Oh, and have you tried the fancy new Citi Bikes?

It didn’t take long for Citi Bike to buckle under the weight of its ambitions. Even as the program expanded to practically every busy intersection (at least in wealthier neighborhoods), the ubiquitous blue bikes started falling into disrepair. Chains rusted; brakes grew faulty; seats slid down no matter how much you messed with those finicky little latches. No small number of the vehicles became totally unrideable. Even the beloved pedal-assist e-bikes seemed to lose a step. The electric-power boost, which won riders over by providing the sensation of implanting Lance Armstrong’s calves directly into their legs, grew sluggish and herky-jerky. The bikes groaned up inclines and could barely keep pace with non-electrified models, let alone cars. And that’s if a rider could find one that wasn’t out of charge.

But in the darkest hour, a savior appeared. In May, Lyft (Citi Bike’s sponsor since 2018) launched a brandnew fleet of 1,400 sleek off-white e-bikes. Designed to overcome the issues that plagued its predecessor, this second generation of cycles can last up to 60 miles per charge (the previous limit was 25) and has a foolproof seatheight clasp. The new paint job reflects headlights for extra nighttime visibility. Best of all, these things have juice. Bolting into action as soon as one’s feet touch the pedals, they rapidly hit

20 mph (a city-mandated limit). You’ll keep pace with traffic on busy streets and blast past even the most hard-core spandex-clad trad-bike riders (their judgmental stares offer another layer of vindictive satisfaction). For riders accustomed to the first generation, the off-white bikes feel like mounting a handsome stallion after years spent commuting by donkey.