Visiting a city or live in a place that doesn’t have a bike share program yet? Don’t fret – Liquid is a new peer-to-peer bike rental marketplace that makes it easy to borrow a bike from individuals or bike rental shops. Like other peer-to-peer networks, Liquid isn’t just a place to conduct bike rental transactions – it’s also a great way to meet people that share your passion for cycling.
The young company changed its name from Spinlister because Liquid better represents the type of marketplace it is trying to create. The service makes it easy to rent a bike or list your bike on the site. Afraid that your bike will get damaged or stolen if you rent it out to strangers? Just like other peer-to-peer marketplaces, Liquid collects reviews from listers and the renters following every rental in order to regulate the community. And for bike aficionados, the bikes themselves are also reviewed. Moreover, Liquid guarantees the safety of the bikes listed on the system. If a bike is damaged or stolen during a rental period and the renter is unable to reimburse a bike owner, Liquid will cover the cost of replacement or repair up to $5000. And they will buy you a cake.
Prices of bike rentals vary quite a bit from owner to owner and aren’t necessarily cheaper than renting from a storefront bike rental shop. Liquid currently operates in many major cities across the US, and they plan to expand to other countries soon. Because it’s a new service, bike inventories are still slim in many locations but are increasing as the system becomes more popular.
+ Liquid
Via Treehugger
Images via Wikimedia Commons User ProfDEH and Wikimedia Commons User Juan Carlos