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[QLD] Free CityCycle Membership @ Brisbane CityCycle

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[QLD] Free CityCycle Membership @ Brisbane CityCycle
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Doy on 22/01/2021 - 22:30 abo-brisbane.cyclocity.fr (1296 clicks)
Last edited 22/01/2021 - 22:55 by 1 other user

The Brisbane bike hire service that has been notoriously underused since its inception nearly a decade is finally coming to a close, with this year seeing them transitioned out in place of eBikes: https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/things-to-see-and-do/outdoor…

What this means is that memberships are now reduced from a whopping $3 a month to now be TOTALLY FREE!

If you ride over 30 minutes, you will be charged a small fee, however I will share a helpful tip to completely avoid that. There are a bunch of 'bonus' stations littered around the city, and if you dock at them, you get 15 bonus minutes attached to your account, which are only deducted if you use the bike for an amount of time you would usually be charged for. Through planning my routes around these stations, I very quickly racked up 10 hours of bonus minutes, meaning there is no chance I will ever be charged again, nor have to worry about going a few minutes over. You can even cycle back & forth between a 'bonus' and 'non-bonus' station, and the 15 bonus minutes will keep piling onto your account: http://www.citycycle.com.au/News/CityCycle-Updates/CityCycle…

I personally think the whole service was pretty underrated for only a couple of bucks a month, and the horrible website/machine interface paired with laughable marketing really stopped it ever getting off the ground. I'm also pretty disappointed that the Brisbane City Council signed a TWENTY YEAR contract for these bikes back in 2010, and now have to give JCDecaux free prime real estate advertising space all around the city for the next 10 years for nothing in return (but let's not get political…….). https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/brisban…

Here is hoping the eBikes are a welcome modern addition & help more people feel confident using public transport to get where they need!

Fees

The first 30 minutes of every trip is FREE!

31 minutes to 60 minutes - $2

Every 30 minutes after - $5 each

A security deposit of $48 will only be debited if you fail to comply with the Terms and Conditions of CityCycle or if a bike is not returned within 24 hours.

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closed Comments

  • Doy on 22/01/2021 - 22:35
    +12

    If you do decide to rack up a bunch of bonus minutes at once: I heavily recommend going to Station 53 (next to the Story Bridge on the Valley Side), zoom down the really fun steep hill, dock at Station 23 down the bottom, then catch the lift back up to Station 53. Takes <5 minutes, so can rack up hours of bonus minutes really quickly.

    • h00tz on 22/01/2021 - 22:51
      +6

      So that's why I can never get a bike at Station 53, and instead have to ride up that steep hill from Station 23…. ;)

      • Doy on 22/01/2021 - 23:06
        +3

        My dear lad, catch the bloody lift!

    • Poor Ass on 23/01/2021 - 01:27

      So you dock and then re hire or can you just swipe your card to get bonus minutes?

      Sorry not familiar

      • Doy on 23/01/2021 - 01:30

        Dock, wait a minute, get it out again.

        • Poor Ass on 23/01/2021 - 01:54

          Do you need to do something with the machine / screen thing?

          • Doy on 23/01/2021 - 11:45

            @Poor Ass: Yes, you swipe the card (or manually enter your User ID), put in your PIN, and select which bike you want. Probably a 15 - 20 second process.

    • amorn on 23/01/2021 - 10:23
      +1

      Thanks for the great tip. Is there any other bonus station s? I can't see any on their map.

    • amorn on 23/01/2021 - 10:39

      Are you sure? Station 53 is listed as bonus not 23.

      • Doy on 23/01/2021 - 11:43

        Ah, yes, just for clarity I mean doing the loop multiple times between them to keep getting bonus points. You’re right though, starting at the bottom (23) would be more efficient

        • amorn on 23/01/2021 - 11:55

          So you get the bonus either take out or dock at bonus station s?

          • Doy on 23/01/2021 - 12:07
            +1

            @amorn: When you dock at a bonus station (as long as the last station you docked at wasn’t also a bonus station)

            • amorn on 23/01/2021 - 12:12

              @Doy: Ok. But on their website 53 is listed as a bonus, not 23. But did you say you got bonus for docking at 23? Thanks again for your help

              • Doy on 23/01/2021 - 13:14

                @amorn: You get the bonus at 53, but by docking at 23 alternately (or any other non-bonus station), you can keep getting the bonus from 53 a bunch of times in a short amount of time. Rinse and repeat.

                • amorn on 23/01/2021 - 16:57

                  @Doy: ok. so you have to return / dock (not take out) at 53 to get the bonus, right?

                  • Doy on 23/01/2021 - 21:56
                    +1

                    @amorn: Yes, that is what triggers the bonus

    • yoquierotaco on 23/01/2021 - 13:48

      From the website:
      "When using your bonus minutes, they will be deducted in 15 minutes blocks."
      So you need a lot of bonus minutes as they are deducted in these blocks.

      I'm a bit confused by this: "Bonus minutes do not apply to journeys that are under two minutes in duration or where a CityCycle has been taken from a bonus station and returned another bonus station."

      Can someone explain this? Wouldn't any trips under 2 minutes be free anyways? And you don't get to use bonus minutes if you take it from one bonus station to another bonus station? As in you can't take it from a bonus station and return it to the same bonus station?

      • Doy on 23/01/2021 - 22:08

        Yes, a 15 minute block if you go over by only a minute or two. I racked up hours worth very easily so I don’t really think about it anymore.

        When it says ‘apply’, it means EARNING the minutes, not using them.

  • ThisIsNotZeus on 22/01/2021 - 22:52

    There is a $48 sign up fee (initial deposit) for damages etc.

    • Doy on 22/01/2021 - 23:01
      +5

      Don't think there is anymore unless you're seeing something different. I can get to the final screen asking for card details, and it'll charge me $0.00. Think they just store your card details in case they need to charge you the $48. I did have to pay a deposit when I signed up for my membership last year, though.

      "I authorise CityCycle and / or its payment provider to store my bank details in connection with the deposit of $48. If I fail to return any bike, or in the event of damage or other breach of the User Agreement, CityCycle may use my bank details to take all or part of the deposit

      "A security deposit of $48 will only be debited if you fail to comply with the Terms and Conditions of CityCycle or if a bike is not returned within 24 hours."

      • ThisIsNotZeus on 23/01/2021 - 00:18
        +1

        Yes you are right. Just went through the registration with no charge ;)

  • stevo82 on 22/01/2021 - 23:32
    -2

    Was a waste of ratepayers money. And now so will the ebikes

    • deme on 22/01/2021 - 23:36

      Did you even read the deal? I clearly lays out how it is funded. You are wrong.

      • t3chshopper on 23/01/2021 - 00:38
        +2

        The JCDecaux funding did not cover the cost of the scheme at all, and is a large part of why it is being discontinued.

        I agree that the ebikes will likely fail. The electric scooters have won that battle, so I don't see why they'd bother with bikes after that.

        • Doy on 23/01/2021 - 00:58
          +7

          I've tried the Lime eBikes down on the Gold Coast, and I prefer them to the scooters by a long shot. Feels much more safe & comfy at speed. If they end up being cheaper or some sort of membership, I'd ride them all the time and never touch a scooter again.

          • t3chshopper on 23/01/2021 - 20:26

            @Doy: Fair enough. Having said that, I do see a lot more people riding bikes on the Gold Coast than in the Brisbane CBD anyway, so perhaps they're a better fit there.

    • Kezrez on 23/01/2021 - 08:02
      +2

      You need to see the bigger picture when it comes to these things.

      Providing bikes reduces the amount of cars on the road, which in turn reduces the amount of pollution and wear-and-tear to the actual physical roads.

      It increases the health of the citizens utilising them which helps the health system (both for physical and mental health).

      It increases community spirit which makes people happier and in general, when people are happy they treat each other better.

      • Sxio on 23/01/2021 - 10:31
        +5

        Only if people actually use them.

  • Mahip on 22/01/2021 - 23:34

    $2 deducted from my card in the process of sign up. Remember to cancel the subscription in order to avoid automatic renewal.

    • deme on 22/01/2021 - 23:37

      Authorisation?

      • Mahip on 22/01/2021 - 23:38

        Doesn't seem so

    • Doy on 22/01/2021 - 23:40
      +3

      "WARNING ! Your bank’s secure payment page may indicate a $2 transaction.
      Please ignore this message, no charge will be applied to update your Credit card information. "

      • Mahip on 22/01/2021 - 23:45

        Yea, but Normally the authorisation charge would restore but this is still not restored yet.

        • Doy on 22/01/2021 - 23:46
          +1

          Weird. Follow up in a couple of days if it doesn't get refunded, might be a bug. Whenever I've rung up they answer instantly

  • deme on 22/01/2021 - 23:38

    Why is the website abo-brisbane.cyclocity.fr

    • Doy on 22/01/2021 - 23:40
      +2

      JCDecaux is the French advertising company that delivers the whole service

    • happychild100 on 22/01/2021 - 23:42

      Yeah strange. http://www.citycycle.com.au/ should be the actual website

      • Doy on 22/01/2021 - 23:45

        Strange how both those URLs can display the exact same website. Anyway, when you click the Sign Up button on the citycycle.com.au it redirects you to the .fr site

  • Cave Fire on 23/01/2021 - 01:38
    +1

    E bikes would be good… Used something called an EPJ (electronic pallet jack) that you had to ride on at a job. Seemed like they could be adapted as transport for short distances.

  • Slo20 on 23/01/2021 - 06:28
    +2

    Is there a minimum time you need to dock the bike to be able to reuse and get another 30 mins free? I couldn’t see anything in the T&C’s but I’ve used similar bikes overseas and they had to be docked for 15 mins.

    • Dacs on 23/01/2021 - 06:44
      +1

      1 minute

      • Doy on 23/01/2021 - 11:49

        Correct, 1 minute, which is just the general time before it lets you take out another / same bike.

        The only limitation is you can’t go from bonus station to bonus station and claim both (e.g. you’d want to go non-bonus -> bonus -> non-bonus -> bonus. These can be the same stations)

  • amorn on 23/01/2021 - 08:06

    Sign up process didn't go beyond personal details. Now trying again it is stuck at personal details page warning duplicate subscriber. Any solutions?

    • Doy on 23/01/2021 - 11:47

      Give ‘em a ring, they’re very responsive, and open 7 days a week

  • Kezrez on 23/01/2021 - 08:07
    +1

    I wasn't sure about the introduction of the ebikes, because I absolutely love the city cycle as it is, but then I remembered that there are places I never ride to, and rarely ever go to, because it is just too hilly.

    Now I might be able to get to paddo on one, which would be pretty excellent.
    Has anyone used ebikes before? Can you still get a good workout or do you find yourself always using the electrics to push you along?

    • liquid metal on 23/01/2021 - 09:30

      Ebikes are quite a bit heavier and people are lazy. So yes, electric propulsion is the preferred mode.

  • belongsinforums on 23/01/2021 - 10:52
    +1

    This is how it always should have been. Melbourne has had free sign up and free short rides for years. Great for tourists

  • llbeok on 24/01/2021 - 10:44

    Hold on, this is just for 2021… next year we’ll be back to square one…

    • Doy on 24/01/2021 - 22:38

      Will likely be replaced by a whole new eBike scheme by then. It is this price because they’re phasing it out

  • SqueezeMePlz on 25/01/2021 - 11:04

    This bonus thing give me vibes like playing some game and looking for exploits… Unlimited Coins, Unlimited Health ..lol

  • elenia on 26/01/2021 - 09:12

    If they are phasing out the city cycle hubs "Works to remove CityCycle stations across Brisbane are part of a rolling program and the decommissioning of each station"
    where are the ebikes going to be located from mid-2021?

    • modsec802 on 26/01/2021 - 14:14

      Blocking footpaths like those stupid scooters 🤬

      • hardya on 21/02/2021 - 12:56

        And thrown in the river like they did down south

  • mitchsaun on 28/01/2021 - 17:43

    Just got the welcome pack, funnily enough CityCycle has sent me someone else's card.

  • enthusiast on 31/01/2021 - 13:48

    Thanks OP!!

  • CC123 on 07/02/2021 - 22:23

    Thanks, just signed up, unsure if I'll use this as I have a bike already but it may be handy if out and about!

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