Raleigh, Specialized, Fuji, Cannondale, Shimano, and many more massive brands put their newest and coolest on display, but the real star of the show was Citi Bike.

Over two days, thousands of people stopped by the Citi Bike booth to marvel, fondle and ogle the big blue bikes that are about to change the way people get around New York. Visitors asked questions, shared their experiences with similar systems in other cities, and praised the program.

More than 600 people took a Citi Bike for a test ride and scores signed up for memberships on the spot.

The following day, staffers and a few select riders took a handful of Citi Bikes for a rigorous road test: They pedaled all 40 miles of the Five Boro Bike Tour.

Though a few of the riders were totally tuckered out by the end, they reported that constant Citi Bike-related questions from the 32,000 other participants helped keep their mind off their exhaustion.

If you want to see a Citi Bike up close or take one for a short spin before the program launches late this month, there are a handful of demonstrations in the next few weeks. You can find a complete list with times and locations at the Events page.

And don’t forget about Citi Bike Street Skills classes, where you can brush up on your urban cycling skills before the big launch

Earlier this week, DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan announced economic projections for the program. The first year of New York City’s new bike share system will generate $36 million in economic activity and create 170 new jobs, according to a New York City Economic Development Corporation analysis.

From bike mechanics, who keep the fleet in tip-top shape to station technicians to the friendly staff at our call center working to make sure every Citi Bike customers’ questions are answered anytime day or night, these new employees will receive competitive hourly wages and good benefits, while working to make travel around New York City easier and more fun.

And those hires are just the beginning. When the system expands from 6,000 bikes at 330 stations to 10,000 bikes at 600 stations, there will be a whole lot more opportunities and many millions more in economic activity generated.

Even better, the program is funded without any taxpayer subsidy, relying entirely on sponsorship from Citi Bank and MasterCard, as well as financing from the Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group.

In addition to job creation, Citi Bike’s launch shows promise in enhancing the local economies of the neighborhoods it serves. DOT’s Measuring the Street report, issued last fall, documented the significant impact transit improvements and better street designs can have on real estate values, local economies and small businesses throughout the city.

If you’re new to city cycling, getting back in the saddle after a few years away, or interested in learning tips on safely navigating urban traffic, Citi Bike’s street skills class is for you.

In a fun interactive classroom environment, Citi Bike Street Skills focuses on city cycling scenarios like traffic, jaywalkers, puddles and intersections and how to handle them so that you enjoy pleasant, stress-free rides.

Even better, every participant will learn how to use the Citi Bike system, get an introduction to the bike’s features, and receive a free 24-hour pass to Citi Bike worth $9.95!

The classes are being offered in partnership with Bike New York and taught by a certified cycling instructor. The free, hour-long class will give you the confidence and know-how to take full advantage of Citi Bike from the second the system opens. Classes alternate between Manhattan one week and then Brooklyn the next.  Manhattan classes are held at Bicycle Habitat in SoHo, and Brooklyn sessions are at Red Lantern in Fort Greene. 

“There’s so much that people can do to make themselves feel confident and more comfortable on the road. You can adjust a few behaviors and have so much more fun,” said Emilia Crotty, the education and outreach manager at NYC Bike Share.

You can find a schedule of classes, as well as registration information and more details here. Additional dates are being added for June. RSVP is appreciated but not required.

While we were at the Citi Bike facility in Greenpoint, Brooklyn earlier this week, we took a few minutes to talk with Jaytee Taylor, the Warehouse Supervisor who hails from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

How long have you been working for NYC Bike Share?
I started in September of 2011, so almost two years now.

How’d you get the job?
When we were still based in the Navy Yard, I went down there and applied for work with whoever was hiring. First I got a call about doing security guard stuff, but that’s not for me, so I passed, and they said, ‘What about this bike thing. It’s warehouse work.’ Well, I’ve done a lot of that, so I jumped at the chance.

So it’s good work?
It’s great. Lots of young people. Nice people. Good energy.  Great benefits. And I like the bikes.

So you ride them a lot?
Oh yeah, we ride them all the time. It’s the best way to get around.

Are you excited to be working on something that’s so noticeable and new?
Definitely. It’s a new transportation system in New York City. Not many people can say they were part of building something like that.

Would you recommend this job to other people?
Definitely. It’s one of the best companies I’ve worked for in years, and the benefit package is excellent, and we’re busy getting the stations out, so there’s lots to do.

If you’re interested in joining Jaytee and hundreds of other New Yorkers on the NYC Bike Share team, be sure to check out the jobs page.

If it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes a warehouse, forklifts, big trucks, lots of vans, and hundreds of hard working New Yorkers to start up a bike share system that’s as awesome as Citi Bike. At least that’s what it looked like when we took a tour of the Greenpoint Warehouse earlier last week.

Right now, about eight stations are being installed every day, which means things around the warehouse are pretty busy.

Most of the work done there is completion and assembly, which boils down to putting a lot of pre-fabricated pieces together and making sure everything works as it’s supposed to.

There are hundreds of partially constructed stations in the warehouse, which are configured to match their specific site and then loaded onto trucks and transported to their destination.

A few fun facts that I picked up along the way: Citi Bike stations are not connected to the electrical grid. They use solar panels that store energy in marine-grade batteries for power.

All the stations have an awesome way-finding map built in, which will be great for cyclists, but also tourists and directionally-challenged New Yorkers.

Citi Bike stations aren’t sunk into the sidewalk or the street, so they don’t cause any damage. They rely on their considerable weight (between five and six tons per-station) to stay in the right place.

It’s not just stations that are being assembled at the Greenpoint facility. There are thousands of Citi Bikes there too.

Each goes through a 30-point inspection before it’s deemed ready for the road. Once it’s out on the street, a 20-point version of that same inspection will be repeated on every bike at least once a month to ensure the fleet is in tip-top shape.

Did I mention there were lots of bikes?

Lots and lots of bikes?

Thanks to everyone at the Greenpoint warehouse for showing us around! You’re doing an amazing job.

Right around the time that Saturday’s newspapers started landing on stoops, the Citi Bike team was busy loading the first four bike share stations onto flatbed trucks.

After one of the most extensive community planning processes in New York City history, including nearly 400 community meetings and a website that received over 10,000 suggestions, stations finally started hitting the streets this weekend.

By a little after 8am on Saturday April 6th, New York City’s first public Citi Bike station was on the ground on Fulton Street between Grand and Downing in Clinton Hill. The station, which was installed on a wide stretch of sidewalk on the south side of the street, will hold 31 bikes that will be brought in once all of the stations are in place.

By lunch time, the Citi Bike team had installed three more stations: on Lafayette between Classon and St. James; on Lexington between Classon and Franklin; and on Monroe between Classon and Franklin. Combined, these three stations can hold 65 bikes that will make it simple, easy and fun for New York City residents and visitors to complement their bus or subway commute, shop for groceries, visit friends, or just take a spin around the neighborhood.

Keep your eyes pealed. Station installation will continue for the next several weeks. If you see us out there, stop by, say hi, take a picture, tweet #CitiBikeNYC, or just get ready to ring your bike bell!

Spring is in the air and Citi Bike is getting ready to ride.

NYC Announces Bike Share from Streetfilms on Vimeo.