Last Updated on June 18, 2024 by Allison Coe
Adieu Velo Bleu! Nice just got two new fleets of modern electric share bikes that anyone can use, locals and tourists alike. They’re easy to use, not expensive, have sturdy construction and are well-maintained. In all, there are 2000 bikes in designated zones all over town (even in neighboring towns), mostly where the clunky old Velo Bleu docking stations used to be.
You’ll see blue bikes and green bikes: The main differences are that the Day-Glo green Lime bikes are just for one rider and have a big handy basket on the handlebars.
The blue Pony e-bikes are made for 2 riders, with a comfortable rear passenger seat and footholds. Also, for purists, Pony has a few classic muscle-powered bikes mixed into its fleet as well. Pony is a French start-up and Lime is an American share-bike giant, formerly affiliated with Uber.
Both companies have their own app, but they work basically the exact same way:
- Download the Lime and/or Pony app to your phone (both available in English) and register a payment method (For Pony, enter promo code 7ASKRQNH or click here for first 10 minutes free)
- Look on the online map to find the nearest bikes (each bike’s battery charge is noted in kilometers)
- Put a 10-minute reservation on your chosen bike so no one else can snake it before you get there
- Walk up to your bike, scan its QR code with your phone to unlock it, and away you go…
- The ride ends (and the timer stops) when you park the bike in one of the designated zones. Nothing to do, the bike just knows (but take a photo anyway)
Both Lime and Pony start with single-trip prices of 1€ plus a few centimes per minute (.19 for Pony, .23 for Lime), then offer much cheaper multi-trip discount deals by the day/week/month: Pony’s are based on number of trips, and Lime’s are based on cumulative minutes. See my Bike Rentals in Nice page for an easy chart with the pricing options, but between the two there is an affordable offer to fit every user.
If you have never tried an electric bike you are in for a treat: you start peddling and then it just peddles for you… it’s so fun, like riding a magic bike! Test it out with a morning spin along the Prom: you won’t regret it!
See related page Biking in Nice
Photo by Best of Nice