ANAHEIM – This city, like the rest of Southern California, is built around the car culture – its streets packed with motorists whizzing from one place to the next.

But the owners of Bike Nation see a future where an increasing number of bicyclists will share those roads.

With swelling gas prices, and people thinking more about energy efficiency and health, “We see a cultural shift coming and we want to help lead the way,” said Derek Fretheim, an Irvine resident and chief operating officer of Tustin-based Bike Nation.

He and company co-founders Navin Narang and Brad Barlow, both O.C. residents, are so confident that more commuters want to jump on bikes to get around that they are sinking at least $1.6 million into launching an automated bike-sharing program this summer in Anaheim.

The city supports the idea and will allow kiosks to go up on city property but will not pay any of the cost.

The program will allow locals and tourists – ages 18 and older – to rent bikes for short commutes.

Bike Nation chose to launch in Anaheim because of its dense population and huge number of tourists and convention-goers.

The initial phase will include 100 bikes that can be ridden between at least five stations set up at such stops as the Metrolink station next to Angel Stadium, the Civic Center and the Convention Center.

Negotiations are underway for additional kiosks, on private property such as Anaheim GardenWalk and hotels near Disneyland.

“We want to start in our own backyard, then look at other opportunities for expanding,” Fretheim said.

The program had been set to launch in June in Anaheim, but that was pushed back as last-minute details are being ironed out. It is expected to launch later this summer.

Bike Nation also has inked a deal to operate 400 kiosks and 4,000 bikes in Los Angeles by the end of the year.

Some locals love the idea.

“If you’ve got stations set up throughout the city, it makes perfect sense to hop on a bike to get around town,” said Darryl Stackhouse, 38, an Anaheim resident. “But I think it’ll need to be at more locations to get locals really thinking about using it on a regular basis.”

Denise Farrell, 24, who works in Downtown Anaheim, said she’s doubtful that bicycling will catch on.

“It’s sort of like how people talk about eating right, but they end up eating doughnuts,” she said. “People say they want to walk and ride a bike, but we are addicted to our cars.”

Here’s how the program works:

•Riders must be 18 because, as of now, no helmets are supplied (and state law requires minors to wear helmets.)

•They must buy a membership for various time periods: $6 a day to $75 a year.

•At the unmanned kiosk, the user unlocks the bike with a credit card.

•Users pay a fee on top of the membership fee: The first 30 minutes are free; 30 to 60 minutes costs $1.50; 61 to 90 minutes, $4.50; and $6 for each additional 30 minutes.

•Bikes can be dropped off at any of the kiosks.

Bike Nation officials have been tweaking the design of the bikes, which include:

•Airless, solid tires to prevent flats and lower maintenance costs.

•A cargo basket up front for purses, bags or grocery items.

•A step-through frame to make riding easy for males or females, designed for those 4-feet, 10-inches tall up to 6-feet-10-inches tall.

•Three gears and hand brakes.

•Reflective paint coating on the bike frames and the cargo baskets up front for increased safety.

In Anaheim, 10 staff members will maintain the bikes and make sure there is a “balance of bikes” at each of the kiosks. Fretheim said many of the details will be worked out during the yearlong pilot program.

The company hopes to expand to Orange and Garden Grove as soon as possible and increase the number of bikes to 11,000 in up to 10 communities by the end of 2013, Fretheim said.

“We’re learning to walk before we can run,” he said. “But we are looking to grow quickly and get a lot of people thinking about getting around on a bike.”

Contact the writer: 714-704-3769 or ecarpenter@ocregister.com