NEW YORK—Priority Bicycles announced its entry into the rental and tourism fleet market with the launch of the first fleet-ready, belt-driven rental bicycle, the Priority Glide. The bicycle was developed from Priority’s low maintenance design foundation in partnership with the country’s premier bicycle rental company, Wheel Fun Rentals, who helped ensure the Glide’s features meet the demands of the rigorous rental market. The first Priority Glides are available for rental at Wheel Fun Rentals’ newest locations in San Francisco, and will be available for consumer purchase May 10.
The Priority Glide is the result of hands-on working sessions between Priority Bicycles and Wheel Fun Rentals, designed to address the unique challenges for cycling tourists and rental business operators. Riders across a range of abilities must contend with flats, hills, urban, and rural riding with the need to quickly stop, go, and navigate through crowded areas with confidence and ease. Rental staff and owners demand durable, quality, and low maintenance features to keep fleets in high use, and a bicycle they feel confident offering their customers day in and day out.
“Our development always starts with asking how can we make this easier,” explains Dave Weiner, co-founder of Priority Bicycles. “Tour rental riders are often offered old cruisers that are hard to ride because the use cost and quality is low for the rental company, or mountain and hybrid bikes with complex fit and gearing systems that aren’t designed for tourist riding needs. We were able to take our low maintenance, high quality perspective and pair it with Wheel Fun Rentals’ experience with rider environments across the country to create a unique bicycle that has the durability, simplicity, and comfort ideal for rental bicycles.”
Seamless Shifting NuVinci CVT Hub
The Priority Glide name comes from the bike’s signature feature: the seamless shifting NuVinci CVT hub. The hub offers an infinity shifting system for smooth transitions with a simple twist of the wrist and ensures riders will never be jolted from gear to gear during the stop and go of their rides, even when shifting while riding up hills. The Glide also does away with greasy chains that stain riders’ clothes and hands, replacing it with the industry-leading, reinforced Gates Carbon Drive belt that lasts longer than any chain on the market. Additional features include a rust-free aluminum frame, upright ride for comfort and visibility, quick-stopping disc brakes, and puncture-resistant tires.
“If a rider isn’t comfortable with their bicycle, they will have a terrible experience,” says Al Stonehouse, CEO of Wheel Fun Rentals. “So it was important for us to provide a bike that is lighter weight, has more stopping power, and the smoothest shifting available on the market. The Glide gives riders the confidence to get out and see their destination without the hassle of complicated gears or the potential of a chain falling off. The low maintenance features of the Glide mean less downtime for our operations and an overall better customer experience for the rider.”
San Francisco provides the perfect launch location for the Priority Glide with its demanding combination of steep inclines and declines, stretched out bike paths, and pedestrian density. The Glide will be offered to rental riders at two Wheel Fun Rentals locations in Fisherman’s Wharf. Wheel Fun is the only bike rental outfitter to offer a free GPS-guided audio tour with every rental via their newly developed ride along app.
Wheel Fun Rentals San Francisco is launching with a fleet of 300 Priority Glide bicycles. The Glide is also available now for individual pre-order on Priority’s website.
In addition to the new Priority Glide rental fleet with Wheel Fun, Priority has fleet partnerships with over 100 resorts, hotels, and corporate and college campuses utilizing its inline low maintenance bike models. Partner properties include Le Méridien hotel (eight U.S. locations), Nantucket Island Resort, NASA, and Stanford University.
