ClujBike - Free Bike Sharing

Published by:

Aaron Roberts

Published on:

July 29, 2017

Last Updated:

Aug 13, 2021 @ 6:24 pm

Tags:

Bike Sharing, Bikes, ClujBike, Commute, Cycling, Exercise, Fitness, Free Bikes, Health, Travelling

Short link:

https://clujxyz.com/

ABOUT CLUJBIKE

ClujBike is a free bike sharing scheme, set up and managed by the local government and partners. Launched in November 2015, it provides as an alternative to using cars or buses and acts as an ecological drive to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, whilst at the same time reducing congestion on our roads.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Cluj-Napoca has a network of self-service stations spread around the city and surrounding areas, including Apahida and Florești. Upon registration, you will receive a contactless card which can be used at any of the terminals to register use of, and release a bike.

Upon release, the bike is free to use for up to 60 minutes and simply needs to then be deposited back into the destination station. In the event the bike is not returned within that time-period, there’s a fee depending on the amount of time that you retain the bike past it’s expiration. However, this is easily avoided, by using the ClujBike Map app, which shows you which stations have bikes and docking spaces available, plus a useful timer, which helps you keep track of your current usage.

Once the bike is deposited, you’ll need to wait 5 minutes before you can pick up another bike.

In the event that a card gets lost, you can easily report it lost or stolen by contacting their call centre. The great thing is, their call centre also houses English speakers, so you shouldn’t have any trouble talking with an agent or asking any other questions which you wish to know the answers to.

HOW DO I REGISTER FOR CLUJBIKE?

Registration is actually very simple and in most cases, you can receive a card within 24 hours.

STEP 1 – CREATE AN ACCOUNT

Head over to ClujBike.eu and register an account by clicking here. By default, the website is in Romanian, but you can switch it to English using the flag at the top right.

You’ll have to fill out a number of fields, including a “CCN”. This is your identity number. Romanian Identity Card holders would use their CNP, however you may not have any identity number yet, so we would recommend using your own ID number, whether that’s a passport or other official identity card.

STEP 2 – VISIT A LOCAL CITY OFFICE (PRIMARIA)

For this next step, you may wish to consider bringing a friend or acquaintance who can speak Romanian with you, as you’re not 100% guaranteed to find someone at the office who can speak in English. However, in most cases, this is not a problem, but rather than waste a journey, it’s better to have someone there with you.

You will then need to complete your registration by providing your ID (the same one as you provided during your electronic registration) and you’ll sign the contract.

The contract is basically an outline of the terms and conditions for using the service, and an summary of some of the points in the contract is available below.

STEP 3 – RECEIVE AND TEST YOUR CARD

Upon signing your contract, you will receive another email with your card’s pin. This pin is the one that you’ll need to use, whenever accessing the terminal and retrieving a bike. Do not lose this pin.

It’s recommended that you head to the closest terminal and try it out.

HOW DO I RETRIEVE A BIKE?

Retrieving a bike is simple. Simply head to your closest station, access the touchscreen and then use your card to release the bike. The system is also available in English, so you can change the language from the touchscreen and then proceed with your collection. This is how it’s done:

Initiate your collection by selecting the option to collect a bike
Hold your ClujBike card up to the contactless symbol, just under the touchscreen until you hear a beep.
Your account ID number will display on the screen, and you’ll now need to enter your PIN and press Login.
Upon successful login, you’ll have 2 minutes to select a bike from the available stands.
Each available station will have a coloured light below the handles of the bike, indicating it’s availability.
Collect your bike from any stand which has a green light by placing your ClujBike card on the contactless panel directly to the right of the bike.
The system will sound a beep then unlock, allowing you to retrieve your bike.

It’s really that simple, and in order to return your bike, simply access an empty stand, press your card against the panel of the empty position and wait for the light to turn orange and for the beep to sound. Now you can push your bike’s locking ring, into the mechanism, and the bike will lock.

Don’t forget to make sure that your bike is locked into the system before walking away! Failure to return the bike properly could result in you being charged.

WHEN IS THE SERVICE AVAILABLE?

The system is available between the hours of 6am until midnight (00:00) Monday – Sunday throughout the year, with possible interruption during the winter months (December, January and February) depending on the weather conditions. During these times, total bike maintenance and revision will take place.

MOBILE APPS

There are a number of Mobile Apps available to use in conjunction with your ClujBike service, however, none of these apps are officially released by ClujBike operators. Therefore, you shouldn’t provide any of your account details to any of the below applications or developers.

The recommend app for checking ClujBike stations is “Tranzy” which can be downloaded by clicking here.