Capital Bikeshare

There are 8 stations near my home. On average there will be two that have bikes. Maybe four bikes total, and maybe two of them will work. I love this app, and highly recommend it IF you are okay with the possibility if it not serving you when you need it. There used to be people regularly brining bikes from the overcrowded areas back up here. Now I rarely ever see them, and I have to walk far and stay locked in on this app to HOPEFULLY get a bike for my short ride to work. This used to be my main mode of transportation and it was the best, but now I always must have a backup mode of transportation because I never know if there will be a working bike. And if there is, it might be a 10 minute walk away because the three closer racks that are supposed to hold 15 bikes each might all be empty.

I would not recommend this service at all. As a tourist, I used this service without reading the reviews as it seemed simple to use. Ohio have similar scooter and bike rentals and I have never had a problem. However, with capital Bikeshare I had the WORST experience. I rented a bike to ride from my Georgetown hotel to the national African American History museum which was a 11min ride. I docked the bike at 15th and constitution avenue, directly in front and across the street from the museum. The steps to dock the bike was clear and I saw a green light, heard a click, and assured the bike did not come out of its docking location. I even gave it a harder shove into the docking station and it still did not come out (as another person standing near me stated make sure it’s docked). However, Even with all these clear steps, I was still charged a lost/stolen bike fee of $250 plus $25 for the day. I contacted customer service and after trying to find the bike number. the bike was still out on a ride, but I wasn’t the one riding the bike. The customer service agent said they wouldn’t charge me any other fees until the bike is returned and would refund me the money once returned. It is now Wednesday 4/5/23 and the bike has not been returned. I left DC on Sunday and am still being charged fees for this bike. I wish I would’ve read the reviews before renting, as this appear to be a repeated issue. I SUGGEST NOT EVER RENTING FROM THEM. They don’t hav trackers on the bikes and it’s a horrible inconvenience to tourist. FYI: you will not be refunded any fees. Even if you provide proof and you know for sure the bike was docked properly.

I was very pleased with how the app worked. Just a few simple essential functions but they worked well. The live map was accurate and the trip mapping function worked well. Yes, not all of the bikes are perfect (fix those loose headsets!), and the docks don’t always work (which can be discouraging when you finally reach your destination and hope to ditch the bike like a hot potato and you find the only empty docks are not working), but most everything worked well enough, enough of the time for this user who was there for a few days as a tourist. And customer service was right there to take any phone calls with questions. Unless you want to try the scooters, which look like an easier and more fun way to get around, the whole BikeShare system is pretty awesome. A great alternative to taking the Metro or using a car. The 30 minute time limit is sufficient to get from one place to another if you are a tourist exploring different parts of the city.