When it's 70 degrees out and the sun is beaming, you just might be in the mood for a day-long bike ride. Online bicycle renting hub SpinLister.com lets you do just that.
SpinLister is an online startup that launched on April 1 in New York and San Francisco. Urbanites can rent a bicycle for a few hours, days or up to a couple of months — for just a couple of dollars.
The idea of the bike rental social network was developed when co-founders Will Dennis and Jeff Noh met in NYC at the General Electric/OMD startup incubator during the summer.
"I knew I wanted to have a bike while I was in New York because it's my favorite way to get around," Dennis told Mashable. "I started looking into it and found that my only option was to buy and resell a bike. There wasn't anything like a long-term rental. Rentals were always short-term, expensive or not the bike I'm looking for."
He posted his own bike on Craigslist and saw locals and tourists were interested in renting his bike for longer than a few hours. The wheels hit the ground and the idea took off from there.
Bikers can now list their bikes on SpinLister, instead of stuffing it in a garage or paying for extra storage space. Simply state your location, specs of your mobile, ideal height for the bike and any extras you are willing to throw in with the deal — helmet, lock, lights, etc.
Listers decide how much the rental will go for. There are currently bikes on the website that priced at $1 to $30 per day. Individuals can also list per hour, week or monthly rates.
SpinLister covers the insurance. The web community covers its platform, insurance, credit card and transaction costs by charging both the lister and renter 12.5% of the transaction cost.
On the network, listers build profiles for themselves that are verified through Facebook or Twitter, which Dennis calls "good representations of online presence." The climate of social media plays a huge role in the formation of SpinLister, says the co-founder. As people allow themselves to show up online, it's easier for social networks of all kinds to take off.
All transactions are made with credit cards in case of theft. Damaged bikes or injuries will be covered by the company's insurance.
"A stranger in a town you've never been to, owning a bicycle you had no idea existed, is now someone you can see who has 600 friends on Facebook and 100 followers on Twitter," Dennis said.
There are more than 1 billion bikes worldwide, Dennis said. SpinLister will work to foster this network of bikers who can share bikes while traveling.
"I think there's an opportunity for people who are excited about bikes and recreation to really to share something," Dennis said. "What's cool about the cloud of consumption piece of SpinLister is you're not just bringing together people who have underused bikes, but people who are active, adventurous, who already have a specific interest in common."
One of Dennis' favorite aspects of the website is the space where users can list where their favorite place to ride.
"We think the largest bike rental system already exists," Dennis said. "We just need to connect it."
SpinLister is working on building a mobile application and hopes to expand nationally soon. Currently there are many bikes to choose from in each city. SpinLister has also teamed up with San Francisco's Blazing Saddles and Bike and Roll in NYC to supply more rentals.
Image courtesy of SpinLister
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