Renting bicycles in Porto Alegre

In my opinion, if you really want to enjoy a city, then take a day to ride a bicycle there. And you can do it in Porto Alegre!  Riding bikes is excellent exercise and you also avoid the traffic that all big cities have. Save your time and don’t get stressed out!  Starting in September 2012, now you can rent a bike in Porto Alegre. You just need to do a registration on this web site www.movesamba.com/bikepoa or by the app “BikePoa” for smartphones, or by voice portal for phones. The service costs R$5 per day or R$10 for monthly payment.

The system started with 50 bikes, but the goal is to have 400 by April 2013. The service operates daily from 6am to 10pm. The bike trip must be made within one hour after renting. After this time, there is a range of 15 minutes to allow further trips. There are five stations to pick up/drop-off, all in downtown Porto Alegre: Largo, Public Market Square, Customs, Culture House, and Usina do Gasômetro.

The person already registered, may withdraw the bicycle in two ways: by application of the smartphone or the voice portal on mobile phones. The self-service system is responsible for releasing and confirming the return.

Porto Alegre´s new  bicycle service is not the first of its kind in Brazil and it has been proven successful . São Paulo already has 25,000 registered users and there have been over 1 million trips made in Rio de Janeiro using the same system Porto Alegre has recently adopted.

My favorite place to ride: Usina do Gasômetro is my favorite area of Porto Alegre. Riding a bike there makes you feel so good because it has an appropriate path for bicycles and beautiful sights. There, you can ride seeing the water of the Guaíba River. Stay until the late afternoon and you will see one of the most beautiful sunsets in Porto Alegre.

 More about Bicycles in Porto Alegre

 Since we are already talking bikes,  I think is important to say that if you have your own bicycle, there is the called, Program Cyclist Trensurb, operating since January 2008. This program allows the users to carry their bikes on the subway gaucho.

There are specific times for entry with bikes to ensure comfort for all. Weekdays and Saturday schedule – 9AM to 11AM, 2PM to 4PM, and 9PM to 11:20PM.

In addition, during Sundays and holidays, Trensurb extended the allowance of bicycles on the subway for all operating hours. Trensurb runs between 5AM to 11:20PM every day.

If you have any questions, call Trensurb: (51) 3363-8477 - Monday to Friday, 7AM to 8PM or go on the website. On the site you have the option of having the information in English or Spanish.

Thus, there is no excuse for you not enjoy the city riding a bike. It can be a rented bike or your own. Don’t forget to bring a water bottle and keep yourself hydrated. Sunblock is also essential. Respect the traffic rules and give your kids some advice before you start riding bikes. Following all these tips, you will be more than ready to have a fun time in Porto Alegre.