A few years ago, a younger, stupid, I stumbled upon the world of old-fashioned mopeds and thought I had found the perfect daily driver-a very cheap, easy-to-park, faster than a bicycle vehicle, and, At least in New York, only a driver’s license is required.
If Peter Parker can trust someone to deliver pizza in Spider-Man 2, I can definitely rely on one person to wander around the city.
So I searched Craigslist, started buying a $600 model in 1978, and hit the road. However, although my Puch Maxi may have served some fuel-conscious commuters during the oil crisis, 40 years later, it tried to break 20 mph, and there was almost no acceleration. I can’t park it on the street without the breeze blowing it down. In most cases, I’d better ride a bicycle or take the subway.
Fortunately, in the past 40 years, two-wheel technology has made considerable progress, because the sputtering, fussy two-stroke engine has given way to a smooth electric motor. Nowadays, with many rental apps appearing across the country, you don’t even need to own a moped to move around.
I tried the newest service of this kind in New York, from Lime, a bike-sharing and scooter startup, and found it to be a pleasant way to travel through the city. There is no smoke. There is no carburetor adjustment. Don’t worry about parking. It’s just a fun, fast and convenient way to travel.
The longest part of the whole process is a series of training videos and quizzes on how to ride safely. Considering the obvious risks of driving anything (especially unfamiliar vehicles) in city traffic, this is a welcome step. Lime also offers face-to-face riding lessons and provides new riders with free time for the first 15 minutes, so they don’t feel the need to rush for success.
Since Lime’s mopeds (actually scooters, because they don’t have pedals, but we use company jargon here) are registered motor vehicles, you need a driver’s license to operate. The app asked to scan my ID card to match it with my face, and then I went to the competition.
You can book your itinerary in advance, or you can walk to one of Lime’s bright green mopeds and scan the QR code to unlock it. The app will then prompt you to put on a helmet (your own helmet or one of the two Lime helmets provided in the trunk of the moped) and use the front camera of your phone to ensure compliance.
I fastened one of Lime’s lids, sat down, and after learning about the turn signals and other controls, I rolled the moped from the center stand.
Read more: Aurora’s new head of DEI is expanding the talent pool of startups by making room for women leaving the labor market
The first time I got to the street, it felt a little shaky, even though I had tried a competitor’s service, Revel, before. About 15 minutes before my maiden voyage, when I got used to heavy mopeds, I started, stopped and turned staggeringly, which was completely different from the feeling of a bicycle or an electric bicycle.
But soon, I became more comfortable and found that mopeds are both fun and practical, both fun and practical. You can get the speed of a car, the mobility of a fast electric bike, and the convenience of sharing a bike, but you don’t have to think about parking or finding an available stop.
It is crucial that Lime’s mopeds are fast enough to keep up with traffic and avoid difficult situations. Officially, they have a top speed of 28 mph, but I was able to reach 30 mph. This speed is perfectly smooth in a car, but it feels more like 50 mph on two wheels.
Although a bit scary at times, the steady top speed-accompanied by brisk acceleration-means that I have never had the problem of staying in front of the car or feeling like I am holding someone, which helps me feel safe. There is no harm in using the horn freely.
Even after a few hours in the saddle, some things still feel very risky. Turning left at a crowded intersection never stopped sketching me. And, more than once, pedestrians rushed out of me because they couldn’t hear the whispering electric moped approaching.
I am not a germophobic type, so sharing a helmet with other people does not make me feel as sick as some people. But I admit that when I sneeze into the visor closed by the helmet, I can’t help but imagine how many other riders have done the same before me.
Ending a ride is as easy as starting a ride. You just need to find a parking space that is legal for the next 24 hours-you will worry about any tickets that mopeds get during that time-and it’s in Lime’s parking area, these parking areas There is a clear mark in the application.
This flexibility-combined with the speed and convenience provided by Lime mopeds-makes them ideal for cycling or places with poor public transportation services, as long as you don’t need to venture out of the app’s service area Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan.
Lime hopes that its electric mopeds, bicycles and scooters will provide New Yorkers with more sustainable travel options, ultimately reducing reliance on cars and reducing congestion.
It is very likely to steal some people from cars and taxis, because at $0.39 per minute plus $1 in unlocking fees, fast travel on a Lime moped will not go bankrupt. My two trips-about 3 miles in total in 30 minutes-totaled $16.
I think if I sell my old dusty moped at the purchase price, it will shake the 25-hour Lime cruise, which should be a good start.