Bike rentals nearby?

I saw the folding bikes yesterday. They are still there. I wonder why they chose folding bikes to rent and not an actual bike? I assume they aren't as comfortable to ride.

xlizellx wrote: I know I'm spilling my secret here, but if I ever come into money and open a business, it will be a bike rental place right off grand army plaza with a laundromat built in. Show up, put your clothes in the washer, rent a bike, go ride around the park, come back to clean clothes...

This is a FANTASTIC idea! Who agrees with me?

jeffrey wrote: Call it "Spin Cycle"

LOVE it! Need investors?

whynot_31 wrote: in college the local laundrymatt had a beer lic, called itself SUDS.

...not sure if we could do beer, laundry and ride bikes though.

You could if those were bicycle-powered washers.

But that might be best combined with the Crunch on Flatbush.

(hey, they could wash their own gym clothes)

xlizellx wrote: I know I'm spilling my secret here, but if I ever come into money and open a business, it will be a bike rental place right off grand army plaza with a laundromat built in. Show up, put your clothes in the washer, rent a bike, go ride around the park, come back to clean clothes (I would either have machines that drop all of your clothes from washer into dryer automatically or have a person do that part for you). I still have the details to work out...

This is a great idea! :-)

xlizellx wrote: someone stole 1/2 of my business plan.

http://www.brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2010/08/closing_bell_bi_8.php#comments

This is a big company now renting bikes at Prospect Park at GAP. We rented bikes from them on our honeymoon in San Francisco -- so they run a good business model for sure. Good location!

Yes, they seem to be open on Sat and Sunday. They operate out of the large green shipping container that is located near the Meier Bldg.

Cool The Kid wrote: [quote=whynot_31]in college the local laundrymatt had a beer lic, called itself SUDS.

...not sure if we could do beer, laundry and ride bikes though.

I have always wanted to make a laundromat slash bar. Seriously doing laundry is boring as shit, and it would be great to be able to kick back a few cocktails, mingle, and at the end of it all have some clean clothes (at the minimum).

I joked with people about this a few times, but I think I really will look into it when the time is right for me

If it wasn't for that place, I would have done my laundry even less often.

....It was a win-win for all. It doesn't seem to still be open, but there are a lot of other places around that are pursing the business model.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=suds+beer+and+laundry&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

It is an improvement over the MTA grate, which you may recall was surrounded by plastic orange fence that was there for literally years until just a few weeks ago.

....but, yes, the container is ugly. I've gotta imagine that they ended up over there because they couldn't get a permit to be in the Arch - Ambulance waiting area, OR be in the area that is used by the green market.

I actually kind of like it. I like that folks who don't have bikes can just instantly rent them and get a helmet to use as well.

....but I am bias: Most things that fight obesity are usually ok by me.