Citi Bikes, known for their bright blue color and ubiquitous Citi logo, received a major design overhaul from Ben Serrota, a world-famous Olympic racing bike designer. At least 1,000 of the redesigned bikes are slated to hit the streets of Big Apple within the next couple of days, while a second batch of 1,400 new bikes will be added later in the year.
The new design makes the bikes a bit slimmer and more comfortable to ride. It also promises to address the issue of breakdowns, which should result in fewer bikes needing repairs.
The most prominent change is to the seat, which has been designed to have a hole in the middle, the purpose of which is to stop the saddle from getting soaked in rainy weather.
"They're also easier on the backside," said Serrota. "You're being supported in areas you need to be supported."
In addition to the Olympics, Serrota's bikes have been used in European, National and World Championship events.
Other notable improvements include a new gear system and a more steady European-style kick stand. The whole system was overhauled during the winter and included a retrofit of all 12,000 docks.
Citi Bike is now under new management, which is headed by CEO Jay Walder, a former MTA chairman. Its mother company, formerly known as Alta, is now under the name of Motivate.
The new team also updated the software. Riders can now depend on the app to give them appropriate information on what stations have available bikes or slots.
"What you're finally seeing is the Citi Bike that fits New York," said Walder. "It's big, it's bold, it's in more and more parts of New York City, and it's been brought up to the quality and the standards that people expect of Citi Bike."
The bikes are the same size as the old ones. They are still blue and will continue to bear the Citi logo. However, the changes have made riders agree that the bikes definitely feel faster and are now easier to lock in the docks.
"They're all great changes," said Jim Langel, a resident of the Upper East Side and annual member. "It's phenomenal."
