Chicago Bike Share Launches: After A Few Bumps, City-Wide Divvy Biking Program Is Here (PHOTOS)

After a number of hiccups and delays, Chicago's first large-scale bike sharing service is finally ready to roll.

Friday, Divvy Bike share launched its first 700 bikes for service after a nearly two-week delay.

The original launch date was held up due to what city officials say was the late arrival of key parts for the docking stations, which in turn required time for "more extensive testing" of equipment.

(See a map of Divvy bike stations.)

Via Twitter on Friday, Divvy members showed a mix of excitement for the launch and frustration over minor glitches.

Chicago isn't alone when it comes to getting the public bike share program off to a bumpy start; New York City's Citi Bike Share hit a few snags at the outset, though Streetsblog Chicago notes the glitches didn't stop New York's system from notching more than 212,000 trips in the first three weeks of its launch.

Divvy officials have said more than 1,500 annual memberships have been sold since sign-up started in late May.

As more than 40 docking stations open on Friday, the Tribune reports none of those along the Blackhawks Stanley Cup victory parade route were be open.

"It's for the safety of the people and the equipment," Elliot Greenberger, marketing director for Divvy, told the Tribune.

For a $7 daily pass or $75 yearly membership, users can pick up a Divvy bike from a self-service docking station for unlimited trips up to 30 minutes each; after the ride, bikes can be returned to any other station near their destination.