently used way to travel from one destination to another. Not only is it economically friendly, but it's also the perfect way to reduce traffic congestion. Think about the potential. Remove parking lots and create new educational institutions, hospitals, there are endless possibilities. If we could just alter the way we look at bike sharing, convince others of its importance, well, big things could happen.

Brad Eisenberg became interested in the concept of bike sharing at a young age prior to the whole phenomenon that has taken over mainstream cities nationwide. He was only a sophomore at the University of Maryland when he realized what a difference he could make with the creation of what he now considers the "next generation of bike sharing," weBike: A stationless model equipped with mobile and web technologies. Cost effective for riders and customizable packages for different sized communities, "bike sharing is no longer just for the big cities," Eisenberg continuously stressed.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Brad Eisenberg this afternoon as we bonded over our love for all things bike related. He discussed the advantages of bike sharing, the unique characteristics of weBike, as well as what the future holds for his perky startup. Check out the pictures and then enjoy my recap of our conversation below.

We began weBike straight out of the QUEST, Quality Enhancement Systems and Team, program at UMD. In 2007 I took the Systems Thinking class as a part of the program. The objective was to identify a need and form a group organically with no constraints. It was there that I found my team. Vlad had just been in Europe and had seen some unique bike solutions, I was an engineering students that constantly was witness to the crowded bike racks on campus, and Allie was interested in looking at green and sustainable marketing efforts. Our Systems Thinking group transformed into our weBike team. 

Originally, our idea was a third generation station-based system with automatic bike locks, kiosks, etc. back when bike sharing wasn't even happening in the United States. We lobbied our university to get bike sharing on campus, but we came across so many barriers related to the stations with funding costing between $35,000 and $40,000 per station. We needed approval from facilities, administration, the Department of Transportation. The list went on and on. So, we ditched the station idea and our project took off. 

We launched our beta at UMD in 2009,won $2,000 in funding from our alumni association, fixed up a bunch of abandoned bikes through the community bike shop, and developed our software from scratch this summer.

WeBike is the next generation of bike sharing because it has all of the benefits that traditional bike sharing companies offer, but also makes the system acceptable to any community. We are for the small town, corporate world, college scene, the communities that are normally not taken into consideration by the big companies that solely populate the ever growing cities. We pride ourselves in being that simple, flexible, and affordable bike sharing system that's convenient for the everyday rider.

We honestly don't think of systems like Capital Bikeshare as competitors, but rather indirect partners. We aren't going after the metropolitan community or big city areas. The mainstream companies create the demand and we create the solution more appropriate for the communities out there.

WeBike works with the community so in order for us to bring weBike to you, the community itself must be contacted. There is a subscription fee for software products, but the financial structure is up to the community. To use the system, register through the site ahead of time and then you are read to go.

When you approach a bike location, which you can find on our site, send a text message directly to weBike with the bike number you want to use and we send you the combination to the lock attached. Carry the lock with you and once you your destination, re-attach it to a safe stationary place. Text the final destination of your bike along with its number to weBike and we put that location up on our site for a new user to find. No GPS is involved to support the idea of being easy and affordable. Just lock your bike anywhere and send the location.

Here's the breakdown in terms of value proposition: 

From a user perspective - We have received great feedback about how convenient it is to have a bike when you need one and go wherever you need to go.

From an international student perspective -  With no cars or ways to commute, they would use weBike as their sole form of transportation.

From a school's perspective -  Public biking reduces traffic congestion and emancipates the parking on campus. A school in Maine gave bikes to everyone on campus and turned their unused parking lots into recreation space. With real estate on campus considered extremely valuable, taking away parking lots could create room for new more useful buildings.

From a bike sharing perspective - It's a way to show how committed you are to environmental stewardship. Whether it be creating a more green university to follow through with the president's climate position, improving student life, helping with carbon reduction, or simply creating a more enjoyable and living environment, bike sharing is great for all.

Rates are per user so the charge is based on how many people would register and use the system. Costs can be anywhere from $10 a user for a very large community to $30 per user for a smaller community per year. The average cost per community is around $20,000 a year, but it can get higher or lower.

[Images via weBike]