Solved: Mysterious Orange Bikes Around the Hudson Valley

You may have noticed these brightly painted orange bicycles, randomly chained up in areas around the Hudson Valley. Well, we think we've found out why they're here.

Driving near the busy intersection of Route 9 and 9D in Poughkeepsie it's there, chained to the road sign for everyone to see. A bicycle spray-painted bright orange. At first glance it looks just like a normal bike.  But after passing it you think to yourself, "Hmmm, that seems like a really strange place to leave a bicycle."

And then you wonder... "who in their right mind would paint their entire bike, including the tires, that hideous orange color?"

As you drive down the street you keep thinking about that bike... and finally, when you arrive at your destination you pull out your phone and Google "orange bicycle."  That's when it hits you... you've been the victim of guerrilla marketing.

A new Orangetheory Fitness gym is scheduled to open up in the South Hills Mall this month. Its part of a large chain of health clubs that are spread throughout the country. Besides offering fitness coaches and workout machines, Orangetheory Fitness also prides itself on its viral marketing.

Orange bicycles tend to pop up in cities leading up to the opening of a new Orangetheory Fitness location. The hope is to get people talking, and curious enough to try and find out what the bicycles mean. Google searches for "Orange bicycles all over..." usually lead to a website touting the store's grand opening.

So what do you think? Is the orange bicycle a great marketing scheme or did you entirely miss the pitch?