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MIDDLETOWN — Many are wondering about the distinctive orange bicycles they see scattered throughout the city at parks, near sidewalks, and on the Wesleyan University campus as students motor around.

The school launched a new bike-share pilot program April 12 for the campus community. Spin, Wesleyan’s partnering company, has placed 100 orange dockless bikes at multiple locations throughout campus.

The Spin bikes-share program is used on 18 campuses and universities nationwide.

Anyone with a wesleyan.edu email can borrow a bike for 50 cents for 30 minutes or receive unlimited rides for $14 per month. All new users get two hours of free riding. Anyone without a wesleyan.edu email address can rent a bike for $1 for 30 minutes or $29 per month.

To get started, riders can download the app by searching “spin bikes” in the app store and

signing up with an @wesleyan.edu email. Users must connect a credit or debit card to the app.

Once registered, a bike borrower uses the app to locate a nearby bike and scans a QR code on the bike to unlock it. After riding, a borrower may drop off the bike at a bike rack and should make sure it is locked (with a metal pin that automatically fastens the back wheel to the frame). The rental session ends when the rider locks the bike.

When parked, bikes should never block building doors, access ramps, railings, and campus roads and pathways. Wesleyan encourages bike borrowers to park in or near a bike rack, if possible.

“We hope that this program will allow more people to take advantage of the bikes, be it to get from one end of campus to the other when you are in a rush, or to take them out for a leisurely ride during the weekends,” said Jen Kleindienst, sustainability director at the school. “We’re excited to bring bikeshare to Wesleyan and hope it will be a little easier to get around campus.”

To offer feedback about the program, email sustainability@wesleyan.edu.

Editor’s note: This is reprinted from the News @ Wesleyan blog. Olivia Drake is Tthe Wesleyan University newsletter editor and campus photographer.

“We hope that this program will allow more people to take advantage of the bikes.” Jen Kleindienst, sustainability director, Wesleyan University

Olivia Drake / Wesleyan University Erica Wright, project assistant for physical plant facilities at Wesleyan University, tests a Spin bike as part of the school’s new bike-share program. Below, bikes parked and ready to roll at the university.

Olivia Drake / Wesleyan University The bike-share rental session ends when the bike is locked by the rider. The program is used on 18 campuses and universities nationwide.