FAQ

General BikeSurf FAQ

  • How do I borrow a bike?
    • Register on the website (a confirmation email will be automatically sent to the email address you provide - please check SPAM folder if not received)
    • Choose the dates you require to see list of available bikes
    • Book the bike that best suits your location and size
    • Wait (max 24 hours) to receive bike unlocking details and location
    • Collect bike on correct day

  • Do I need to bring my own lock, lights or helmet?
    • All bikes will come with a lock and lights, unless specifically stated otherwise. We do not usually provide helmets.

  • How can I contribute to the BikeSurf project?
    • Donate cash to a BikeSurf city to be used to replace bike parts and improve the website ("Donate" buttons are on the website). Donations of bikes are also welcomed.
    • Join a local BikeSurf team to contribute your time and skills (need to login and and then click “Contribute your time to an existing BikeSurf city” info here)
    • Start a new BikeSurf city where you live (need to login and then click “Create a new BikeSurf city” info here)

  • Can I offer my private bike on the platform?
    • Yes. We encourage this more peer-to-peer sharing, as it means that the system is more sustainable. All you need to do is make sure the bike is in a safe riding condition and contact your local BikeSurf city to help you set up.

  • How and why was BikeSurf started?
    • The project was founded in Berlin in June 2012. As of June 2018, over 4000 users have used our bikes worldwide.
    • We offer the open source platform to anyone who wants to lend bikes in any location around the world.
    • The users are encouraged to donate whatever they can (eg. money, time, skills) and as a result we have proven financially viable and kept our running costs to a minimum. With the extra money, we have been able to fund similar BikeSurf projects in other cities (eg Warsaw).
    • We have attained media attention worldwide including television programs and newspapers, both domestic and international (eg CNN, The New York Times and RTL). We have also used social media to promote our project and inform our followers of relevant events and news in the cycling community.

  • What are the primary differences to other bike sharing initiatives?
    • There are many differences between a grassroots, volunteer-run bike sharing model and other city-sponsored/ company-sponsored bike rental (not sharing in the true sense) schemes.
    • Our users are not obligated to pay for the bikes they borrow, but asked to pay whatever they can afford. Users are asked to question what the value of a bike is and whether they wish to support the growth of such a project. We consider this a very important question in the age of capitalism, where everything costs what the market is prepared to pay, which leads to people feeling excluded from society.
    • We do not ask for any deposit, so we rely on our users to be trustworthy and respectful of the bikes.
    • Without this emphasis on paperwork and money, the social aspect becomes very apparent. Our users and team members get a thrill out of using the project: obtaining a bike is the materialistic transaction but showing that such an idealistic project can be successful brings hope and joy to the team and the users.
    • Our bikes are usually sourced from our supporters. This means that they are usually older bikes and of various types. Users get to choose a bike that best suits their style, which allows them to get more emotionally invested in the experience and feel less like a tourist in the city. Using older bikes means that we are a greener solution than buying new custom-built rental bikes.
    • Users can borrow bikes for up to a month, which puts them under less time pressure of having to return the bike within a certain number of minutes. Why suddenly stop when you are having fun cycling about a city?
    • We are volunteers and hence motivated by the desire to provide bikes to those who would otherwise go without. There is a simple joy in trying something new and which gives everyone a taste of a post-capitalistic world.