7
hotels
68
bicycles
3.149
rides
Janathon
It’s a late evening at Hotel Titus where Janathon is doing a night shift. Suddenly the bell rings! It’s Francisco, who appears to be one of the founders of MyHotelBike and comes to change the posters—on a late Sunday evening!
Jonathan is amazed by Francisco’s enthusiasm and passion for changing things for the better. He wants to be part of that and—curious as he is—keeps throwing questions at him. They have an amazing time together, sharing experiences and creating future plans.
After a while, they come to the conclusion that they should work together. Francisco wants Janathon to join the company right away, only if that would be alright with the hotel owner too. Yet, Janathon just started his study and the first option to apply for an internship would be three years from now. “Anyway”, he said, “I’ll definitely let you know”. The funny thing is, he really did!
Three years later when Francisco was exploring Africa for cycling opportunities, he received the message. The circle was complete. Time to get started!
5%
daily usage
22
rides before repair
1.834
paper rental forms saved
Project Hamburg
Janathon’s study project was to explore the opportunity of becoming a franchisee at MyHotelBike—and, guess what? He ended up starting one himself!
The moment he entered Hamburg, he was sure that this is the place. The lake, the parks, the people. Here, he could provide visitors with quick access to comfortable bikes so that they could explore the city in a seamless way.
Hamburg boasts a vast network of spacious bicycle lanes and you can feel that the locals are embracing bicycles as a significant mode of transportation. Details that are bundled in Janathon’s research. Being in Hamburg, he sees it all coming to life!
68
bicycles reserved for Hamburgers living in poverty
IJburg, BLIJburg
Janathon was born and raised on IJburg—an artificial island in the Netherlands, surrounded by a small harbor. As a kid, for 5 years in a row, he joyfully cycled to the island’s local football club. Janathon often jumped on his BMX bike too, most of the time when going for adventures with his neighborhood friends. He then raced to places such as the nearby park and BLIJburg—the beachside of IJburg which translates to “HAPPYburg”—with the wind blowing through his hair!
For Janathon, a bike is not only the world’s most sustainable vehicle. He loves the sportive side of it too. “Time passes by quickly on a bicycle, so actually you’re doing something healthy while having lots of fun!”, he says with a smile. Janathon also highlights the level of independence that a bike can give you: “Cycling makes me feel free. I simply can go where I want, when I want, that’s freedom to me”.
The harbor from IJburg has always served as a meeting point for him and his childhood friends. One of his friends used to clean boats there. Now, Janathon has entered a new harbor. He officially moved from IJburg to Hamburg. Moved by nostalgia, he is happy to still be surrounded by boats and bikes!