Capital Bikeshare Reviews

by Shideh70

This was my second time using this service. I mainly go for a 10 min ride down the street and back. When I returned the bike and the station showed it’s locked I left. CapitalBikeshare didn’t send any notifications if it was completed ongoing. So I figured it’s done.
Then I received a text message from Lyft telling that the ride still going on and I’m being charged!!!!! There was no place to follow this up. Ride wasn’t listed in my App. I reported the issue. Now, a day after, in charred $102 for a $2 ride!!!!!!
This is ridiculous .

by Poomfatty

I liked the old version so much better than this new one. The new one takes longer to show stations on the map, longer to show bikes available on the map, doesn’t say when it last refreshed bike availability at each station, uses station icons that no longer show full vs empty ratios, no longer allows you to find directions and which stations would be closest to your origin and destination, no longer shows any points details in your account or on each station, and many other things that make it worse. Please bring back the old app - it had been refined to perfection.

by Lost A New User

I parked the city bike at 4th and Rhode Island docking station to swap for another bike that I wanted. Unfortunately, the counter kept counting saying I had the bike out. So tried pulling the bike back out but it was locked in. So now I don’t either bikes because the system doesn’t show I docked. The counter is going on 24 hours that I have the bike. I sent several pics to show the address and the bike where it’s locked. I sent emails, submitted in the system my problem and have not gotten a proper response to stop the counter so I may get another bike. I’ve never had a major issue like this since I started using city bike a few months back. It’s an extreme inconvenience when you can’t reach anyone to fix the issue. As of right now the follow day. The counter is going on 24 hours that I have the bike. Sad!

by Kreid2318

This service is a complete scam! My husband and I purchased two 24-pass for $14 and used the bike for a total of 4hrs, which resulted in additional charge of the $63 dollars!!! There is absolutely no way anyone can figure out the fee system and beware of going over 30 minutes even with a “24-hr Pass”. This essentially means you are required to watch the clock while trying to relax outside, checking your email for time warnings/threats of extra fees and biking only between bike docks instead of on the many beautiful bike paths. Also FYI this is a service owned by Lyft and not by the city government as originally stated on CapitalBikeshare site when I downloaded CapitalBikeshare . DO NOT USE!!!

by Someone Else

If you’re considering getting a Capital Bikeshare membership at the moment, please keep in mind that there are some stations that are NEVER stocked with normal bikes. I live in the Adams Morgan area, I got the subscription because I have 3 stations within a 5 min walk, and they are regularly completely out of working bikes.

I have also run into a situation (going to Georgetown during the day) where all of the stations are FULL within a mile radius, and I have to park way out of my way to get where I’m going. It makes me feel like I can’t rely on the bikeshare at all.

When they’re available, I appreciate the convenience of Capital bikeshare, but you all need to increase capacity (or figure out how to cycle bikes in and out of their stations better). Otherwise I’ll probably cancel and use my own bike.

by Enri S.

There is nothing more frustrating than a transportation system that does not a good infrastructure in place when you have an emergency while using their product.

First, There is no direct contact option through either the CaBi app or the Lyft app (owner). If you need to call them in a pinch you’ll have to Google their phone number and look through a few different pages before you find the correct one. This does not guarantee you will speak to a person.

The reporting options within CapitalBikeshare are insufficient. If your bike goes missing (gets stolen) you cannot select this as an option. If you had to ditch the bike because the tire blew out in the middle of a ride on the way to your job - there is no option for this either. I put Try Harder because you can build a more functional app that allows the end user to be self-sufficient or create a robust customer service infrastructure to help the end user navigate problems using your service.

Pretty much anytime you experience an issue after you check out the bike you have to speak to a human and whether you’re on your way somewhere or not you are responsible for the bike. So, your only option is to wait around until someone picks up the phone.

by Another Nickkname

You almost have to use CapitalBikeshare to use the bike share system but it gets more difficult to use with every update. Lyft hijacked CapitalBikeshare and now tries to steer you to all sorts of bikes which clutters the map. An annoying pop up reminds you to park at a station with every click even as most of the bikes it shows are NOT in the station system. When you’re running out of time on your 30 minute ride and desperate to find a docking site you have to click thru the pop up and pick through a multitude of too-similar icons and then figure out how to orient the map.

by Just20706

I give CaBi as a service 5 stars. No question.

The recent app updates however are subpar. The map used to be easier to read at a glance to know if a dock had bikes. Now the color indicators are ittybitty dots and the number of bikes is also pretty small. The login screens and UI are clunky, often asking me to input the same information two or three times on different pages. You could also use the map without logging in before, not sure why they took that away.

by Fas77

We’re in Nova where the bike stations are few and far between. The idea is awesome and we’re psyched to have a dock in our neighborhood, but of our 30 min ride 15 was going out of our way to find a dock to check into. Miami had a 2 hour limit, which was wonderful and left us feeling like we weren’t rushing. Here we wanted to stop along the W&OD, but couldn’t because we needed to get to George Mason ASAP. Forget about going out towards FC. The last dock is at EFC and navigating 15 min out and then having to turn back brings you nowhere. Great in theory for downtown, but not an enjoyable experience outside of town. And honestly, who’s going to be able to commute on a 3 speed on the Custis from EFC into the city in 30 min?

by Sam_yo1991___

Consistently, CapitalBikeshare tells you bikes are available when they are not. Beyond being annoying and frustrating, this is da vero is considering women oftentimes walk a certain distance, assuming a bike will be available when it in fact is not & will not unlock. I called customer service & they said that the bikes werent unlocking because someone who rode it previously must have reported an issue. Ok...so then why doesn’t CapitalBikeshare reflect this? It should show ONLY bikes that are able to be unlocked, not those waiting for maintenance.

by Chestderr

I found CapitalBikeshare easy to use and extremely useful. Most helpful features for me is locating nearby bikes And the confirmation notification that comes when immediately upon docking the bike I found that most status data on breaks and docs available was accurate however a couple were way off. Another useful feature is the stopwatch starting immediately after the bike is checked out. The most desirable feature that isn’t implemented is being able to locate key dispensers. The online web based map shows that info but CapitalBikeshare does not include it at all if you need to find a key dispenser forget about using CapitalBikeshare for that.

by Bikeandbefree!

Could CapitalBikeshare give audio directions to the next place on our route? I find I’m having to go back and forth between google maps and bokeshare app to find my way. I’m an Infrequent visitor to dc so need all the help I can get. Also can you do something about all the construction and roadwork detours? 😶I love riding a bike around dc for a rock bottom reasonable price. Thanks so much for making that possible! Susy

by Megaroo117

Easy to use, fast app. Gets you on a bike in no time! Taking off a star because the main benefit of CapitalBikeshare (versus using the key) is to see the # of available bikes and docking stations. Unfortunately CapitalBikeshare 's numbers are usually inaccurate (sometimes wildly so!) which makes it very difficult to plan where to end a stop. Also, sometimes there is an available bike but CapitalBikeshare says there is none, so you can only unlock it with a key. I will likely stick to using the key and my eyeballs but it's good to have a backup.

by Jbouchelle

Capital BikeShare is awesome. My work provides a discounted yearly membership for unlimited rides which definitely makes me use the bikes more than I normally would. The locations are convenient. I can park and lot have to worry about locking my bike or returning to the parked location. I’ve only had one issue when my bike didn’t lock upon return, but the customer service was great and they easily took care of it. High recommend!

by Mnthomp

Having previously only used dockless share bikes in Beijing, the CaBi bikes are so nice! CapitalBikeshare is straightforward and the route planning function is great.

My criticisms aren’t with CapitalBikeshare though: The way you choose a subscription level is unnecessarily complicated and the keypads on some of the docks are consistently broken, making it hard to retrieve a bike sometimes. Otherwise, great experience.

by Elnogalense

Capital Bikeshare is a wonderful program accompanied by a highly accessible app. I wish more cities were as bikeable as DC to see more programs like this. The only complaint i have for CapitalBikeshare is that it doesn’t let you track your ride history better within CapitalBikeshare (just to see how many calories are burned in a day of riding for example). Great work overall!

by Songbird Dawn

Just got my 50th ride on Capital Bikeshare and couldn’t be more grateful. I’ve explored my hometown in new ways and had fun doing it! I love CapitalBikeshare ...I can plan my route and determine whether there is an available dock in advance - I can also help them move bikes if it fits my schedule too. Bonus rides await because my bike was just stolen, so I’m super grateful for my CaBi membership and awesome app.

by WhatzUpWitYou

Had a HORRIBLE experience with renting my bike and ending the trip docking it. Was a little disappointed with how difficult it was for a newcomer to try to rent a bike for only half an hour, but this entire experience was negated by one of the most superior customer service experiences I’ve ever had.

Marie (I definitely want to give her a shoutout!) spoke with me on the phone and was not only patient, but went above and beyond what I expected customer service would be for a $2 bike ride around DC. I had an issue docking my bike, and she was able to talk to upper management (without me even having to ask) and calm my fears as a first time user of the service.

Now that I’m aware of how the system works, I would definitely recommend renting a bike through this company in the city (especially if you want to put in the exercise and save money over Uber, scooters, and other ride share/renting services).

by 11King-Z11

Easily the best way to get around and see the monuments for the best price. We did eight dollars for unlimited 30 minute rides per day. I wish it were closer to 45 or an hour. That would give you a much more time to see the sides without having to interrupt your sight seeing pattern, but I am sure there is a rhyme to their reason.

by Charlie Zuzu

My 12 year old and I were easily able to pick up bikes outside our Airbnb and had no problem finding places all around the city to dock them. The in-app navigation map was great. Made our visit to D.C. car free and so fun.

On another note we found D.C. drivers very respectful of us on our bikes. After riding on the streets of Los Angeles this was such a nice surprise!

by MereMere74

CapitalBikeshare needs voice navigation!!
It’s extremely hard to ride the bike, hold & look at my phone for directions, & not kill myself or others while navigating a dark city. The 30 minutes docking rule is ridiculous & does not allow enough time to navigate the city in the dark when you have to look at your phone. I spent more time on phone with customer service than riding the bike because docks were always full when my 30 minutes was up. Bump the time to an hour & I might try again. Not worth the hassle.

by Lilb3000

They have 3 big pictures stating their pricing. The one we used clearly said $8 per 24 hour period. What they didn’t say was that that 24 hour period only allows you unlimited rides at maximum length of 30 mins each! What they try to do is make it seem as if you get the bike for 24 hours for $8. I got a $50 charge on my card and I was like what in the world?! Then I looked up reviews online of their service and everyone is complaining about the same thing! What a sham! Your max ride time is 30 mins! After that you will be charged fees every 30 mins!

by Ddnijirvsh

Have used it for two weeks. Overall it’s quite convenient. CapitalBikeshare is easy to navigate. The quality of bikes is good. These are innovative, green, and healthy solutions for the city. The small problems are: 1. In the morning of a workday all the bikes in residential areas are gone, and docks near offices are full. In the evening it’s the opposite. 2. Sometimes it’s not easy to lock, and you don’t receive an immediate warning.