Bike sharing is the new way of getting around Center City. It’s convenient, affordable, clean, and simple. It’s good for your health, your pocket, and our environment.

Charlotte Joy Rides provides a network of Joy Rides stations located within a short distance of one another throughout Center City. Using one of our memberships or passes, you can unlock any of the specially designed bikes at any station and ride it to any other bike share station. It’s fast, simple, and inexpensive. It’s no wonder bike sharing has exploded in popularity around the country over the past few years!

Charlotte Joy Rides is the first bike share system in North Carolina and the largest urban system in the Southeast. It is a zero-hassle, zero-emissions way to get around Center City. The network is composed of 343 e-assist bikes and 34 stations.

It’s a bike-sharing program that meets the transportation, health, and environmental needs of our community. It’s inexpensive and spontaneous, but also very practical.

Charlotte Joy Rides uses technology that calculates and tracks the distance traveled on each ride, the calories you’ve burned, and the carbon emissions you’ve offset by riding a bike. All this information is available to members on their personal Joy Rides pages.

Imagine a bike that is always ready to ride, where and when you want to ride it. The tires are always inflated and the chain is never rusty. A bike with a basket to carry your cargo. A bike with front and rear lights and a bell that fits people tall and short. A bike that’s there whenever you need it and gone when you don’t. That’s  Joy Rides. And it’s powered by the ultimate alternative fuel: you.

Proprietary GPS (global positioning system) and RFID (radio frequency identification) technologies make it possible to track all rides in the system and associated with members. Data such as distance, ride duration, calories burned, and carbon offset are captured and uploaded to personal web pages that you may log in to view at charlottejoyrides.com.

Joy Rides are equipped with an internal GPS device that tracks the bike’s trips. Other technology associates each trip with the member who checked out the bike. After this information is transferred to Joy Rides ’s computers, algorithms translate the trip information into estimates of the number of calories burned and carbon emissions avoided (as compared to the use of an average automobile for the same trip). If there are technical errors with the data collection or transfer, an estimate will be applied and clearly noted as such.

Charlotte Joy Rides memberships are available to anyone over the age of 18 with a valid credit or debit card.

The cost to use Joy Rides is divided into two components: a membership or pass fee and a usage fee. For more information regarding memberships, please visit our membership page: charlottejoyrides.com/memberships

The pricing structure is designed to encourage turnover and keep the bikes in the system as much as possible. Users must have a valid credit card on file as they are financially responsible for the bikes while in their possession.

The Charlotte Department of Transportation Bicycle Program is working to make bicycling in Charlotte safer and more efficient. The City has adopted long-range bicycle plans identifying steps to help Charlotte become a city where cyclists can feel comfortable riding to work, running errands or simply enjoying a leisure ride.

Charlotte is constantly building and expanding the infrastructure needed to make cycling better. In the coming years, the City will increase its inventory of bike lanes, signed routes, paved shoulders and bicycle racks.

In recognition of its efforts to improve its bicycle environment, the City of Charlotte was recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as a 2008-2012 Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) at the bronze level.

Joy Rides requires that all accounts be associated with a credit or debit card.

A Joy Rides card is a plastic card distributed to Joy Rides members that contains an RFID chip uniquely associated with each member’s account. When the Joy Rides card is presented at a Joy Rides dock, the Joy Rides system confirms that the member is in good standing and associates the member with the Joy Rides bike they are checking out. 

When the bike is returned to a dock at any Joy Rides station, the Joy Rides system updates the member’s account.

Joy Rides cards also contain a magnetic strip so the cards can be read by the credit card reader found on the kiosk, thereby allowing the Joy Rides card holder to obtain time credits when a station is full.

Joy Rides cards are generally sent to annual and monthly members if the customer purchases one during registration. The card is mailed to the address on file. Once you register online as an annual or monthly member, the credit or debit card you used to sign up for your account may also be used at the kiosk to check out a Joy Rides bike.

For 24-hour pass holders, the pass fee will be charged at the time of registration. If any usage fees are accrued during the pass period, a second charge will be processed following the end of the pass period.

For annual members, there will be an initial charge for the membership fee at the time of registration, and thereafter will be a monthly charge for any usage fees accrued during each month of the membership.

Charlotte Joy Rides offers prepaid gift cards that will cover the amount of each pass or membership type offered. The gift card contains a promotional code that the recipient will be able to enter on the registration page to offset the cost of membership. The person receiving the gift card must also register a credit card to cover any usage or other fees that may be accrued. 

If you have a membership other than annual, you may upgrade it to an annual membership by paying the difference between rates. To be eligible for this upgrade option, you must upgrade before your original membership expires.

For example, if you bought a monthly pass on August 1 that expires on August 31, you can log in to your personal Joy Rides web page anytime in August and upgrade to an annual membership that will expire on July 31^st of the following year. If the cost of an annual membership is $150, you will have to pay only $100($150 minus $50) for the upgrade.

Annual members also have the option of automatically renewing their annual memberships by selecting Auto-Renewal in the Account Preferences section of their personal web page.

Personal web pages remain “live” for three years after the lapse of membership. 

Contact Customer Service immediately at info@charlottejoyrides.com so that we can suspend the card and prevent anyone else from using your card to gain access to a bicycle for which you are financially responsible.

A replacement card will be provided for a nominal fee of $10.

While waiting for your replacement Joy Rides card to arrive, you may continue to check out Joy Rides by using the kiosk at each station. You must present the credit or debit card associated with your membership account. 

Contact Customer Service immediately at info@charlottejoyrides.com. All account disputes must be submitted via email before any refunds are authorized.

Memberships are non-refundable, but if you wish to suspend your account to prevent any new usage fees, contact Customer Service at info@charlottejoyrides.com.

Upon presenting your Joy Rides card at a station kiosk or dock for authentication, the system checks whether your account is in good standing. If there is a problem with your Joy Rides account, your card will be denied. Please contact Customer Service at info@charlottejoyrides.com or 704-332-9585 to determine the cause of the problem.

When registering, members choose whether they want to receive text notifications for check-outs, check-ins, and ride time. Members are able to change this preference anytime thereafter by logging into their personal Joy Rides web page and managing their account settings.

Members may change their credit card information by logging into their personal Joy Rides web page and managing their account settings.

Return a damaged bike to a Joy Rides station if possible. If that is not possible, secure it and contact Customer Service immediately at info@charlottejoyrides.com or 704-332-9585. Do not ride a bike that has been damaged.

Users are financially liable for damages to bikes under their care. Refer to Terms and Conditions found at the bottom of the “Join Now” page.

Contact Customer Service at info@charlottejoyrides.com or 704-332-9585. Charlotte Joy Rides will charge a $10 fee to your account for a lost key.

Contact Customer Service at 704-332-9585. Under the Terms and Conditions agreed to upon registering for membership, members may be liable up to a specified amount if a Joy Rides is stolen or lost while under their care. Refer to the Terms and Conditions posted at the bottom of the “Join Now” page.

Your membership period begins the first time you check out a Joy Rides. You may check out a bike immediately after registering to become a member or purchasing a 24-hour pass online by using the credit card used to purchase the membership at the kiosk.

Information about each member’s use of Joy Rides is posted to that member’s personal Joy Rides web page. Members must log in at charlottebcycle.com to view the information. The personal web page contains includes such information as the date and duration of each trip, the station from which a Joy Rides was checked out and the station to which it was returned, the distance ridden, usage fees (if any), calories burned, and carbon offset. 

Joy Rides bikes are equipped with an internal GPS device that tracks the bike’s trips. Other technology associates each trip with the member who checked out the bike. After this information is transferred to Joy Rides’ computers, algorithms translate the trip information into estimates of the number of calories burned and carbon emissions avoided (as compared to the use of an average automobile for the same trip). If there are technical errors with the data collection or transfer, an estimate will be applied and clearly noted as such.

When signing up online, only one membership may be associated with a credit card. When buying a 24-Hour Pass at a kiosk, up to four (4) passes can be associated with a single credit or debit card. Please note that the same card must be presented kiosks each time a Joy Rides is checked out during the pass period.

Adults over the age of 18 may legally ride a bike without a helmet, but Charlotte Joy Rides strongly recommends wearing a helmet whenever riding a bicycle.

Yes. Each annual and student member is eligible to receive a helmet free of charge. Stop by the Charlotte Joy Rides HUB to pick up your helmet. We are located at 201 S. Tryon St., Suite 120A.

There are hygiene and safety issues with shared helmet usage, so Charlotte Joy Rides does not reuse helmets – they are yours to keep! 

Charlotte Joy Rides has no time requirement between checkouts. We encourage you to dock the bike to stop the clock and avoid usage fees and then check it right back out to keep riding!

A Joy Rides dock beeps when a bike has been unlocked or when the bike has been returned.

When the bike is unlocked, the dock beeps continuously until the bike is removed (or 30 seconds, whichever comes first). The green light will also flash from the time the bike is unlocked until it is removed from the dock.

When a bike is returned and properly inserted into the dock to secure it, the dock will beep quickly three times, and the green light will likewise blink three times very rapidly.

If the red “X” is lit on the dock, there is a problem with either the bike or the dock itself so please try a different dock and let Customer Service know of the issue.

If the orange “bad card” sign is lit, we need to talk to you about a problem with your membership. Just call Customer Service at 704-332-9585.

When contacting Customer Service, please take note of the station, bike number (located near the left pedal shaft) and dock number when reporting any issues.

Users must be at least 18 years old to use Charlotte Joy Rides. Minors are not permitted to ride Joy Rides even with adult supervision.

While bikes may be returned to a dock at any time, Charlotte Joy Rides are available for checkout every day, year-round, 24 hours per day. Customer Service is available every day from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. at 704-332-9585. When calling, please follow the prompts.

Joy Rides may be returned any time, regardless of whether the system is open or closed. Two beeps and two green blinks indicate a successful return. 

Please return a bike with a flat tire to the nearest Joy Rides station. If that is impossible, you must properly and safely secure the bike with the built-in lock and contact Customer Service at 704-332-9585. Please note where the Joy Rides is secured and the Joy Rides number (located at the shaft of the left pedal).

If there has been an injury, please dial 911 first. If you are qualified to administer first aid and there is a need, please help out to the limit of your abilities. If appropriate, contact the police, as well. As in any accident, exchange information with any other affected party and collect contact information from witnesses. Contact Customer Service at 704-332-9585 at the earliest appropriate time. 

Charlotte Joy Rides makes every effort to maintain a balanced system where there are Joy Rides and docks available at all stations. However, if you have a bike you wish to return, but there are no available docks at a station, you should locate a station with available docks and return the bike there. The kiosk located at each station will provide real-time information about which nearby stations have available docks.

The kiosks at full stations will also add 15 free minutes to your ride so that you can take the bike to an open station without financial penalty. In order to receive the extra 15 minutes, insert your Joy Rides card if you are an annual member or the credit card used if you purchased a 24-hour pass when prompted.

The Charlotte Joy Rides website and associated mobile applications for each system provides a map of all Joy Rides stations in that system with real-time information about the availability of bikes. Visit charlottejoyrides.com to download our app!

Charlotte Joy Rides is a bike-sharing system designed to promote the constant use and turnover of bikes for short journeys. The pricing system provides incentives for members to keep their trips short. The longer the trip, the higher the usage fee. Charlotte Joy Rides will seek to recover bikes that have not been returned after 24 hours, and bikes not returned within a three-day limit will be considered lost and members will be liable for a replacement fee (see the applicable Terms and Conditions).

The Charlotte Joy Rides website (charlottejoyrides.com) and associated mobile applications provide a map of all Joy Rides stations in our system. 

To make the kiosk sign-up process as simple and quick as possible, only 24-hour passes are available for sale at the kiosk. Annual memberships are available at charlottejoyrides.com.