Houston B-Cycle

I have heard about B Cycle and occasionally seen the bike racks in the downtown area but never had a reason to use them. This past weekend I found a reason.
I rented a bike from a stand next to City Hall to ride around the Buffalo Bayou area and some parts of downtown. This was such an easy process. You go up to the kiosk and touch the screen to wake the machine up. You purchase a 24 hour pass for $ 5 using a credit card. Then your first 60 minutes of rental is free. You can extend the free use of the bike by checking it back in to ANY kiosk before your original 60 minute period ends and then immediately checking it back out for a new 60 minute period. In other words by paying $ 5 for the 24 hour pass that can be your only cost to rent a bike. If you go over your 60 minute period they charge you $ 2 for every extra 30 minutes. Very affordable!
The bikes come with a basket on the front to stow gear. They have 3 speeds and have an adjustable seat and attached bike lock. I found the seat to be adequate in comfort. The bike lock is very handy when you stop somewhere and want to secure your bike like I did when I had lunch. The brakes and gear shifts worked well also. On the bike is listed Houston B Cycles’ customer service number to call if you have any questions or maintenance issues.
I recommend downloading the B Cycle app on your smartphone. The app does many things to help with your rental. Primarily, it gives you the locations of every bike rack kiosk in your city as B Cycle is located in several cities in the US. Not only does it show you where every kiosk is located, it also shows you in real time how many bikes are available at that kiosk and also how many empty stalls are open for you to return your bike to. Remember you don’t have to return your bike to the kiosk you rented it from BUT you have to return your bike to a kiosk that has an empty stall. That’s where the app can really be helpful. Usually every kiosk will have an empty stall for you to return your bike.
I give B Cycle 5 stars because it is so easy to use and so affordable. Whether you use it for pleasure or your personal transportation needs its convenience cannot be overstated.

Good Location, close to the Sam Houston Park.
Houston B-​Cycle is SO fun, easy and inexpensive.
My wife and I enjoyed 24 hour access to bikes across the downtown area for only $ 5 (all tax and fees included)
The catch is you only get a 60 minute session at a time, before having to return it to a location. But the plus side is you can literally return it to any of their locations for 1 second and then rent them again (as long as not all the bikes are rented at that location, and someone isn’t waiting for a bike). If you go over the 60 minute session, I believe it’s a couple more bucks for an extra 30 minutes.
Such a great addition to the area, and so much fun. Check them out next time you’re in the area!