Website allowing people to rent out their bikes makes inroads into Canada

TORONTO – Years after Bixi and its competitors set up shop in Canada, another bike-sharing system that some describe as the AirBnB of cycling is making inroads in the country.

Spinlister allows people to list their unused bicycles and search for available ones in a specific area.

The bikes can be rented by the hour, day or week through a website or app, and users can search by type, frame size and rider height.

The California-based company launched in 2012 and branched out to other countries, including Canada, the following year – but a spokesman says the number and type of bikes available in any given location depend entirely on the users.

A few dozen bikes, from sturdy cargo bikes to sleek racing models, are listed in Toronto and Vancouver and spokesman Andrew Batey says demand for bicycles outstrips the supply.

He says 70 per cent of people who rent through the site do it while travelling, while others book bikes for charity events or to test drive expensive models before investing in one of their own.