Why Bike Share?

ValloCycle is Alabama’s oldest city-wide bike share. Most bike sharing programs are located in large cities or universities around the country. In fact many programs can be found around our state. Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Troy, Auburn, Montevallo, and three cities in Calhoun County all maintain public bicycle share programs. Most of the state’s programs are centered on the short-term checking out of bikes. The goals vary but most large-scale urban bike sharing programs utilize numerous bike check out stations and operate much like a public transit system.

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​Bike sharing first appeared in the 1960’s. In fact John Lennon and Yoko Ono appeared in a photo with one of the first bikes from one of these programs. Provo responded to the perceived threats of air pollution and capitalism by creating the world’s first bike share. Their goal was for motorists to leave their cars in parking lots and continue traveling on bike. Bike share systems never gained much traction until the 2000’s. Even during the US bike boom from 1965-1975, when more bicycles were sold than cars, the concept never took hold. 

ValloCycle is the Montevallo bike share, but we operate more like a bicycle library system than a bike share system. Long-term checkout is available on a variety of bicycles for $20 per term. ValloCycle is dedicated to offering bicycles to community and University members to develop a bicycling community in Montevallo. We advocate for cycling infrastructure, provide bicycle maintenance clinics, and provide free bicycle rental for each of our group rides. 

Sharing a bike is a great way to regain the confidence of riding and experiment with different bicycles. Riding will leave you feeling more energized than walking or riding in a vehicle. The freedom you experience riding is better than flying and is good for the environment. Biking is the most efficient form of transportation every devised by humans.

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