Bikes in College Town Offer Free Rides

MADISON, Wis. — They’re too ugly to steal, but if you see one, feel free to hop on and pedal away for a while.

That’s the invitation from bicycle enthusiasts who are leaving the bright red, one-speed bicycles around town for people to use, then leave for others.

In addition to stickers urging people to wear helmets and obey the rules of the road, there’s a message on each bike that’s surprising in these days of locks and chains: “Do not lock this bicycle.”

The so-called Red Bikes Program is being offered as a solution to everyday transportation problems in a college town crammed with young people, scarce parking spaces and limited freeways.

To make the program work, people donated their old bicycles, bike shops donated spare parts, and mechanics and a local paint manufacturer donated the red paint.

The old bicycles have red handle bars, red seats, red spokes and red tires. Many are old-fashioned, one-speed numbers with balloon tires, but there are some three-speed and 10-speed bikes too.

Earlier this month, volunteers rode the garish bikes from the state Capitol to the downtown area, parked them in bike racks and walked away.

Similar programs have been established in Portland, Ore.; Boulder, Colo.; and Missoula, Mont.

Organizers intend to maintain the bikes and replenish the supply as they disappear.

“Some of them are going to get vandalized, some of them are going to get ridden into the lake,” bike shop owner Roger Charly said.