In late summer 2013, I started noticing rows of blue bikes in the downtown Chicago area. As I started bracing for winter, I forgot about the bikes. Recently, while in the downtown area, I was once again intrigued by the bikes, which now seemed to have multiplied.

With a little research and help from Elliot Greenberger, general manager, Alta Bicycle Share, Inc., I learned Divvy (meaning to divide and share) is Chicago’s bike sharing system. It debuted in June 2013 with 69 stations and currently stands at 3,000 bikes housed in 300 stations across the city.

Divvy is operated by Alta Bicycle Share, Inc., an American company focused on operating large-scale bike share systems, including Capital Bikeshare in Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Va.; Hubway in Boston, Mass.; Citi Bike in New York; and others, including Chicago.

Riders can purchase yearly memberships ($75) or daily passes ($7). Either option allows unlimited 30-minute bike trips within that time period. Exceeding the 30-minute limit results in small extra charges, beginning at $2 for an extra 30 minutes. You can extend your trip longer by simply returning your bike (docking) at any station and immediately taking another, a practice called “dock-surfing.”

The Divvy process is simple and quick. Depending on your membership, you either get a key or a code number to unlock a bike at any of the stations. When you return the bike, you reverse the process and wait for the green light.

Friends who have tried Divvy give it positive reviews. The stations and bikes are well-maintained and clean. The process is very smooth, and nobody reported any problems.

Weather reports predict 60 degrees on Thursday. I predict by midday, I will be riding my first Divvy bike along Chicago’s lakefront. I can’t wait!

— John Wroblewski, online contributor