Hotel guests at the InterContinental Seattle Bellevue and Hyatt Regency Bellevue can now rent electric bikes with a QR code scan, no reservation required, through a new tourism program called Ride Bellevue.
Visit Bellevue, the city's tourism organization, announced the program Thursday, July 23, in partnership with e-bike company Ridy and North Bend-based cycling outfitter The Line Bike Experience.
The program pairs hotel-lobby bike access with a solar-powered rental kiosk on the Eastrail, just south of the Wilburton light rail station.
How it works
The Ridy side is straightforward: guests at either hotel scan a QR code to unlock an electric bike. Rental pricing has not been published; Visit Bellevue directs riders to Ride Bellevue for details.
The Line Bike Experience offers a separate piece. Hotel guests staying anywhere in Bellevue can redeem a complimentary one-hour ride credit, departing either from the company's Eastrail kiosk at 11646 SE 5th St. or from its North Bend headquarters at 1130 E North Bend Way.
The Bellevue kiosk is open Saturdays and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Walk-ups are welcome. The fleet includes the Orbea Kemen Flat Bar E-Gravel bike and the Niner Air 9 Hardtail mountain bike, with kids' bikes listed as coming soon, according to The Line's website.
Who's behind it
Michael Kunz, CEO of The Line Bike Experience, said the kiosk lowers the barrier for casual riders. "By placing our rental kiosk directly on the Eastrail, you don't need to own a bike, haul gear, or worry about maintenance. You just show up and ride," Kunz said in a Visit Bellevue press release.
Brad Jones, executive director of Visit Bellevue, said the program connects visitors to trails and restaurants beyond the downtown core, calling Bellevue "a gateway to Pacific Northwest adventure."
The trail network
From the Wilburton kiosk, riders can head north on the Eastrail toward Woodinville wine country or south toward Mercer Slough and Gene Coulon Beach Park in Renton.
The Eastrail will span 42 miles when fully complete, linking Renton to Woodinville through Bellevue. Sections north and south of the kiosk are already open.
The Line is also developing a shuttle service from Bellevue to its North Bend headquarters, which Visit Bellevue describes as a large bike-demo center. No launch date for the shuttle has been announced. From North Bend, riders can access the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, Raging River State Forest, and Tennant Trailhead.
