With a growing reputation as the "Airbnb for bikes," new startup Spinlisterprovides cyclists with a platform to lease out their rides to prospective renters, while saving money, meeting awesome people, and consuming less along the way. The sharing-economy company—which takes a 17.5% cut of each listing fee—acts as a middleman between bike owners and prospective renters, allowing members to list their bikes, set their own rates, and provide a description and photo of the bike. Renters browse through the listings and, once they find a potential ride, contact the proprietor through the website and arrange a time to meet. Searches can be refined by filtering through categories such as mountain bikes, beach cruisers, road bikes, fixies, triathlon bikes, BMX bikes, and more. Plus, there are options for renting surfboards, paddle boards, skis, and snowboards.
While most rental prices fall somewhere between $10-$50, the cost on some of the more high-end models may reach over $100. The rate is almost completely determined by the owner; Splinster allows for anything over $1, whether that’s $1 per hour, $1 per day, or $1 per week. Every bike rented through the site is also ensured for up to $10,000 in replacement or repair.
In the future, the site may come out with a “rent to purchase” option with the opportunity for users to directly buy and sell wheels. Additionally, they are in the process of creating a calendar that would allow bike owners to indicate the days that their rides are available.
