How to Rent an Ecobici Bike in Mexico City

Page Overview

When I moved to Mexico City in 2018 I didn’t have an Ecobici for the first 5 months. I would walk 35 minutes (one way) from my first apartment in Tacubaya to my office in Roma Norte.

It was a beautiful walk, but signing up for Ecobici was a total game-changer.

I vividly remember my first city bike ride – it felt like I was flying as I pedaled through Roma Norte for the first time.

Fast forward many years later, I’m still living in Mexico City, Ecobici has gotten a huge makeover, and I still love using it to get around.

The government has upgraded the bikes, added hundreds of new bike stations, and streamlined the sign-up process so it’s easier than ever to rent bikes for a day or for a year!

If you want to immerse yourself in the city and get orientated in ways Uber rides won’t let you, follow these simple steps and in minutes you’ll be ready to explore Mexico City on two wheels!

What is Ecobici?

Ecobici is Mexico City’s public bike-share system. With 600+ stations and nearly 10,000 bikes, it’s one of the most well-connected bike shares I’ve ever seen and is an incredible way for locals and travelers to get around Mexico City.

It’s affordable – the annual plan costs me less than $30 USD a year and is so convenient for navigating bike-friendly neighborhoods like Roma, Condesa, Polanco, Centro, and now even Coyoacan!

Use it to ride along Avenida Reforma on Sundays when it’s pedestrian-only, navigate within a neighborhood like Roma Norte while you explore different things to do, or bike through lesser-visited neighborhoods like Santa Maria la Ribera, Escandon, or Narvarte.

How to Create an Ecobici Account

The very first step is to create your Ecobici account. It’s gotten so much easier compared to when I first registered in 2018. My friend came to visit earlier this year and in less than 10 minutes we had her signed up and ready to rent a bike!

If you like to be prepared and plan ahead, you should be able to do this before you even arrive in Mexico. But whether you sign up at home or at your Airbnb in Mexico City, it doesn’t matter. I’d just suggest you do it before you’re at the bike station ready to take out a bike.

You will need to go to https://usuario.ecobici.cdmx.gob.mx/profile and click “Sign up” on the bottom right.

You’ll fill in the form with your details and click “Sign up.”

Screenshot of the Ecobici app's account creation page requiring users to fill out fields such as first name, last name, email, phone number, password, and date of birth. — Fill out your details

Then you’ll need to verify your identity with your driver’s license or passport number.

Now you have your account and can choose which membership works for you by clicking “View memberships.”

They offer plans for 1 Day, 3 Days, 7 Days, or a year. If you choose the annual plan make sure you unselect the “renew automatically” option unless you know you want it to renew in a year.

Put in your payment method and that’s it! If your phone has cellular data and will work in Mexico when you’re not connected to wifi then you’re good to go. You can use the Ecobic app to scan a bike’s QR code to unlock it.

Choose your plan. Prices are in MXN Pesos.

If your phone won’t have cellular data, don’t worry, you can still use Ecobici, you’ll just need a public transport card.

Once you purchase your card from the nearest Metro or Metrobus stop (I’ll explain how to find one below) add your card’s serial number by clicking “Add” underneath “Link MI Card” in your online Ecobici account under Preferences.

Click “Add” under Link MI Card if you have one.

Add the las 8 characters from the back of your card.

You can also link your MI Card to your Ecobici app if you click on your profile in the top right of the app, click “Edit Profile”, and then under Account Info you’ll see “MI Card.”

Purchasing a MI Card (CDMX Public Transport Pass)

If you don’t have a cellular data plan for Mexico and won’t be able to use your phone without wifi, you will need to purchase a MI Card. You can find a machine at most Metro and Metrobus stations that sells cards.

A friend came to visit me earlier this year and we went to the Insurgentes Metrobus station and bought her card at the machine for about $ 1 USD. Even more recently, I bought one for Jorge at the Durango Metrobus station on Avenida Insurgentes.

Most, if not all Metrobus stations along Avenida Insurgentes should have a machine for purchasing and recharging your MI Card.

You can also check out the metro stops here to find a machine, but a Metrobus stop will probably be the easiest to locate.

Some machines will only let you put money on your card for the metro, but usually there is at least one machine that also lets you purchase a card. You will be able to tell immediately at the bottom of the screen.

Touch the American flag at the bottom right of the screen for English and you will see “Purchase” or “Reload” yellow buttons on the screen. If you only see “Reload” try the next machine over.
Select “Cash” as your payment method and deposit the money. It last cost me 21 pesos so bring the exact amount, it won’t give change.
And that’s it! Wait a few seconds and it’ll give you your new card.

Recharge/purchase MI Cards at a Metrobus Station.

A hand holds a CDMX public transport card with a vibrant geometric design in red, blue, green, and purple, with a lush green leaf in the background. — My MI Card

This is the same card you would put money on (at another or the same machine you bought it from) to use all public transport including the Metro and Metrobus.

If you are just using Ecobici, you won’t need to put any money on your card. Ecobici is a subscription-based service that you will pay for using your credit card when you sign up, whereas for the Metro and Metrobus you pay per ride using your MI Card.

To use your card to unlock a bike, place the card on top of the card reader to the right of the bike and wait a few seconds until you hear the bike release.

A close-up of an Ecobici bike docking station's card reader. The bike displays HSBC branding, and the card reader has a multicolored, geometric design for scanning transit cards. — MI Card readers are located on the right hand side of the bike docks.

The Ecobici App

Whether or not you can use your phone to unlock a bike, it’s worth downloading the Ecobici app.

The map of the stations is really useful for seeing what bike stations are around you, where there are bike stations near your destination, and how many bikes/docks are available at each station.

How the Ecobici looks in the Apple App Store.

What you’ll see once you log in to the app.

You will need cellular data or wifi to view the map so plan accordingly.

To use your phone to unlock a bike with the app, tap the green “Scan to unlock” button that is at the bottom of the screen in the Ecobici app. A QR reader will open and you hover over the QR code on the bike below the handlebars for a moment until you hear the bike unlock.

A mobile app screen displaying an Ecobici bike parked at a docking station. The bike handle and QR code reader are visible, with the app prompting the user to scan a QR code to unlock the bike. — Open QR reader by clicking “Scan to unlock.”

A mobile app screen showing a prompt to scan a QR code on a black Ecobici bike to unlock it. The bike's handle and a small metal plate for QR code scanning are visible. — Hover over the QR code on the bike until the bike unlocks.

Sometimes the QR reader is glitchy and doesn’t work so I will use my MI Card or type in the Bike ID in the app under the QR reader to unlock the bike.

How to Use Ecobici Recap

Create an account and purchase your plan at https://usuario.ecobici.cdmx.gob.mx/profile following the steps above.
Buy your MI Card at a machine at a Metro or Metrobus station and/or download the Ecobici app.
Place your MI Card on the reader on the right side of your dock or use the app to scan the QR code to unlock the bike.
Remove the bike from the dock, adjust the seat, and enjoy the ride!
Return your bike to any dock within 45 minutes to avoid getting fined and firmly push the bike into the dock until you get a green light on the dock.

Ecobici Rules

Bikes are available from 5 am until half past midnight.
You can ride a bike for no longer than 45 minutes at a time. If you need more time, you will need to return your current bike to a bike station, wait two minutes, and take out another bike. I’ve never needed more than 45 minutes on a bike but just beware.
If you go over the 45-minute limit, you will be charged a fine.
Never leave your bike unattended. The fee for a lost or stolen bike is a whopping $10,000 pesos.

FAQs

Can you rent multiple bikes with one account?

No, you will need to create one account per bicycle you want to rent.

Are there bike lanes in mexico city?

Yes! Mexico City has a lot of bike lanes. There are way more bike lanes than when I first arrived. They make navigating between neighborhoods much easier and safer.

Is it safe to bike in Mexico City?

Yes, as long as you are cautious and stick primarily to the bike lanes I mention above, biking in Mexico City is safe and enjoyable.

Be extra careful with cars. Drivers are much more aggressive in Mexico City and less likely to stop for pedestrians and bikers, so proceed with extra caution (but also confidence) around cars and you’ll be fine!

Do i need Cellular data to use ecobici?

Nope! You can use Ecobici without a phone if you purchase a MI Card (the CDMX public transport pass) at one of the machines located at a Metro or Metrobus station.

Final Thoughts

Ecobici is one of the best ways to discover Mexico City.

It’s my favorite for covering longer distances because you can easily bypass traffic while taking in beautiful sights and glimpses of daily life.

It’s a great way to give your feet a rest while still being immersed as you explore.

I use Ecobici almost daily, whether biking to a nearby Roma Norte coffee shop, a friend’s place, or the market for my weekly groceries.

If you want to experience Mexico City on another level, explore by bike. It’s too easy not to!