Behind the scenes, Indego mechanics keep bike wheels turning

An article I wrote yesterday looked at how Indego, the city's bike share, has worked to attract people from low income communities. If you missed it, you can read the story here.  A few readers commented Sunday about the condition of Indego's fleet of 700 bikes. Some complained, saying they had gotten bikes that were in rough shape. Others said the program worked well.

I thought it might be worth sharing some pics I got during a visit to Indego's headquarters, an unassuming looking converted garage on 5th Street just north of Girard.

These bikes, a heavier, sturdy BCycle model made by Trek, get a lot of use, said Peter Hoban, the recently departed general manager for Bicycle Transit Systems, which was contracted to run the city's Indego program. People have taken 302,000 trips since the program launched in April, and keeping the bikes road worthy takes some diligence, he said. Staff do monthly maintenance checks at the city's 73 docks, which have space for between 20 to 30 bikes, typically. If the spot checks find a bike with problem, it goes to the shop. Same if a rider calls in a complaint. That's when these guys go to work.

Flat tires. Holes in baskets. Folks like Teyshawn Carr, 19, of North Philly, deal with it all. On any one day, about 30 bicycles will be in the shop for repairs.

I'd be interested to hear how riders find the conditions of the bikes. Are they usually well maintained? Have you had problems with them being in poor condition? As this blog develops I'd very much like to make it a place where I can respond to readers experiences about getting around in the city, so definitely reach out at jlaughlin@phillynews.com or tweet me at @jasmlaughlin.