Practical Thoughts on Publibike

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Yesterday I finally tested Publibike after years of considering these bikes. There is a paradox. I think nothing of spending three francs, for a coke, rivella, hot chocolate or coffee but the idea of paying 3 CHF to use a bike for a six minute ride is disturbing. I didn't pay for six minutes, because that was my first ride. I paid 3 CHF for 11 minutes.

In Line With the Price of Coffee

When you compare it to the price of a coffee or a coke, or a can of redbull from a vending machine the price is reasonable. It's when you compare it to the price of walking, free, and the bus, 60 centimes less, that it seems expensive. If it was two francs for half an hour it would be an excellent price point because it would be cheaper than the bus.

Flexible Time

Having said this, if I had taken the bus yesterday I would have had to leave home at 09:01 rather than at the time I chose. I left a few minutes later, to catch the 09:36 towards Renens. The ride down to the train station took 6 minutes, compared to 30 minutes if I had walked. It took a fifth of the time so that's a worthwhile saving, of time, and I didn't have to worry about parking, or getting the bike stolen. That's another saving.

Cheaper than Parking

If you're too lazy to walk, or in a rush, then you might consider taking the car, but if you take the car at certain times you need to deal with congestion and then parking. In some places parking can be 30 CHF a day, in which case even an e-bike, at 10 CHF for two rides is cheaper.

Unlocking the Bike

when I tried to rent bikes yesterday I had to try a few times before I found one that would unlock. I had choice so it didn't matter, but if you're in a rush this could be frustrating. I had this problem in the morning. When I rented a bike in the afternoon for the homeward journey it was easy. The first bike I went to unlock did unlock.

Adjusting Height

The seat is easy to adjust to the right height. Unlike with private bikes when you loosen the seat it jumps up, rather than falls down. You can then adjust the bike to be comfortable to your leg length. In the morning I made it too short but in the evening it was fine but my legs were tired from taking twenty four thousand steps on a hike.

Gear Shifting

Gear shifting is a round thing on the right side. You turn it until you feel that the resistance is comfortable. It doesn't require shifting with the thumb as with "normal" bikes.

Small Wheels, Disk brakes, and a Basket

The wheels on these bikes are small and they have rear and front disk brakes rather than pads. They all have lights that turn on at the start of a ride and turn off at the end. You unlock them following the instructions, and you lock them by sliding the bolt back across the rear wheel. Make sure that the spokes are out of the way when locking the bike. The basket at the front could be used to hold your bag or possessions, if you do not want to carry them.

Ride Experience

When I cycled in the morning I was fresh, so it felt quick and convenient to use these bikes. I think they're fine for riding. Changing gears is easy, seat adjustment is easy, and releasing the bike seemed convenient. In the morning I had the luxury of riding downhill.

In the evening when I used the bike it felt heavier and more sluggish but this was due to fatigue, after walking 24,000 steps or more. I could feel that my legs had less power. With fatigue and an uphill route it took 11 minutes, rather than six.

Tempted by B-Fit

I can easily walk half an hour. The allure of Publibike and especially the B-fit plan is that if I use the bikes more than 33 times in a year it's worth getting the B-fit plan. The allure of this plan is that the journeys I want to do are 6-12 minutes long, which means that I'm paying 50 to 25 centimes per minute of use. With the B-fit plan I could use the bikes an unlimited amount of times for less than 30 minutes per journey.

And Finally

The cost of riding a Publibike manual bike is 6 CHF per hour, for the first four hours, and then when you're at 24 CHF it's "free" for the rest of the day, theoretically. If you're travelling somewhere, and taking your bike on the train is more than 24 CHF, then it might be interesting to use a Publibike instead, that you rent when you get to your desired location.

Yesterday one journey should have cost sixty centimes, and the next one should have cost one franc and ten centimes. The back and forth should have cost one franc seventy. Instead it cost six francs. To add insult to injury taking the bus would have required waiting, but it would have been free due to the trip I took.

For a commuter it makes sense to pay 99 CHF for unlimited use because within seven weeks you amortise the cost if you use the bike every day. You might even amortise the cost sooner. For small hops like I want to do the cost is less interesting.

My key concern is that I would pay 99 CHF and struggle to find manual bikes rather than e-bikes. For me the lure of the 99 CHF plan is free half hour rides to and from the station, rather than waiting for the bus. If I pay 3.50 for such journeys, rather than 5 CHF the appeal is not the same.