Indiana Pacers Bikeshare

Have you ridden on one of those bright yellow bicycles you see stationed around downtown Indy? If not, you need to experience the Indiana Pacers Bikeshare pronto. It is by far the best way to see the city and explore different neighborhoods — I recommend using the Cultural Trail which connects you to the Canal, Mass Ave, the heart of downtown, and Fountain Square.
The bicycles are top notch and quite sturdy — even a bit heavy I would say. No flimsy machinery here! There is a large basket in the front that will accommodate most purses and another basket back by the wheels. Also included is a map of the Cultural Trail printed on the bike, a bell to ring at pedestrians to get out of your way (kidding…but actually), and a light that comes on naturally when it gets dark out to help you lead the way.
The whole checkout/​payment is a little confusing at first, but remember, it’s meant to be a bike share, not a bike rental. Pay $ 8 for the day (or buy an $ 80 annual pass) and that will get you unlimited 30 minute checkouts for the day. So grab a bike, pedal to your destination, dock it, enjoy lunch/​shop around/​explore, and repeat. Make sure to dock it every half hour to avoid extra charges!
Other helpful hints:
–easily adjustable bike seats
–hand brakes aren’t that powerful, so slow down when going down a ramp
–download the BCycle app that will show you where stations are located and how many bikes and empty docks are available at each
–on Sundays, parking at meters downtown is free… so go on a Sunday, park your car for free all day, and use the Bikeshare to tool around town!
I can’t wait to get back downtown on the Cultural Trail and use the Bikeshare again. Now to plan the day’s adventure and route…

I love, love, love Pacers Bikeshare. We’ve been members since the very beginning, and I have consistently found it to be easy and accessible. We have membership cards which allow us to bypass the checkout station and swipe right at our chosen bikes – super easy and time saving. The stations are in well traveled areas, and while I would love for there to be more, I’m not sure that I’ve ever really been inconvenienced by a station location. I also love that I can check to see how much I’ve biked in my online account – there was a slight competition at the beginning, but I’ve been blown out of the water at this point.
I’m particularly impressed that the bikes are always in such good working condition (perhaps except for the occasionally sticky handles). The bikes are sturdy and have super comfy, easily adjustable seats. Oh, and ding ding! – that’s the sound of my bell.
I continue to not understand the gripe/​confusion about the 30 minute limit – the bikeshare is up front about this policy literally all over the place (the stations, the bikes themselves, and their new-​ish policy of texting all first time users). I don’t find it limiting AT ALL, and if I want to go for more than 30 minutes (rare), I just walk up to a station, return my bike, and then check the same bike out immediately. The companion app (B cycle) is easy to use, and I’ve always found it to be accurate in terms of dock/​bike availability.
I couldn’t be happier about having this option in our city. Though I’m not huge into cycling, I’m proud that this is an option we have and that it allows us to showcase our beautiful downtown. We’ve taken family and friends out on the bikes and discovered areas of the city new to us.

Good idea, bad system. Check in every 30 minutes?! It works without the check in system in other cities. WTH?

Perfectly sized bike for a beginner like me! I can count on one hand the times I’ve rode a bike since my school days when it used to be my only mode of transportation. So admittedly I was a bit apprehensive biking downtown, but this bike was easy to handle and the seat can be adjusted all the way down. I felt more comfortable and in better control with the seat completely down so that I can firmly plant my feet to the ground when stopped at intersections. Haven’t had any issues so far biking from one station to another within the 30 minute allotment. I’d definitely recommend if you don’t have a bike of your own or prefer the convenience of dropping off and picking up a rental.
Pros:
— easy to use kiosk
— plenty of bike stations spread out downtown
— annual bike pass available
— app with stations mapped (not sure on how accurate the available bike count is)
Cons:
— super sticky handle bar grips!
— two metal baskets to place your belongings but too narrow to comfortably fit my 4lb Yorkie. And I have placed him in there just to confirm :/​
— map mounted below the handlebars is worthless IMO. I’d have to crouch down uncomfortably to get a good look at that thing.

We take all of our visitors on the pacer bikes and ride the cultural trail to the canal as well as to bars and restaurants in fountain square and on mass ave. It is our favorite activity to do when the weather is nice. I do wish there were a few more stations just north of circle center, but I think the price is reasonable and they are a great addition to the downtown area.

I am impressed with the Indiana Pacer Bike Share. I had a friend visit from out of town and I needed to think of something to do for a couple of hours in Indianapolis without spending too much money.
Luckily, this worked out perfectly. The Pacer Bike Share stations are setup around Indy close or on the Cultural Trail. This was perfect because we decided to just go with it and ride the trail. Thanks to the streak of nice weather we’ve been having it was a lovely day. We started with the bikes on IUPUI’s campus right next to the Campus Center. I am a student and live near campus so this was extremely convenient. We ended up riding through town on the Cultural Trail and ended up on Mass Ave where we had a delicious lunch.
Now with all that being said I definitely would recommend the bikes if you wanted to sightsee or get around Indy quicker than just walking. However, we did run into two issues. First, we could not figure out how to the lock the bikes when we went in for lunch. They are very stubborn and tricky, I ended up having to call the help line to ask how to do it. They were very helpful so no worries, it all worked out. Second, my friend and I ended up getting charged $ 14 instead of $ 8. It is supposed to be $ 8 for the day and we only used them for an hour or two. But apparently, you have to check in the bikes every 30 minutes? We were unaware of this concept and frankly I’m not even sure how you would just check them in. However, we it’s not like we got charged a crazy amount so we decided you live and learn.
Overall, I really loved the Pacer Bike Share system. I think it is an extremely beneficial aspect of the city. I think that is convenient but also a lot of fun. When I visited Chicago recently, I noticed that they had something similar. So I think this is something that should stick around, especially for the spring and summer seasons! :)

FEES are not what they seem. We rented 2 bikes for 24 hours at $ 8each and incurred an additional $ 36 in fees for an additional 163 minutes. Upon contesting the charges, I was informed that you must return the bike every 30 minutes or you incur additional charges. The Bikes are great fun, easily accessible, but this is not an unlimited use option. PLAN ACCORDINGLY.

The Indianapolis Bikeshare is an incredibly nice addition to Indianapolis. There have been many times where I’m trying to get from point A to point B downtown where it feels just a bit too far to walk, but at the same time would be silly to move the car and find a new parking spot/​pay for parking when I already have a spot for work. The bikeshare has alleviated that issue for me.
The two issues I’ve seen aren’t really issues at all, people just need to pay attention to what they’re doing. Price is the first. You have 30 minutes with the bike before you get charged extra. It shouldn’t take you 30 minutes to get from any one station to another, and if you don’t think you’re going to make it to your ultimate destination you can always return the bike to a closer station and then take another out and continue on your way. The second issue I’ve seen is returning the bike. You need to really push them back in. The bike will beep at you three times if you’ve done it properly. Test it and try pulling it back out after you’ve returned it. It should be locked in there. You’ll continue to get charged if you didn’t return it properly.
I’ve used this from work to the library, work to volunteer activities, work to dinner on Mass ave, etc. There are enough bike racks (25) that you can almost always find one near where you want to be (
). The app (B Cycle) gives you real time updates of how many bikes are at each station and you can use it to navigate if you’re a tourist. So far I’ve never had an issue finding a bike when I’ve needed one, or finding an empty spot at a rack (and realistically even if that happens there are usually other racks pretty close by). I now have an annual pass that provides a swipe card so I don’t need to use the kiosk anymore which is a nice perk ($ 80 for the year). If you’re looking for a nice alternative to driving around Indy definitely check this out.

My boyfriend and I spent Friday-​Saturday downtown on 4^th of July weekend, and I thought it was the perfect excuse to try out the Pacers bike share program. We used it from Mass Ave to the hub next to Bankers Life (nearest we could find to our hotel, The Alexander.) It was very convenient to carry some groceries (um… wine, purchased at the grocery store, lol) to the hotel. The bikes were in great shape, and well maintained. The seat was really comfortable, and you can adjust to your height. We didn’t have any trouble locating open docks to replace our bikes, and we didn’t have any trouble with availability for check out, either, and it was the fourth of July. We saw a ton of people out riding, though, and passed several totally empty hubs. I can see how you might run into trouble if you’re coming from or riding to a very busy spot.
We also used the next day, when we parked in my work parking garage, located near Victory Field, for the Indianapolis Indians game, then biked over to Mass Ave for our pre-​game dinner. We had just enough time on the 24 hour pass to park our bikes back over near the field.
The only downside, for some, would be the price. If you’re getting around a lot downtown in 24 hours, it’s not prohibitively expensive, but it’s not exactly cheap, either. If you’re only taking a couple of trips, and you’re in a group, you can get anywhere downtown by Lyft or Über for about $ 5 for 3 – 4 people. There are other factors to consider, of course (if you’re like me, you’d rather bike than ride in a car, even for a few extra dollars) but if you’re downtown regularly, the $ 80 annual membership over the daily rate of $ 8 seems like a no-​brainer. I own a bike, and work downtown, but I don’t bike to work every day. I think this would be great for lunch hour trips, and spending weekend days around the city. It’s convenient, it’s inexpensive (for the annual rate) and it eliminates the need to store/​retrieve your personal bike.

Edit: Misleading/​Confusing Pricing Structure
Bikes were great, purchased a 24 hour pass for 2 bikes. My credit card got charged $ 8 twice, great. Then 2 days later they charged the same credit card twice for $ 145. Has this happened to anyone else? The stolen bike charge is $ 1500 and the annual pass is $ 80, so I just cannot figure out where these $ 145 charges are coming from. Beware.

Pacers Bikeshare worked out well. Had a promo code for a 24 hour pass, and decided to try it to check out different events around downtown. Convenient and easy to use, and beats driving from location to location and trying to find parking. And of course much faster than walking.
The checkout process is simple. Just walk up to a kiosk, enter the promo code (if you have one), swipe your credit card, and select the bike you wish to check out. For my experience, I found free parking near City Market, checked out a bike, and rode to Cornerstone Bread Co. for the Unilocal Get Schooled event. From there, I made stops at the new Marsh Supermarket then JW Marriott to watch the World Cup game. I picked up another bike (just swipe your credit card again) and rode back along the Cultural Trail to the Mass Ave area.
Once you have a 24 hour pass, each checkout includes 30 minutes of unlimited usage. There is a surcharge if you keep the bike for more than 30 minutes without checking it back in. I was able to make it to all of the locations in plenty of time. There were enough stations near most popular downtown locations.
The only issue I encountered w/​Bikeshare was that some of the docks were either totally full or totally empty. Obviously, when the dock is empty there are no bikes available to check out. When the dock is full, it’s also problematic because you can’t check the bike in at that location. When I rode back to Mass Ave, I wanted to check in at the Athenaeum but the dock was full. Luckily, there was another dock a few blocks away (which was totally empty), and I was able to check in there. Again, there are enough stations nearby where this should not be an issue (unless you are in a hurry). Supposedly, you can locate the next available station at the kiosk or using the mobile app.
Overall, a good experience w/​Pacers Bikeshare. The bikes were comfortable to ride in and the process was a breeze. I have seen bike sharing programs in other cities, and glad to have it in Indy as well.

I enjoyed using the bike share so much! It was great to ride along the cultural trail and the bikes are all in great condition! Perfect for taking a joy ride or getting from place to place. You can use the bike all day but must switch bikes every 30 minutes before you get charged an extra $ 2 the first 30 minutes over and then $ 4 every half hour after that… so just keep time in mind!

This isn’t bike rental. It is bike sharing so plan accordingly. For a 24 hour pass you get unlimited 30 minute rides. That means the best strategy is to end your trip segment at a kiosk. And they are all over the cultural trail. So, you can ride all day, enjoy so much of what downtown has to offer and only pay 8 bucks.
Example, pick up pick outside work ride to Fountain Square (10 mins) park at the kiosk then spend time in Fountain Square. Unique shopping and great restaurants.
Pick up a bike from the kiosk, ride to Mass Ave (14 mins) park bike and check out some businesses on Mass Ave, go to the Theatre, have a fro yo, more food?
Pick up a bike from the kiosk and take a ride to White River park. (25 minutes) and park near the parking lot.
Wonderful evening in Indianapolis and low cost, fun transportation.
Only negative, no helmets so you need to bring your own. Albeit the bikes are a comfort bike style and with the proper seat adjustment very safe and stable.

The bike itself is great. Built by Trek to withstand the urban elements and your casual bike riding public. Bell on the left side comes in handy to alert walkers. The issue comes in on how the idea is being communicated. You only have use of the bike for 30 minutes before you have to re-​dock the bike although you have a 24 hour usage. This seems to create the confusion. If there is no space at the station you have to get to another within that 30 minutes timeframe or you will start racking up overage charges. Since I live downtown I have been spreading the word to riders so they don’t get hit with those charges. This is NOT a bike rental but really a point to point sharing system where you can’t use the bike beyond a 30 minute increment. You are now informed spread the word.
Still a great idea.

Bikeshare is awesome. I only get a half hour for lunch so walking distance has limited my radius. I took my 1^st bikeshare ride today to go early vote at the City-​County Building. The walk alone would have taken me at least 20 minutes. However, I was able to sign up for a one-​day pass at a kiosk, undock a bike, and ride to the dock right in front of the City-​County Building in 10 minutes. All without even breaking a sweat. (Note: I had a promo code for a free 1-​day pass so I paid nothing. All I needed was a credit card to swipe at the kiosk.)
There are some killer features on the bike itself. The integrated bell is a must for warning pedestrians on the Cultural Trail. There’s an integrated cable lock, but I don’t really see myself using it very much. There are docks all over downtown, so why not just dock it and not worry about exceeding the 30-​minute time limit. The only occasion where I could see myself using the lock is if I was just running in a restaurant for take-​out (the bike has a front basket and a rear basket for hauling stuff) and there were no docks within sight. There’s also a kickstand.
The B-​Cycle app shows all the docking stations (including # of available bikes and # of open docks) on an interactive map. If you don’t have a smartphone, then there is a convenient map of downtown (showing the docking stations) right on the bike.
The bike itself is a tank. It’s meant to withstand the elements as well as people who haven’t ridden a bike in 30 years. Don’t expect to break any speed records on this thing. But it’s smooth as all get out (probably because they’re brand new). It has a 3-​speed grip shift for convenience. Hopefully the maintenance staff keeps these bikes in good working order.
As you ride through downtown, expect a lot of looks and people coming up to you asking about bikeshare or the bike (as it is quite an eye-​catcher in bright gold).
The only thing that keeps this from being a 5-​star review is the cost. It’s $ 8 per day which is about the cost of a cab ride to anywhere downtown. The annual pass is $ 80 which is a little steep. The Chicago and Washington DC bikeshare systems are just $ 75 per year. The Citi Bike bikeshare system in NYC is $ 95 per year (that’s a great bargain considering the cost-​of-​living). The Nashville bikeshare (using the same system as Indianapolis — B-​Cycle) is just $ 50 per year. The Madison, WI bikeshare (also B-​Cycle) is $ 65 per year.

No customer service, and complicated/​misleading price structure.
A billing disaster, it is so bad it has to be their intent. We have been asking pacers bikeshare to fix our membership for months. They bill us every time we take out a bike at a very high bogus rate, does not respond to emails or phone calls.