Philly Indego Bike Share: It's Electric ⚡!
Written on Mar 19 2023
Philly is a pretty bikeable city. It is almost entirely flat and there are plenty of bike lanes that sometimes don't have cars parked in them. However, the city is also fairly large and getting across it may just take too long, or too much effort.
Lucky for you, Indego bike share of Philly has introduced a fleet of electric bikes to get you to your destination quickly and with minimal effort. Plus you don't have to take septa.
First you need a membership to Indego, then it will cost you $.20/minute for the added boost of electricity. It usually ends up costing me 4$ or so to get across town.
Although fairly straightforward, there are a few gotchas when getting used to the system.
- Make sure the battery has power
- Check to make sure there are no flat tires
- Check the inventory before walking
Nothing is worse than an electric bike with no power. The drag of the system is immense, so you end up doing twice the work of the non-electric bike. Also the battery may be fully charged, but there can also be other issues. Don't travel too far from the station until you realize it is working properly.
Maybe the most dangerous on the list is the flat tire. Even at low pressure biking can be risky. Especially with the propulsion of the electric bike, I have gone into a controlled slide due to a flat.
Even if a station is normally stocked, you might just find a run on bikes. In order to save time you should check the app ahead of time. It will tell you how many bikes are available, and how many of those are electric.
Indego also offers the ability to turn on the `IndeHero` feature which allows you to earn points to free time on your pass. You will be rewarded for picking up bikes at locations with a lot of inventory, and also when dropping off into stations that have minimal inventory.
Use my referral link to get 50% off your first month with Indego. It's a really great way to get around town!