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When you visit Barcelona you may be intriguied by all the identicle bicycles fixed by the side of the road. They are in fact a set of public bicycles which anyone who has a card can use to get around.

Somewhat like the Vélo´v in Lyon it is an attenpt to help people on their way in an eco friendly means, reducing carbon emissions, traffic density and noise pollution. There seems to be very little adherence to the highway code by cyclists in Barcelona, they cycle on the pavement whenever it is more convenient and so you need to watch out for them coming up behind you when you´re walking along.

However Bicing is undoubtedly a success as it is very well utilised and is perfect for a city the size of Barcelona as if it feels a little far to walk, bicing makes your journey quicker, less tiring and more pleasurable.

There are however a few rueles enforced to deter misuse of the bikes. You can only have the bike for 30 mins once you take it off the rack, so its not really any good for sight seeing, it is much more for getting from a to b. If you do exceed the 30 mins you are fined for every hour after that, it is not extortionate but you want to avoid it. If you think you can cheat the system by cycling for half an hour then putting one bike down and picking up another, you are mistaken. You have to wait 15 min btween each ride which is not too bad as you can cycle somewhere, have a quick coffee and then pick up a new bike and carry on.

Bicing is not a holiday pastime as you have to have a NIE if you are a foreigner and the process takes a bit too long, but if you are in Spain for a substantial period of time it is definitely worth investing in. For only 30 euros per year you will never have to take the metro, bus or drive.

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