I've met the Baiku Bikes entrepreneurs Todd Lowenstein and Steve Svajian, and I like them. 

These smart, talented men are out to offer commuter bicycles that provide a zero emission transportation link for people to ride to the Green Line station or to work. I like that concept.

They want to get people out of cars and onto bikes to cut traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions, and I admire that.

Baiku Bikes offers a solar-powered, automated bike rental system with eight bicycles in an unmanned rental kiosk that their San Diego partners, Ecotrip, supply.

The bikes will be available to Baiku Bike subscribers who pay $9.95 a month plus a one-time setup fee of about $10. Subscribers will then be able to rent the bikes at a rate of $2 to $4 an hour.

I don't blame the duo for asking the City Council on Tuesday, Dec. 14, for a free, primo space on the world famous Hermosa Beach Pier to launch the for-profit business's pilot program (see accompanying document), or for offering the city 10 percent of the bike station's future receipts in exchange for the right-of-way.

This is holiday time, the season of sharing and gifting, but that doesn't mean I think the City Council should give the Baiku Bike business such a generous present.

Let me make it clear: I'm speaking strictly for myself and not on behalf of the South Bay Bicycle Coalition or anyone else. I'm certainly not speaking for anyone else who opposes this deal either. And, the city has not yet taken action on this matter.

But I am a big fan of local bike shops like Hermosa Cyclery and Beach Cities Cycle and I'm impressed with the amount of time, energy and resources they've invested in the community.

Steve Collins, one of the co-owners of Hermosa Cyclery has been working there since 1979. The cyclery provides more than just the free air and tools they offer to all bicyclists. 

Mayor Pete Tucker reminded everyone at last week's council meeting that Hermosa Cyclery donates 32 to 36 bicycles each year to the annual Beach Cities Toy Drive.

I know from my own personal experience working side-by-side with Collins as bike valet volunteers at two Fiesta Hermosa events, the grand reopening of Pier Plaza and South Bay Bicycle Coalition projects how committed he and his business are to the community.

Hermosa Cyclery is just a block from the Pier and its primary business is renting bikes to tourists and visitors in town. The store charges the going rate in the South Bay, $7 an hour.

It just doesn't seem fair to me that the city should give Baiku Bikes nine months of free space in the single hottest spot for tourists and visitors in town for the purpose of renting bikes at half the going rate or less. 

What has Baiku done to deserve such government largess in this era of belt tightening, layoffs and cutbacks? 

Where are the months of Hermosa Beach community service Baiku has been contributing to prove its worthiness and commitment?

It doesn't seem logical to me that the Hermosa Beach Pier is the place you'd set up shop if your mission were to provide transportation services for commuters. 

The Baiku Bikes guys said during a presentation at the council meeting that they're thinking people will rent their bikes and use the Strand to bike to work from one South Bay city to another, but frankly I'm not seeing that happening.

In a decision this month, Manhattan Beach's council members approved Baiku's request for free space on their city's pier. Maybe they're in a much better financial condition to do so than Hermosa Beach. 

Maybe they're envisioning commuters going down there and then pedaling up the lung-burning steep incline of Manhattan Beach Boulevard to start their ride to work or to the Green Line Station. But I'm not seeing that happening either.

I do think there's a real need for bike sharing among Hermosa Beach commuters and clearly Baiku believes there's a profit to be made in providing the opportunity.

I wish them well in earning that money, but I think the Hermosa Beach City Council should offer Baiku free space somewhere more practical for commuters to use as their regular pick-up spot and someplace far less valuable than the Pier.

Do you think Baiku Bikes deserves a holiday gift from Hermosa Beach City Council in the form of beachside land? Tell us in the comments.