Please park ebikes responsibly.
Always park your ebike responsibly. Our ebikes with cable locks are hybrid, so you can lock your ebike to a public bike rack and always be mindful of others: don’t block sidewalks, pathways, or ADA ramps. Do not lock to railings or private property, and never leave your ebike locked to itself.
Remove the cable lock from the pink holder and wrap the cable around the bike rack. Then place the pin into the lock. You will hear a beep when the bike is securely locked, with the LED ring turning green and then flashing white. This signifies that your trip has ended.
If you’re riding one of our ebikes and your ride is idle for more than 15 minutes, your ride may end automatically. You will receive a warning via the app or text after your ride has been idle for 15 minutes.
Where to park cable-locked ebikes:
- Any Bay Wheels station
- Any public bike rack within the service area
- Any Virtual Station (more on these below)
Never park your ebike:
- Block sidewalks, pathways, or ADA ramps.
- Do not lock to railings or private property
- Never leave your ebike locked to itself.
Locking with a cable lock
You can park ebikes with cable locks at any Bay Wheels station, Virtual Station, or any public bike rack within the service area.
Our new ebikes in San Jose can either be docked at a station, or you can end the ride using your app or Clipper Card. You can tell these ebikes apart by looking for a white ebike with a phone holder, but without a cable lock.
Any other ebike without a cable lock must be docked at a station.
Parking an ebike with a cable lock at a bike rack, not docked at a station, will cost $2. This fee will be waived if the bike is parked near a station with no empty docks available, or locked to a bike rack in part of the service area without stations (more on ebike pricing here.)
A $25 fee will be applied for parking outside the service area.
Virtual Stations
Virtual Stations are designated parking zones at existing, publicly accessible bike racks. These are designed for our ebikes with cable locks. We've partnered with the SFMTA and other agencies to expand parking options beyond the physical Bay Wheels docks.
Parking at a Virtual Station is simple:
- Find a Virtual Station: Check your Bay Wheels app for the designated Virtual Stations on the map; These stations will include the words “Virtual Station” in the name when you tap a station icon in the app
- Park at a Public Rack: When you arrive, secure your ebike to one of the public bike racks within the marked zone in the app
- Use the Cable Lock: Complete your ride by manually engaging the ebike's built-in cable lock around the rack
- $2 Fee Waived: By ending your ride at a Virtual Station using the cable lock, the standard $2 out-of-station (OOS) fee is automatically waived
Docking at a station
To dock an ebike, tap on a station to see the exact number of bikes and docks available. Once you’ve found an open dock, line up the triangle located at the front of the bike with the dock, then insert your bike gently but firmly, holding the bike in place for at least 5 seconds. Please don’t slam it! When the light on the dock turns green, your bike has been properly locked. Just keep in mind, it can sometimes take a few minutes for a dock to register that your bike was returned.
Note: If docking your ebike at a station, do not also use the cable lock to lock the ebike to the dock, as this may result in a parking fee. Even if the station appears full, this action will cause the system to register an open dock. Only use the cable lock at approved object listed above.
You may notice some docks do not have LED lights, but instead have flip dots. If ending a ride at one of these docks, make sure to look for the green lock dot as an indication that the bike has been properly docked. If you see a red “X” dot, this means that the bike is not docked properly. Do not leave an undocked bike unattended.
Additionally, if you see a red “X” dot at an empty dock, this means this open dock is unavailable and you’ll need to dock your bike at a different dock.