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How does bike sharing work?

It's as easy as Ride, Return, Repeat.

Ride any bike for a short trip
Return to any station
Repeat until your pass expires

How To Check Out A B-cycle Bike:

How To Lock Up A B-cycle Bike:

How To Return a B-cycle Bike:

How To Locate an Available B-cycle Station:

How to Ride Boulder B-cycle

  • Purchase entry pass

    Choose the pass that works for you

    • Boulder B-cycle offers various entry passes: Day Tripper, People’s Pedaler, Republic Rider, and Casual Cruiser. All pass purchases require a credit card.
      • Day Tripper passes can be purchased at any B-station, online, or in the BCycle app
      • All other entry pass levels are available online or in the BCycle app


    Learn More

  • Check out a bike from any B-station.

    Four checkout methods are available depending on your pass type. See them in action:

    • Check out a bike using your credit card or text message by following the prompts on any station screen.
    • If you purchased your pass online, you can also check out bikes using the B-cycle mobile app.
    • If you requested a membership card when registering (Republic Riders and People's Pedalers only), head straight to the bike you want and use the reader on the dock.

  • Keep every trip short to avoid overtime fees!

    • Day Trippers and People’s Pedalers get an unlimited number of 30 minute trips.
    • Republic Riders get an unlimited number of 60 minutes trips.
    • Overtime fees of $3 per 30 minutes apply to all trips that exceed the included trip period.
    • Casual Cruisers work a little different: They pay a $2 for the first half hour of each trip, then $3 for each half hour after that.

  • Return your bike at any B-station. Repeat by starting a new trip!

    1. Return your bike to any B-station by pushing it firmly into an available dock.
    2. Watch for three rapid blinks of the green light and listen for three quick beeps. That’s your signal that the bike has been securely returned.
    3. Take an unlimited number of trips while your pass is active, but keep each ride short. You can start a new trip immediately using the app, the kiosk screen or your B-card.

More on bike sharing:


Bike sharing is different from bike rental. It's a transportation system that allows a large number of people to share a small number of bikes. This is accomplished through short station-to-station bike trips.

Once you purchase an entry pass, you can take as many short trips as you want for the duration of that pass at no additional cost. Trip limits are 30 or 60 minutes here in Boulder, depending on your pass type. Additional fees apply to all trips over that, encouraging riders to check bikes that aren't actively being used back into stations. You can watch the accompanying video for more information.

Boulder B-cycle is the operator of Boulder's nonprofit bike share program. To learn more about our nonprofit and all of our great sponsors, partners and initiatives, start with our frequently asked questions, browse our data and reports, or visit any of the other sections under the 'resources' tab to learn more.
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