High I-Wheels

It seems every time you get behind the wheel you’re seeing red—the red glow of your gas gauge light.

Prices are so high, the last time you filled up you cried all the way to the tank. Now, you’re living life in the slow lane (so you can cruise downhill with your foot off the gas pedal).

Parking the car for good is not an option. You just need a gas-free way to get around your neighborhood.

Here’s some fuel for thought. Rev up with the new B-Cycle program. Nguyen Le, owner of Momentum MultiSport in Kaimuki, experienced the concept of bike sharing while living in Paris. Now, he’s the driving force behind Hawaii’s first program. The premise is simple—pay a flat rate for access to bicycles parked around town.

The first two B-Cycle stations are on Kailua Road. Buy a pass there, and you can check out one of 12 bicycles half-an-hour at a time. Each comes with lights and a basket. The tires and gears are constantly maintained so you’ll never end up flat.

Pass prices range from $5 for 24 hours to $50 annually.

So you won’t have to beg, borrow or wheel the next time you’re strapped for gas.

That’s a way to unlock and roll.

Bicycles will be available in Kailua starting Saturday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.  The stations are on Kailua Road at Hamakua Drive near Muumuu Heaven, and at Hahani Street neat Formaggio's Grill.  For more information, to see a demonstration, or to learn how to purchase an annual pass, click here to visit the B-Cycle Hawaii website.