Is Vancouver bike-friendly?
Vancouver is one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world. People love to roam around the city on bikes, and enjoy the breathtaking view of the city. Vancouver’s public bike-sharing is very convenient, economical, and environmentally friendly. Students are often seen taking a bike to various places such as their college, or workplace. Who wouldn’t want to enjoy bike rides in the beautiful city? If you also feel that you are in the same boat, then this article is perfect for you.
Vancouver Bike Share
Bicycles are located across the city at various docking stations. It is user-friendly, convenient, comfortable, and above all, the most affordable way to get around in the city. These are public bicycles that are available for shared use on a short-term basis. You can easily unlock the bike from one station, and return to any other station. This makes it useful for one-way trips, and safe for people since the bike paths are suitable for individuals.
Why bike sharing
Bike-sharing is not only a better and a healthy transportation option, but public bike share systems can also help riders in many other ways:
- It adds value to the public transit
- Encourage people to walk to their nearest bike station
- Increases cycling ridership
How to Register, Ride and Return?
The first step in using this service is registering yourself with mobibikes.ca. For that, you will have to fill in your information, and you will receive a user id and code on your email id. Don’t forget to connect the credit card to pay for your trips. The next step is selecting the pass, or the plan for your future rides. You can choose from a range of options such as daily, monthly, or annually, depending on your requirements and needs. You can find the information on the nearest docking station from the Mobi app. If you have never been to Vancouver before, plan your trip well in advance. There are various pass options to choose from such as:
24 Hour Pass
Gives unlimited 30-minute rides for a day
Fee: $15 + overage fees
30 Days Pass
Gives unlimited 30-minute rides in a month
Fee: $30 + overage fees
365 Day Standard
Gives unlimited 30-minute rides for a year
Fee: $129 + overage fees
Please note that in every plan, the fee may rise if you take rides that are longer than the mentioned duration of the ride. You can check the time duration of your ride on the bike keypad.
365 Day Plus
Gives unlimited 60-minute rides and bike access for the whole year.
Fee: $159 + coverage fees
Apart from these, there are various corporate plans as well.
Click here, to know more about the same.
Things to check before selecting your bike
- Check bike tire pressure
- Adjust the seat as per your requirement.
How to unlock the cycle from the stand?
- Press the green button on the bike keypad, and then press 2.
- Enter your user id and pin.
- Pull the cable lock from the bike holding the helmet, and don’t forget to push it all the way to the handlebar.
Those are all the steps you need to know. Now you are ready to bike in the beautiful city.
These cycles also have a basket in the front so that you can keep your bags there. You will also get helmet liners at some stations. Please note that if you park your bike in between your ride for work, time will be counted in the 30-minute time frame. As mentioned earlier, you can also check the time duration of your ride on the bike keypad by pushing the green enter button. Always remember to lock your bike by pressing enter on the keypad followed by your 4-digit pin.
What after the trip is over?
Once you are done cycling, you can very conveniently park the bike back at the nearest bike station. Always make sure to lock the helmet with the bike on the stand. A single beep means it is done correctly. Locking the bike is an important step here, as you will be exceeding the 30-minute riding limit.
Riding bikes around the city can be fun, but it comes with a lot of social responsibility. Always make sure to follow certain rules while biking:
- Respect the road rules
- Stop only at the signs and pedestrian crossings
- Never forget to wear a helmet
- Always be on your right side
- Always be careful of the car doors
- Always be watchful of signals
Keeping in mind the Covid-19 scenario, it is suggested that:
- You use your own helmet
- Always wash your hands or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer before and after riding the bike
- Don’t touch eyes, nose, and mouth when out riding
- When you cough or sneeze do so into your elbow or upper sleeve
So now since you have figured out how to bike in this beautiful city, why wait? Just get yourself a bike from the nearest docking station, and explore the wonderful and beautiful city.
Happy biking.
Source: Vancouver Bike Share
