UHBikes is an ideal way to get around Cleveland!
This July, Cleveland pre-launched a bikeshare system with a hundred bikes and 10 stations downtown. Since then, UHBikes has expanded to 250 bikes! And in that time, over 1,700 Clevelanders and visitors alike have collectively taken 6,505 overall trips. That’s 12,534 miles over 4,051 hours and 39 minutes! All that riding has reduced 11,053 pounds of carbon; burned 501,376 calories; and saved users $7,269 over driving.
Ultimately, the first phase will see about 30 stations around the city. Currently, there are 17 hubs and four drop zones from the Near West Side to University Circle. “Hubs” are specially designed silver racks. “Virtual stations,” or “drop zones,” are regular bike racks designated in our software as stations; you can drop UHBikes at them for no out-of-hub charge.
Biking, whether for recreation, exercise, or transportation, has significant health benefits. It’s good for your body, of course. And it’s good for your brain: One neuroscience study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that people who exercised had, after three months, the brain volume of someone three years younger. Plus, just 20-30 minutes of exercise per day can prevent depression in the long-term.
UHBikes makes it easy to get those benefits. Bikeshare is great for trips that are too long to walk, but too short to drive . And it integrates neatly with existing public transit to provide efficient last-mile connections. Though the network is quite new and, as a result, quite small, there are plenty of opportunities to try UHBikes if you live or work in Cleveland. Instead of driving between Public Square and Playhouse Square, for example, consider riding bikeshare!
To get going, visit uhbikes.com or download the Social Bicycles app to your smartphone (apple or android). Then, select a payment plan. There are four available:
- Monthly Basic: $15 a month; includes 60 minutes of free ride time per day (three-month commitment)
- Monthly Plus: $20 a month; includes 90 minutes of ride time per day (three-month commitment)
- Pay-As-You-Go: $7 an hour; pro-rated at 12 cents a minute
- Prepaid: $21 for three hours, plus an extra hour
Once you’ve signed up, you’ll have a randomly generated six-digit account number and will have set your own four-digit PIN number. To check out a bike, enter your account number and PIN on its keypad. The bike will unlock. Store the lock in the holster, and go for a ride! When returning bikes to racks, be sure to roll the back wheel into the slot at the base of the racks to keep the bikes balanced, and don’t forget to reinsert the lock. Locking the bike ends your trip.
Visit http://uhbikes.com for more information and to sign up!
UHBikes' smart-bike system allows you to lock your bike anywhere for a $2 convenience charge. You can also return bikes locked outside of stations to a station for a $1 credit. (Be aware that it’s a $20 charge if you lock up outside the service area.) Check the map on the Social Bicycles app to see where bikes are—in hubs, at virtual stations, and locked out in the wild. You can reserve a bike up to 10 minutes in advance through the app and put your bike on hold for 15, 30, or 60 minutes.
And even though Cleveland’s delightful summer weather is on its way out, we won’t let winter get in your way of riding UHBikes! UHBikes is planning to keep all of the current stations open year-round, though they will likely reduce their fleet size and will lock the system if there is exceptionally bad weather. Biking during the winter is easier than you might think. Cleveland gets cold and windy, but our city sees over 90 freeze/thaw cycles yearly—which means that heavy snowfalls can melt quickly, leaving you with relatively clear streets on which to bike. Keep your head, fingers, and toes covered, and layer up!
The most up-to-date information about UHBikes can be found through social media channels: @uhbikes on Instagram and Twitter, and Facebook. While each station has a big, beautiful vinyl map with riding tips and instructions on how to use the system, the most accurate map of available bikes and stations will always be at uhbikes.com/map or displayed in the Social Bicycles app.
UHBikes is made possible by funding and planning from Cuyahoga County and Bike Cleveland and their generous title sponsor, University Hospitals. Find our stations at the following intersections, and call (216) 930-4344 with any customer-service inquiries:
Downtown:
Euclid/E. 9th Street
City Hall (E. 6th Street/Lakeside)
Playhouse Square (Euclid/E. 14th Street)
Flats East Bank (Main Avenue/W. 11th Street)
Dollar Bank Plaza (E. 9th Street/St. Clair)
Public Square (200 Public Square)
The Mall (Lakeside/W. Mall Drive)
Downtown Library (Superior/E. 6th Street)
W. 9th Street/W. St. Clair
County Building (Huron/E. 9th)
Cleveland Visitor Center (E. 4th/Euclid; virtual station)
Cleveland Public Library Sterling Branch (E. 30th Street/Central; coming soon!)
Cuyahoga Community College (Community College/E. 30th Street; coming soon!)
Cleveland State University (E. 24th Street/Euclid; coming soon!)
University Circle:
Uptown (Euclid/E. 115th Street)
North Residential Village (E. 115th/Juniper; coming soon!)
W.O. Walker Hospital (Euclid/E. 105th Street)
Thwing Center (Euclid/University Hospital Drive; coming soon!)
Little Italy/Tony Brush Park (Mayfield/Random Road)
Wade Oval South
Adelbert/Circle Drive (coming soon!)
University Hospitals/Cornell Road (coming soon!)
Cedar-University RTA
Near West Side:
Market Square (W. 25th Street/Lorain)
Hingetown (Detroit/W. 29th Street; coming soon!)
Tremont (W. 11th Street/Fairfield; coming soon!)
Platform Brewery (4147 Lorain; virtual station)
Happy Dog (W. 58th Street/Detroit; virtual station)
Market Garden (Bridge/W. 25th Street; virtual station)
Bike Cleveland (Bridge/W. 30th Street; virtual station)
