【2019 Archives】

Welcome to the Bay Area019 Archives Bay Wheels!

That's the new name of the blue Ford GoBikes bike-share that's been spreading across the San Francisco Bay Area since 2017. The service is operated by ride-share company Lyft and now looks like it, with pink tires and Lyft stamped on the wheel cover.

Lyft acquired bike-share platform Motivate last year —that's the company that operates Ford GoBike in the San Francisco area, Citi Bike in New York, Capital Bikes in Washington, D.C., and other docked bike systems across the country. Now Lyft runs all those bike-shares. In the San Francisco area, a new hybrid electric-assist bicycle is getting that pink-and-black look, replacing the old electric bikes that had been pulled off the network in April in NYC, SF, and D.C. and replaced with the traditional pedal-powered bikes after a braking problem.

Now those e-bikes in San Francisco will be replaced with the new Lyft pink ones and only accessible (for now) through the Lyft app. Take a look at the old e-bikes compared to the new ones:

The traditional human-powered bicycles are also getting a new look as part of the Bay Wheels revamp, which includes thousands of bicycles in the Bay Area. About 15 percent of those bikes will now be the new pink e-bikes. For the classic bikes, a new art wrap will make the bikes look a bit like its former Ford GoBike self with some Lyft flair. Local artist and muralist Hueman designed the new bicycles, forming a roving art installation.

The new Lyft e-bikes work similarly to the old e-bikes, but will be available to rent through the Lyft app — not a separate app. The Ford GoBike app will become Bay Wheels in its next update. Ford GoBike members can link their accounts in the Lyft app.

A big difference with the new e-bikes: You can lock them to any bike post or rack, not just the designated docks. Using the cable lock built into the back of the bike, you can lock the bike anywhere in a designated service area shown on the map on the Lyft app.

The first new bikes arrive in San Jose, CA, on Tuesday, and by the end of the month or so will be spotted in San Francisco and the East Bay.

The new look to the bikes comes as Lyft sued San Francisco, claiming the city violated its exclusive arrangement to provide a bike-share service in the city.