Bike sharing in Waikiki and Honolulu 🚲 How to use biki bike share stations on Oahu 🌴 Hawaii travel blog

ALOHA!

There a few ways to get around Waikiki, including by bus or by trolley.

And, if you’re not venturing too far away from Waikiki, you can also use a bike for getting around in and near Waikiki!

There’s a bike share program on Oahu. (There’s also bike sharing in Kona too if you’re headed to the Big Island.)

There do seem to be more bike sharing programs popping up.

The very first bike sharing in Hawaii was with biki bikes, and this is the bike that I used.

So this will focus mostly on biki, but using bike sharing bikes will likely mostly be the same.

Also note that I used a biki bike a few years ago as a visitor / out-of-state resident. Some things may have changed. But below can still give you a general idea of what to expect! The official biki website is gobiki.org.

Bike rental vs bike sharing on Oahu

So…

What’s the difference?!

Bicycle rental

With a typical bicycle rental, you’ll rent a bike on an hour-by-hour, half day, or all day basis, and the bike is your responsibility for that entire time.

You’ll need to find a place to lock it up when you’re not using it, and you’ll need to return it back to where you picked it up.

But with a bicycle rental, you’re also not as limited to where you can go, and you have the potential of getting a better bike more suitable for going longer distances for cycling on Oahu!

Bike sharing

With biking sharing on Oahu, you can use a bike for as little amount of time as you want, and among the best part about it can be that you don’t need to return it to where you picked up the bike.

This can make it ideal for short trips around Waikiki and Honolulu when you’re looking to simply get from point A to point B.

Bike station locations

Another one of the best parts is that you can pick up a bike from convenient places all around Waikiki and Honolulu!

There are over 100 biki bike sharing stations or bike stops around Waikiki and Honolulu.

There’s a biki app that you can check for bike stops on your phone. Try searching for “biki hawaii” or “bikeshare hawaii.”

And you can also check the official biki stations map for biki locations in Waikiki and Honolulu.

👆 Spot the biki bike sharing stations in Waikiki! (The little bike icons along the road!) Although the official biki map is best to find the most updated map of bike sharing stations in Waikiki, you can also have a look at google maps by zooming in and moving the map around! Explore the map.

Age requirement for biki bikes

To use a biki bike, kids need to be at least 16.

And if your child is 16 or 17, you the parent need to be renting the bike with them.

How much does bike sharing cost?

You can pay for rides individually in 30 minute segments.

With biki bike sharing, each 30 minute bike ride costs $4.50. Confirm the prices.

That would be whether your bike ride is 5 minutes, or 29 minutes.

You can also buy your rides in bulk with a “subscription.”

The cost of biki bike sharing for visitors:

• $4.50 for a ride of up to 30 minutes
• $12 for unlimited rides up to 24 hours
• $30 for 300 minutes that lasts up to 1 year

The cost of biki bike sharing for locals is a $15 plan or $25 plan.

See the current biki fares. Note that there’s a difference in kamaaina subscription for locals and visitor subscription if you’re coming from out of state.

🌴

So…

How does bike sharing in Waikiki work?!

In short:

• You rent a bike at one bike station
• You ride your bike down the street to another part of town
• You return the bike at another bike station at your destination
• Then you are DONE!

For the longer version…

1. Go to the payment stand at a bike rental station

2. Activate the screen

3. Follow the prompts given

This will include:

• How many bikes you want to rent
• What kind of bike pass you want (30 minute pass or multi-ride pass)
• Accepting terms and conditions
• Inserting your credit card (no cash)
• Entering your phone number and zip code

4. Receive the code to unlock a bike

Once your credit card has been approved, a code with numbers will be displayed.

This code is used to unlock your bike.

You have the option of printing off this code.

Even if you think you have a good memory, consider printing it off just in case!

It could be good to have your phone ready to take a picture of the code even if you do plan to print it, just in case it doesn’t print!

The code expires in 5 minutes, and that’s how long you have to unlock your bike.

You’re located right next to a bike, so this is enough time.

5. Go over to the bike you want to take

There’s a keypad with 3 numbers in a column on the left side.

This is where you enter the code.

6. Once the button turns green, YANK the bike out

Okay, maybe not that hard, but you do need a little bit of force to pull it out.

If you fail at pulling it out, just enter the code again, and try again.

7. Start biking in Waikiki!

8. When you’re ready to return your bike, go to a bike rental station – any bike station!

Then just lock the bike back into position!

It doesn’t need to be the same station that you got your bike at, but it can be.

But it does need to be a station with an open bike slot!

If you do find that the first station you get to is full, simply go down the street to find the next bike station.

And…

You are DONE!

Adjusting the bike seat

At some point, you may want to adjust the bike seat.

In order to maximize the 30 minutes you have, consider adjusting this before you start the payment process at the biki station.

The way you adjust the bike seat is basically the same way you would adjust a spinning bike or stationary bike at the gym.

So if you’ve never adjusted a bike seat like this, you may want to head to your gym just so you can make sure you know what you’re doing.

It’s really not difficult, but just to save that extra time when you’re in Waikiki, it may be something to consider if you just happen to be working out at the gym.

Law: No biking on sidewalks in “business districts”

So when you’re in Waikiki, you might see people riding their bikes on Waikiki sidewalks.

But this is likely because as visitors they don’t know that they are not supposed to.

This “no biking on sidewalks” law generally applies to the more busy areas of Waikiki and downtown Honolulu.

Learn more here from the Honolulu Police Department.

So…

If you can’t bike on sidewalks, where do you bike?!

Most major streets where you can’t bike on sidewalks will have a designated bike lane.

And that’s where you’ll bike.

Also to know…

In Waikiki, there are one-way streets that run parallel to the coast.

So it also might require you going over one block, depending on which directions you’re going.

Waikiki to Honolulu

Honolulu to Waikiki

Bike with traffic, not against

When you are biking on the street, whether there’s a bike lane or not, always be on the side of the street so you are going in the same direction as the cars.

Don’t bike against traffic! This is a general biking thing anywhere in the US (and probably world).

So, in Hawaii this means biking on the right side of the road.

Now…

Where to go from Waikiki by bike?!

Waikiki to Honolulu

There are many bike sharing station located in downtown Honolulu.

So if you want to see some of the attractions located in the downtown area, you can get there by bike!

Some places to go from Waikiki…

To Iolani Palace

To King Kamehameha Statute

Waikiki to Diamond Head

You can also go part way to the Diamond Head hike.

There’s currently not a bike sharing station directly near Diamond Head, but if you’re coming from a part of Waikiki that’s located further away from the Diamond Head crater, then biking can be a way to get you closer.

Then, you can walk the rest of the way.

For reference on the official biki map, look for KCC Farmers Market. Zoom in further, and the road to the start of the hike is at the Leahi Millennium Peace Garden. (It’s another 10-15 minute walk from the garden.)

A little bit northwest of that, there is a biki station near the Diamond Head Theater, and this seems to be the closest bike sharing station near the start of the Diamond Head hike. (google maps)

Again, check the official biki map for current bike stations.

👆 Biki sharing station near Diamond Head: Spot the biki station! Yes that’s the Diamond Head crater in the background! This is not the closest biki station if you want to hike Diamond Head, but it is a minute walk away from South Shore Grill where you can eat fish tacos!

👇 Riding biki bikes near Diamond Head: Spot the biki bikes! Yes that’s the Diamond Head crater in the background!

Hilton Hawaiian Village to the other end of Waikiki

Waikiki Beach stretches around 2 miles long.

If you’re staying at one end of Waikiki, like at or near the Hilton Hawaii Village, then you can also use a bike to visit the far other end of Waikiki instead of walking!

Located on the opposite end of the Hilton Hawaiian Village are things like Waikiki’s top snorkeling spot, the Honolulu Zoo, and the Waikiki Aquarium.

Far end of Waikiki Beach, on the Diamond Head side

I THINK this area is fine on your bike?!

Do as the locals do?! 😉

Just try not to get in the way of people!

HAPPY BIKING IN WAIKIKI!

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Plan your Oahu hiking day!

• Best Oahu hikes
• Diamond Head hike
  • How difficult is the Diamond Head hike?
  • How to get to Diamond Head from Waikiki
  • South Shore Grill (food after Diamond Head!)
  • Queens Beach snorkeling (post-hike nearby snorkeling!)
  • Things to do in Waikiki (post-hike ideas!)
• Lanikai pillbox hike
  • How to get to the Lanikai pillbox trailhead + parking
  • Bus to Lanikai pillbox hike
  • Lanikai Beach (post-hike nearby beach!)
  • Kailua Beach (post-hike nearby beach!)
  • Kailua Beach to Lanikai Beach walk
  • Things to do on the east side of Oahu (post-hike ideas!)
• Ehukai Pillbox hike
  • Things to do on the North Shore (post-hike ideas!)
• Best Oahu waterfalls
• Waimea Falls Trail

👇 Explore the Waikiki map on google maps!


See the list:

• Things to do on Oahu (for VIEWS!)
• Things to do in Waikiki (for VIEWS!)

ALOHA!