Amherst College Bike Share

The Amherst College Bike Share is a free service for Amherst College students and staff. Its goal is to promote sustainable travel and recreation to a campus population that may not have the tools necessary to participate in an environmentally conscious platform of transportation. 

Navigate through the menu on the bottom for all you need to know to be a Bike Sharer.  You will need to sign the waiver before you can check out a bike. If you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding Bike Share, feel free to reach out to us at bikeshare@amherst.edu.

How It Works

  1. Read and understand the information below.
  2. Sign the electronic waiver.
  3. Go to the front desk of Alumni Gym to learn more about filling out the waiver and online form. They will ask to see an email receipt of your form, after which they will give you a key to a bike if available. When you return your bike, go back to the desk to return the key and fill out the check-in form!
  4. Please keep in mind the time that the gym closes so you can return the bike before day's end. If you will not be able to return your bike on time, you must contact bike share at bikeshare@amherst.edu. Consistent late returns will result in a referral to community standards. 

Sign a Waiver

Link to Waiver

Checking Out/In a Bike 

In order to check out a bicycle (once the waiver has already been signed), go to the front desk of Alumni Gym. If there are available bikes, you will be given a key to a bike. You will need to show receipt of the check-out form to check out the bike and again when you return the bike. You then will walk over to the Bike Share rack located in front of the Alumni Gym, where you will locate the bicycle corresponding to your key number. You can then unlock your bicycle and ride it. Checked-out bikes do not have to parked at the Alumni Gym rack until they are due back. While the bike is in your possession, you are expected to treat it like it is your own, including locking it securely when it is not in use. You are responsible for the bike, lock, and key while it is checked out to you.

Please note that bike share bikes should be returned before the end of the day and not kept overnight. We strongly encourage bikes to be returned ASAP so that other users can have a chance to ride.

What if I Damage the Bike?

When you return the bicycle, it is your responsibility to email bikeshare@amherst.edu if there has been any damage to the bike or if you have been in an accident. Please include “Damage” in the subject line. Failure to report damages will result in a referral to Community Standards.

Availability During Winter 

The Amherst College Bike Share team discerns when to take the bikes out in the spring, and when to put them back inside in the fall. You will be notified by email with a few days warning in the fall when the bicycles are going to be taken inside for the winter.

Where You Can Ride

You are allowed to ride Bike Share bicycles within the confines of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) bus system route (to see a map of the PVTA route, click here.) The reason we specify this is that, in case something goes wrong with your bicycle, you can always return back to campus via PVTA.

We highly recommend that you do not ride your bicycle at night. If you must ride when it is dark outside, wear light-colored, reflective clothing, and be sure to use front and rear lights.

What to Do in the Case of an Accident 

If you get in an accident and you are injured, call 911 from off-campus or ACEMS at 413-542-2111 from on campus. If you get in an accident and you are not injured but the bicycle is no longer safely functional, bring the bicycle back to Amherst via the PVTA if possible; otherwise, lock it up and note where it has been locked up. Then email bikeshare@amherst.edu to report the damage and let them know that the bike should not be checked out again until it is repaired. Bike Share will contact you for further information if necessary. 

Helmets are available during check out and their use is encouraged.

Bike Rental Renewals 

To avoid individual overuses of the limited number of bikes available, bike rental renewals or the immediate checking-out of another bike upon return will not be allowed. The soonest a user can use Bike Share again after returning a bike would be the day after the bike is returned. Please be understanding, and acknowledge that there are potentially other Bike Share users who may have as urgent a need to use Bike Share as you do. For any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to email bikeshare@amherst.edu.

Come down to Alumni Gym to check out a bike!