May 25, 2016 (Santa Monica, CA) – We know lots of Nordic skiers ride bikes but never like this. Jeffrey Tenenhaus, formerly of New York City, rode a Citi Bike Motivate bike (formerly Bixi) across the USA last year reports la Presse. He unlocked the bike at an anchor point in Brooklyn last August and, after 4,715km, ended up in southern California. Citi Bike (the local bike share agency) charged Tenenhaus with a $1,200 USD late return fee.

“They charged me a $1,200 late fee, the maximum charge, and I paid it. Today, after all that I have experienced, this bike has a sentimental value for me,” he told la Presse.

Tenenhaus became frustrated with his life in NYC; the moment of the day that he enjoyed the most was renting a Citi Bike to commute to and from his work. “On the bike I was in control, I was outdoors, I was in the sunshine and not in a dark (windowless) room where people were telling me what to do. This is how I came to have the idea of my trip.”

He bought a small bike trailer which he towed behind the rental bike. Although he carried a tent and camping supplies, Tenenhaus says he mainly stayed with people along the way, often through the auspices of Warm Showers, which describes itself as “a free worldwide hospitality exchange for touring cyclists” with 85,000 active members and 35,000 active hosts.

Although the bike share program in New York City is now operated by Citi Bike, the agency still uses rental bicycles made for Bixi (Public Bike Share Company). These robust, 3-speed aluminum bikes were built by Quebec-based Cycles Devinci.

La Presse article (French): here.

Warm Showers: here.