Types of bikes / scooters

There are several bikes you can share for different reasons

Toddler or Kids bike / trike / scooter

Almost toy levels of swapability . There are about 3 levels of bikes/ scooters up until you get standard small bikes/ scooters that your kid can ride independently so it'll be cost effective to get maybe one and per level and keep them around just in case. They don't go through much wear and tear and they don't take up much space so it's probably fine to be kept in the bike room

More standard kids bike / scooters for age 10 - 15

These machines are meant to be ridden independently so you want to maybe get more than one and you want to keep it well maintained.

At these ages I wouldn't give out anything that's electric powered and id try to get something with reflectors lights and good brakes. For bikes , also consider getting one with pegs on the back so you can get 2 kids per one bike. Cargo bikes are an option too but only should be given to bigger kids that can handle the thing with weight.

15 and up

Bikes might be a source of independence so it could be wise to officially give the older kid their own bike/ scooter and / or upgrade it. You can start giving them single speeds and low powered electric scooters ( under 15 mph) too. E bikes are also an option but they do attract more scrutiny from police so be careful. ( Same with fat tire bikes, electric or not ) The oldest kid could be in charge of the kids bikes/ scooters and or the oldest kid could be a part of a bike sharing committee that makes decisions on how things are run. Cargo bikes can be ridden by experienced kids but they are more unwieldy so they should be trained on how to maneuver them.

Adults

Road bikes or other more customized bikes are gonna be hard to share. The shared bikes should be simple and adjustable but i would definitely go bike shop grade and not Walmart grade. More expensive but less maintenance.

Electric bikes can be simple or " cheap " but if that is the case you shouldn't be trying to push the maximum output from the parts all the time . ( 20 mph max is like a general ok stopping point for most ebikes ) You can go aftermarket for motors / batteries but again you shouldn't be trying to push the maximum capabilities out of the hardware if that's the case.

For electric scooters , you can go cheap for a commuter supplement ( less than 1 mile a day ) but anything more than that you might want to look into mid grade scooters

Cargo bikes are tricky but you want to get the best frame and best wheels ( and tires ) possible. Everything else can be a bit lower quality. If you go for a 3000 - 4000 bike , you will get the highest quality bike possible that can haul the most stuff safely but... It's still 3000- 4000 😅

You should only invest more than 5000 if A. It's electric with an extremely high quality motor and hauling capacity B. You're comfortable staying with that bike for 10 - 15 years C. It's getting tons and tons of use. Like a car replacement for multiple families.

There are different shapes for cargo bikes but I can talk about that another time

Until next time 😎

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