The last time we saw Nike making headlines sponsoring cycling, Lance Armstrong was winning Tour de France titles. Fast forward to 2016, and Nike is seeking to get its logo on bicycles once more. Nike announced a partnership with Portland, Oregon to buy the city a $10 million bike share program, currently being called Biketown, perhaps an allusion to Niketown stores across the country. As TheVerge first reported, Portland is getting the new bike share system starting this summer. Portland is already a bike friendly town and the city council is hoping that the 1,000 bright orange bicycles being given to the city will be a great addition.
Get The Latest Sports Tech News In Your Inbox!
Nike is looking to promote their logo in their own backyard, since the corporate headquarters are based in the Portland metropolitan area. The company is planning to fund the $10 million initiative over five years, in exchange for the right to put its Swoosh logo and signature orange color on the bicycles, according to an article from CleanTechnica.com. Nike hired Motivate, a NYC based company, to operate the program. Another NYC based company, Social Bicycle, is building the bikes, since the company claims that their bikes avoid expensive docks and kiosks by incorporating communications and locking mechanisms within the bikes.
Bike share programs offer several advantages to the cities they belong to. They promote wellness and offer tourists as well as residents accessibility around the city. The bikes also provide companies such as Nike the opportunity to purchase exclusive branding rights. Jorge Casimiro, Nike’s Vice President of Global Community Impact, spoke on the importance of committing to the city of Portland. Casimiro said, “Part of our commitment to Portland has been to encourage people to move more by incorporating physical activity into their everyday lives.” Casimiro also added, “So to all of us at Nike, the city’s bike share program is the perfect way of doing so.”
The bike share system is projecting that the cost of renting a bike for 30 minutes will cost about $2.50. According to the city of Portland, this would be the lowest fee in the US. In addition to the pay per use method, bike renters can also buy a $10 to $15 a month membership, which would include up to 90 minutes of bike use a day.