[UPDATE]: Due to the weather, the location for the event has changed:

Back in July Hubway launched a competition asking artists, designers, cyclists and everyone in between to submit ideas for redesigning a specialty bike to be added to its perpetually expanding fleet. Five finalists were selected at which point Hubway put it to the public to vote on a winner. You’ve spoken and on Thursday, October 23, Hubway will put the newly minted bike to the test.

The “Emerald Explorer” dominated the competition with over 2,000 votes courtesy of designer, and Hubway member, Amy Fater. As you can see in the image above, “Emerald Explorer” is bedecked in a map of Boston. More specifically, it’s a map that celebrates the Charles River, Esplanade and Emerald Necklace.

Hubway will be joined by Harvard’s CommuterChoice, which describes itself as being “committed to providing the best commuting information and planning services for Harvard affiliates who work in the Cambridge Allston/Brighton campuses.” for the first ride of the bike-share’s original two-wheeler.

As if witnessing cycling history isn’t enough to entice you over to the Smith Campus Center (1350 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge) in the rain from noon to 1 p.m., Hubway will be giving away a complimentary 24-hour pass for you to enjoy before the weather prevents you from doing such.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to get their hands on a free helmet as well as meet some of the Hubway brass who help keep Greater Bostonians and out-of-towners alike cycling.

“This isn’t a contest for professional designers, per se (though of course they are welcome and encouraged to participate), but rather an opportunity for the Hubway community to share ideas and creativity about what makes the entire metro-Boston region tick,” Benjy Kantor, marketing manager of Hubway told me back in July. “I can envision designs featuring the Boston skyline or the Citgo sign, or perhaps something celebrating the fact that Somerville was home to one of the first American flags.”

Kantor, it seems, was on the right track.

Fater has not only earned eternal glory in Boston’s biking realm but also the distinction of being the first to ride the bike, her own feature in a Hubway newsletter and one free Hubway annual membership. All five finalists, for that matter, were awarded a free Hubway annual membership for their participation.

Thanks to designer & Hubway member Amy Fater.
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