Love it. Must try while in Montreal. If you live in Montreal, annual membership is so worth it. Very convenient, and if something goes wrong you can phone them. Very helpful. Website tracks your riding info etc. Very convenient. When you return a bike, make sure you see a green light. You might get a fine of $200 etc. Bixi isn't built for a long ride. It's made for stability and frequent stops and safety etc. (Not for racing, not for endurance. It's made for tourism, convenience, and commuting) Montreal has a nice bike network. Best online map for bikes here: http://www.pedalmontreal.ca/ read more

We rented two bikes for the day in Montreal. Returned them. When we tried to pick them up again, it would only allow me to get one because apparently one didn't properly lock. Tried a few more times and called a couple of times about it. Finally drove back later in the day to jiggle it and then it somehow locked properly. Wasted a lot of vacation day on it with little use of the bikes. They told me I would be charged $30 for the hours it sat there on the rack unused, locked but not green lighted. No discussion. Terrible customer service in every way. I will be fighting both the $30 charge and the $10 charge to rent the bikes we barely got to use. read more

Bixi, Montreal's Bike sharing program was an excellent way to easily travel throughout Montreal. But watch out for the security deposit that stays on your credit card until 10 days after your first rental. Bixi allows subscribers (or tourists) to enter a credit card to "check-out" a bike -- in 30 minutes increments during a 24 hour period. That is you could check out a bike, bike 30 minutes to the next station-- check-in your bike, wait 2 minutes then check out another bike. You can do this it seems an unlimited number of times in a 24 hr period. JUST DON'T EXCEED the 30 min limit. As of 6/2010 its $5 Canadian for a 30 min rental. There is a large number of these Bixi Stations scattered around several locations (and many near Metro or Hotels) so finding one was never difficult. The bikes are heavy solid bikes with a cute little bell and a little basket in the front, the seats are adjustable and there are 3 "speeds". There are even pedal-powered front and rear lights for nighttime biking. All in all a great program. HOWEVER, there will place a $250 Security deposit on your card for each rental. This is a charge that will stay on your card for 10 DAYS! And in our case cause our credit card to lock out our card during our recent trip. It was not made clear at the check-out kiosk that this charge would appear on your credit card. It is only because of that fault (and hassle with the credit card company) that Bixi doesn't get a perfect score for being a such a unique and fun way to bike in Montreal. read more

Horrible experience. Paid for two bikes with one credit card in Montreal. Rode them to the Old Port and dropped them off thinking everything was fine. It wasn't till we went to another station after lunch that we realised we could only get one bike out. The system said we had used up our number of bikes to rent (4), but we had only taken 3. Confused, I called the help line and was informed that one of the previous bikes we had used wasn't "returned" to the station. I explained that both bikes had been locked in, but the customer service agent said we would have to go back and check to see if it was locked! She said it would take 24 hrs for an agent to come out and check the system. (When walked back to the hotel we saw a bixi truck 3 blocks away.) We had to walk all the way back to the previous station (20 min.) where the bike was still locked in, but not being registered in the system! The agent then had the nerve to argue with us before manually cancelling the bike's trip and informing us that the problem had been solved. Bixi offered nothing for making us walk back to the other station, and check it ourselves instead of giving us another bike and checking their own system. I don't like doing work for a company on my vacation. I can't trust that the locked in bikes are registered as being returned. I don't have another 40 min to spare on a vacation for horrible customer service. I'll never use Bixi again. read more

if you're visiting and you need to get around Montreal, Bixi's the way to do it. parked all over the city, you pick up a bike where you are, drop it off where you go - you don't need to return to the same spot you picked it up from (which is why it's better than zipcar). Montreal is a fantastic biking city, and as a total non-cyclist, even i hopped on a bike to trek around. words to the wise: do not pick up a bike and keep it out. return to racks frequently, lest you be charged lots o' $$$ - see Derrick V's note about how to stretch your Bixi dollar. also, they don't come with helmets, so make sure you bring your own! read more

HORRIBLE service. You have to dock the bike every 30 mins to a bixi station or they charge you a fee, even though you purchased a full day pass. It's ridiculous to ask people to plan a day of biking around docking stations. They tell you "the rules are written in the instructions"... which, of course, everyone misses. What a scam!! read more

Absolutely wonderful, really made my trip to Montreal. The public bike system is such a fantastic, economical way to explore the city. There's so much flexibility in being able to quickly pick up a bike in one location, then drop it off at the next. There are so many bike-friendly paths throughout the city, particularly the ones highlighted on the BIXI maps. Really wish they had this system in NYC (although the city is probably too crowded to make riding as pleasant as it is in Montreal). I found a free app for my smartphone (Droid) that make the experience even better. The app provided a Google map with all the stations and a live feed of the number of available bikes and docking spaces. Perfect. The bikes themselves are pretty well constructed. They're easy to ride and adjust, so don't worry if you're no Lance Armstrong. The "basket" and bungee cord in front are perfect for bags and small backpacks. Just a warning to be cautious of your time. 30 minutes can pass by more quickly than you think! Can be stressful when you're rushed to return the bike, particularly if a station is full or far away... so definitely get the app if you can. read more

Love, love, love the Bixi!! I am a HUGE fan. Do NOT leave Montreal without riding one. I will admit, my husband had to really convince me to get on one (hey, it was raining and I was wearing jeans and ballet flats, can you blame me?), but once I did it was the greatest experience ever! You certainly don't have to be wearing any certain type of attire to ride one, that was my misconception. The Bixi bikeshare WORKS in Montreal and is a great way to get around town. We were staying in Old Montreal but were able to go to Mount Royal, Cirque du Soliel, downtown, pretty much everywhere! We even road to the top of the Park Mount Royal on Bixis. What I mean by "works" is that people respect people on bikes here, it reminds me of Portland Oregon. There are people of all shapes and sizes and ages on bikes at all hours of the day. Probably the coolest part was biking home from L'Express in my going-out wear, tube top and jeans, jetting in between cars and being one with the city. Such a great feeling, don't miss out on a great transportation success of this city! read more

Best way to see the city! So refreshing coming from Toronto to a fully functioning bike city - very easy and accessible. I wish that bixi was as plentiful and organized throughout Toronto! read more

Bixi is a great and cheap way to get around Montreal if you are under 5 1/2 feet tall! I am 6'2" and on the highest seat setting felt like I was riding a children's bike. Hurt my knees and back. Weird since the bikes are otherwise identical to bike share bikes in NY and London. Only the seat height adjustment is different. read more

POOR POOR service. I have been a bixi customer since the day they arrived in Montreal, seems like I will no longer provide a penny towards this company after how I was treated. I used to always buy memberships but the last couple of years I chose to pay as I go instead. I took a bike out for a one way 30 minute ride for $2.95. I docked the bike after 25 minutes at one of the stations. The light did nto turn green though. I tried to remove the bike 6 or 7 times but it was clearly locked in. So I figured all was good. I was then charged an additional $16.80 fee from Bixi. I emailed asking why, they stated I took the bike out for an hour and 51 minutes. I told them what happened, they simply did not care. Ive spent over $500 with them and they wouldn't even credit me lousy $16.80 for a good customer when it was clearly an issue with their docking station. Even if it wasn't they still should have credted me, I think I would kno if I took the bike out for 25 minutes or 1 hour and 51 minutes. Big difference. I even said give it to me in Bixi credits as I use them all the time. read more

Love my Bixi. Great way to transport yourself around the city, a lot cheaper than anything else in my opinion. Very accesible throughout downtown. read more

English-speaking people BEWARE!!! BIXI may decieve you. The method of fee charging for the BIXI system is incredibly deceptive, especially if you're an English speaker. It charges you a flat $7 fee AND an additional $7 per 30 minutes of rental. However, these charges are NOT well labeled in English. My wife and I thought we would only need to pay $7 for 24 hours' worth of time. Instead, we were charged over $50 for renting two bikes for 2 hours. When I called BIXI to explain how its policy was not very clear, especially to English speakers, BIXI refused to refund our money or even to accept my explanation. This is a poor way to treat travelers. I would advise visitors to Montreal to avoid using BIXI unless you're prepared to pay MUCH more than you might think you're paying. read more

Very convenient. Not the best bikes though, but for the price worth it. The $5 for all day as long as you get it re-docked in 30 mins is a great deal. Just make sure you get the green light to confirm it's been docked correctly. read more

****Beware*** We dont have time to read the fine detail,just got back from long bus ride from toronto.Figured would take bixi to go home at 5$ instead of 30$ taxi.Wasn t aware of scam of reporting your bike after approx 1 hour if not your chrge extra .Braught back the bike after 14 hrs,was chrged 35$ ,was told i was supposed to be charged 160$ but since it was my first time they gave me a break.Bike was heavy and slow.I guess to get from point A to B is convient in a short time span.But actually felt ripped off like this whole bixi thing,which is costing the tax payers alot of money,since its not profitable read more

Wow! Bixi sounds like a great idea! I decided to buy a year long membership at the beginning of May. I absolutely love biking and through McGill, I even got a $10 discount! So far so good. The website says it takes 3-5 business days to mail you the Bixi key, but apparently they were having "technical difficulties". I called and emailed multiple times, waited and waited but to no avail. It took an ENTIRE MONTH for Bixi to mail me the key! (I live ~15minutes from their office?) I finally received it and was excited to log on and activate it. But alas, the website is down. I called customer service and they claim it hasn't been functioning for 3 days and they have no idea when it will resume. When will I be able to satisfy my craving for the sweet spin of a bike? It won't be today. read more

it was tons of fun to be able to pick up a bike and go. This is a great idea that I hope catches on in a lot of other cities.

WORST BIKE RENTALS & A BIG SCAM - BEWARE ! DONT USE ! My friend & i rented 2 bikes from the Parc Jean Drapeau station, in montreal. The signs said only $5 per bike. The bikes were old and beat up, and 1 speed. Ok fine, it's only $5...or so we thought. The rental station machines are difficult to use, we had to ask a local for help, it took several tries to get it to accept our card then give us the unlock code. NOT USER FRIENDLY. We only had the bikes about 2 hrs, returned them to another station in montreal. Fast forward to a couple weeks later when i get my credit card statement, and they CHARGED ME $62.50 Canadian ($49 US) - $39 too much. Then they charged me $158. Called them and they said that the $5/bike was only a "subscription fee" for 24 hrs, you have to pay for usage, and can only use for 30 min, and that there are signs,etc. There were NO SIGNS saying that, nothing on the screen, NOTHING on the receipt. BIG SCAM. Called up Bixi's Customer service, and they were only willing to refund $26 CAN ($20.83 US). And said they already released the $158 which was a "deposit" - but my credit card still had that. Called my CC and disputed it, they refunded me immediately (they must already know what a SCAM they are) and removed the $158 hold. I will NEVER use them again, even if i was aware of it, $49 for 2 hrs bike rental is outrageous and not worth it. I can rent a car for cheaper. What a RIPOFF. Would not recommend them for any reason. Take a taxi or the metro instead. They're much easier and cheaper. read more

Here only for a couple of days and wanted to take in the city. Thought about renting a bike but there was this Bixi stop directly across from my hotel so I checked it out... For $5, you get pretty much unlimited access for up to 24 hours. That's a bargain!! The only catch is that you can't keep a bike more than 30 minutes without getting charged added fees. No big deal at all!!! The Bixi app on your phone will show you where the nearest Bixi station is so you can return your bike and basically grab it again almost immediately! Super simple. Amazingly cheap. Loved it. Oh... the green bikes seem to be newer. Get one of those. read more

Over the course of 2 days, using 3 different credit cards, could not either a) find a Bixi with 2 available bikes, or b) when I did, get the damned thing to read any of 3 different credit cards. It seems as if the places with working card readers have all their bikes taken, leaving the ones with non-functioning readers crammed from end to end with inaccesible bikes. If you're coming to Montreal with the intention of riding a bike, you'd better bring it with you. read more

Kudos to Montreal for such a terrific and easy bike-sharing program. They're all over the place and a super way to traverse the city.

Used debit card. The hold on the deposit for the bikes is absurd. 7 to ten days???. WHY? The incredibly defensive bixi representative told me it's for 'security purposes'. I said that is not an explanation! I got 2 bikes and returned them within five hours. I now have over 500.00 sitting in pending for more than a week (this must be so someone somewhere can make more money-I so don't believe the 'security' excuse) When I said I want the funds released the rep gave me a litany of tasks which they require me to complete before this can be done. He actually just made it sound like a litany to try to scare me off. It's just the fax number of the bank and your bank account details along with details of the transaction to get the bikes. Lucky I kept my receipts. Maybe if enough people try to get there funds released the system might change. And the "usage" fee system? Come on! It needs to be simplified and it's not tourist friendly. It's actually expensive if you want to go for a ride for a few hours...say to the toronto islands. If you don't want to start paying extra you need to put the bikes back on a rack in under 30 min. Their own website says a trip lasting 2hrs and 2hrs 30min will cost 21 bucks and every 30 min after that will be 8 bucks. Man that's steep! Unless ur just using the bikes to blip around town -- bixi sucks. Tourists beware. read more

Wonderful system. The last part of implementation is Bixi markers on local tourism maps throughout the city as well as signage. There is an app to find availability / docking stations and the number of openings, but if you have smart phone trouble, you have to rely on strangers. Also, as noted in other reviews, fully understand the charges to maximize time/money. It is not $7/ 24 hour day as we originally thought. read more

I have been a season pass holder for the past two years and have always liked the easy of the system until now. I will not renew my pass for next year. The bikes are not great, especially towards the end of the season. Some stations never seem to have bikes regardless of the time of day you stop by. Their docking stations dont work well. While I tried to use my keycard today, I was unable to take a bike out. I called bixi and they told me I still have an open trip. I took out a bike last Saturday and it was supposedly never returned. I e plainex to the lady that I had indeed taken a bike out but put it back almost right away as the tire was removed and wasnt able to ride it. Someone helped me put the bike back. It locked. We both made sure it was secured. We tried to push the red button that would tell them the bike needed repairs. It didnt work. The cs lady told me it is because the green light never went on. Oh yes it did, lady. So the system didnt register the return of the bike. I am unable to rent another bike until they are able to locate that one. In other words, the trip will stay open until they find the bike although I have now reported the problem. I askd her what will happen now and what they will charge me if they never find the bike. She said that she cannot answer that now as they need to find the bike yet. So bixi why dont you have a system where if you see a bike has not been returned in three days and the customer typically only uses you for short trips, you send a message such as "hey mister or misses customr, we see that uou took out a bike and havent returned it yet. If this is odd, contact us. If not, ignore." Or whatever. Use some analytics to improve your services. find that bike so I can get away from you guys. read more

I have bad experience about charging for bixi. I used one night 2 bike once for less then 2 haures, and second for a bit more then 2 houres (approxy) and total cost was 60 $. and that is actuelly regular price. Not 5 $ per day read more

God awful experience! 3 phone calls later the Bixie machine continued to glitch station to station. First they had a glitch where credit cards were not being processed after the last step. Secondly, the next machine was out of paper. Then the entire machine broke near Mont Royal and no one was able to use it due to some noobs card being rejected! So inconvenient and I was overcharged for their problem. Bixie SUCKS. read more

Docking stations are not working properly. Even though the bike seems to be returned, you will have a nice billing afterwards. It happened a couple of times, that the bike seems to be returned, and then I am billed min 10$ because apparently the bike was not returned apparently. Customer service is extremely unfriendly and not helpful at all. Sorry, but nothing has changed in the last years , and bixi keeps people unhappy. A great idea, however, you are allowed to pay a membership, however, the service is not working properly. Also key problems, have been occurred. I have never received a replacement key. Thats not the way how customer service shall work. I am extremely disappointed because service gets year by year worse. read more

Fantastic way to see Montreal! Coming from Toronto I could not believe the ease with which I could find a bike and make multiple stops throughout downtown Montreal. The bike is meant as more of a touring, not a racing bike. I am a regular cyclist in Toronto and had no trouble adjusting to the 3 gears and heavier bike, in fact it felt quite safe. My friend easily got the hang of it and the cordoned off bike lanes helped her feel more secure. The system was effective and inexpensive. Bike stands were readily available and it was a treat to be able to park a bike and no longer have the responsibility for it. Montreal is a lovely city and the Bixi allowed us to really see all the parts and visit far more attractions than our limited time would have allowed us. I am a shrimp and could easily ride on the lowest seat size, I can't even describe my thrill when I noticed the front carrying area was exactly the same size as a shoe box! How convenient considering the shops in Montreal... In addition I did hook up my GPS on the cycling setting and had a great time exploring. It is important for people to see the system as a short ride bike taxi - not a day rental of a bike. it would only be appropriate for kids of 4' 10" and taller and you may want to bring a helmet along. read more