In the world of bike shares, electric bikes are supposed to be the next big thing making transportation easier and faster. However, it’s clear that there’s a lot of kinks that still need to be worked out.
Recently, Citi Bike — whose operator, Motivate, is owned by Lyft— said in a blog post that it would be pulling bikes due to “a small number of reports from riders who experienced stronger than expected braking force on the front wheel.”
Motivate is the largest bike share operator in the country, so an error with their bikes is no small thing.
Excessively strong breaks isn’t what most people expect to hear as the reason bikes are being pulled. However, breaking too hard on the front wheel could definitely cause problems.
Overall, 3,000 bikes will be pulled from Lyft’s programs in New York, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, according to CNBC. Outside of Citi Bike in New York City, Capital Bikeshare and Ford GoBike will be affected by the removals.
“We know this is disappointing to the many people who love the current experience — but reliability and safety come first,” the company said.
In the meantime, all of the electric bikes removed will be replaced with regular bikes.
This isn’t the first time safety has been in question with electric modes of transportation. Last month, the CDC launched its first investigation into e-scooter injuries.
Lyft also shared that it’s been working on a new electric bike model that will be available soon.
