Miami Beach unveils sexiest bike-sharing scheme yet

The US resort of Miami Beach became the latest destination to boast a bike-sharing scheme this month, enabling sun worshippers to cruise down the famous beach on two wheels.

DecoBike is a nod to Miami's historic art deco district and has clearly been inspired by the pastel-hued buildings, with colorful rental stands, stylish bikes and even a range of DecoBike merchandise.

Playboy playmate Francesca Frigo officially launched the Miami Beach scheme earlier this month, taking the first spin on her town's version of an idea which is proving popular everywhere from London, UK to Hangzhou, China.

Users simply insert their credit card and choose a bike, returning it to one of the 100 solar-powered stations dotted around the city, not paying another dollar above their membership fee if they return the bike within 30 minutes.

However, unlike a similar scheme which launched last year in Washington DC, Miami's is heavily skewed towards residents - a monthly pass costs $15, but one-day access (presumably for tourists) costs $14 and three days will set visitors back a whopping $30.

The Washington DC Capital Bikeshare system, by contrast, charges $5 for a 24-hour usage period or $15 for a 5-day subscription, while London's Cycle Hire scheme costs £1 ($1.60) per day or £5 ($8) for a seven-day subscription.

Nevertheless, DecoBike is expected to be a hit in a warm city filled with environmentally-aware fitness fanatics, so much so that the brand has even launched its own line of DecoBike apparel.

"Sexy and green don't always go together," a spokesperson for the service told the Miami New Times, "But we're lucky this is South Beach."

Watch the apparel commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4HFrKbc7Qk

http://www.decobike.com/