Bike Rentals in Nice 2024

Bike wheel with shadowYou can use the new Lime or Pony self-service e-bikes which are all over town, easy to use, and cheap …but with the minor constraint of having to be mindful of the time, plus they have to be left in designated zones.

If you just want to rent a well-maintained bike for the duration of your trip, pop into one of the many local bike rental shops for a day- or week- rental that is tailored to your biking needs.  A few reputable shops with websites in English are listed at the bottom of the page, along with Nice’s coolest bike cafés. 

 

Lime and Pony Self-Service Share Bikes 

Lime and Pony share bikes parked on either side of a palm tree with the sea in the background

Nice has two brand new fleets of easy-to-use share bikes!  In all, there are 2000 bikes, 90% electric, and you can use them not just in Nice, but in the adjoining towns as well.  They are easy to use, modern and well-maintained, and anyone can use them, locals and tourists alike.  The bikes are available in designated zones, mostly where the old Velo Bleu docking stations used to be.

The new bike inventory is split between two companies: the blue bikes are Pony, a French start-up, and the Day-Glo green bikes are Lime, an American share-bike giant with fleets in cities around the world.

The main difference between the two is that the Pony e-bikes are made for 2 riders, with a comfortable rear passenger seat and footholds.  Lime bikes are just for one rider and have a big handy basket on the handlebars.   Also, for purists, Pony has a few classic muscle-powered bikes mixed into its fleet as well.

Both companies work exactly the same way:

  • Download the Lime and/or Pony app to your phone (both available in English) and register a payment method
  • Find the nearest bikes on the online map, with battery charge noted in kilometers
  • Reserve your chosen bike for 10 minutes so no one else can snake it
  • Walk up to your bike, scan its QR code with your phone to unlock it, and start your ride
  • 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 discount deals by the day/week/month: Pony’s are based on number of trips, and Lime’s are based on cumulative minutes.   Between the two companies, there is an offer to fit every user. 

Pony app logoHere are all the choices for Pony:

  • Single-trip: 1€ plus 19 cents per minute 
  • 2-trips in a day: 3€ for 2 trips in a day, max 25 minutes each
  • Day rate: 9€ for 5 trips in a day, max 25 minutes each
  • Week rate: 19€ for 5 trips every day for a week (25 min each)
  • Month rate: 39€ for 5 trips every day for a month (25 min each)
  • Muscle-powered classic bikes have a fixed rate of 1.50€/half-hour
  • Enter promo code 7ASKRQNH or click here for first 10 minutes free

Lime app logoHere are all the choices for Lime:

  • Single-trip: 1€ plus 23 cents per minute 
  • Day rate: 3.60€ for 30 minutes, good for 24-hours
  • 3-day rate: 8€ for 60 minutes, good for 3 days
  • Week rate: 23€ for 200 minutes, good for 1 week
  • Month rate: 32€ for 300 minutes (5 hours), good for 1 month

Besides these packages, there are additional discounts for students, and yearly tram pass holders.

Renting a Bike from a Shop or Agency

If you just want to rent a well-maintained bike the easy way, pop into one of the many local bike rental shops and rent a bike by the day or week, starting as low as 15€ a day for a basic model.  The big plus here, besides the ease, is that you choose a bike tailored to your specific needs (city cruiser, mountain bike, electric bike, or racer), it will be professionally adjusted to your body type, and you will have someone to call if there is an issue.  And most rentals include helmets and liability insurance

Here are some reliable rental shops with websites in English so you can comparison shop and reserve in advance:

  • Holland Bikes on 3 rue Blacas near Nice Etoile (high quality and less crowded)
  • MobilBoard 5 rue Halevy, behind Hotel Meridien 
  • Bike Trip 21 rue Rivoli behind the Negresco
  • Booking Bikes at 9 Rue Massenet
  • Roller Station at 49 Quai des Etats-Unis, on the seaside of Old Nice 

Or, go hang out in one of the cool cycle cafés, where you can not only rent a bike, but also meet like-minded adventurers and share tips and itineraries.

Cycling cafe in Old NiceIn old Nice head to the Service Course Café, a specialty coffee house with snacks, plus custom bikes rentals and a curated selection of premium cycling products.  A veritable ‘hub’ for cyclists, they organize group rides and social events. 1 Rue de l’Ancien Sénat, just off the top of Cours Saleya; open every day.  Tram stop Cathédrale.

At the far end of the Port you’ll find Café du Cycliste, a loft-like bikers hang-out/café/boutique/bike repair and storage.  16 Quai des Docks, tram stop Port Lympia.

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Photo credit:  Bike Shadow, Palm Tree by Best of Nice.  

 

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