With so many wonderful walking, strolling, hiking, and biking trails in Indianapolis, it only makes sense that bike share programs have started setting up shop in popular destinations to offer bicycles for rent by the hour or the day. Similar to scooter rental programs in urban areas, users can pick up a bike at one of several locations to return or drop off at another designated location. This allows users to see more of their beautiful surroundings and not have to worry about bringing their bikes along on a trailer.
What is a Bike Share Program?
Bikeshare is a community bicycle-sharing program where bikes are available in designated stations throughout a specific area to be checked out and ridden for a fee. To gain access to these bikes, users have to download a specific mobile app to check out bikes, find docking stations, and pay for their rides.
Around Central Indiana, you can find several bike-sharing programs on popular trails. These bike-sharing programs allow people the opportunity to enjoy their local community and trails through a low-cost healthier alternative to driving. These bike share programs are low cost, with some even offering membership programs where residents can get free rides.
It is important when utilizing these bike shares that you properly dock the bike at the stations to avoid incurring any additional fees.
Make sure you are aware of your surroundings when operating bikes and participate in safe practices by traveling with traffic and using reflective gear when traveling in dark and dimly lit areas. Also, avoid using your phone or doing anything else that will distract your attention when riding the bike.
Bike Share Programs in Central Indiana
Pacers Bikeshare
In Indianapolis, you can find 50 bike stations located around downtown near popular attractions and on the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene and Marilyn Glick.
IndyRides Free is an annual pass available only to Indianapolis/Marion County residents to the Indiana Pacers Bikeshare for free 30-minute trips. With this pass, you can check out any classic bike or e-bike for free for 30 minutes.
Mobile App: BCycle App
Greenwood Bike It
Greenwood has about 10 bikes that can be rented at 100 Surina Way. For a full-day/8-hour rental, it is $8 per person. For a half-day/4-hour rental, it is $5 per person.
Carmel Bike Share
The City of Carmel and Tandem Mobility have 50 bikes across 8 stations around Carmel so residents and visitors can explore the city, its multiple trails, and playgrounds and parks.
Carmel’s bike share program offers an annual membership that is $30 and gives users free trips under an hour. A monthly membership is $15, offers free trips under an hour, and then charges $1.50 per 30 minutes. The pay-as-you-go rate for the occasional user is $1.50 for every 30 minutes.
Pedal with Plainfield
Rent a bike in Plainfield for free for the first 30 minutes! Users will be charged $2 for each additional hour after the initial 30 minutes. Riders also have the opportunity to pay a membership subscription rate.
Mobile App: Koloni Travel
Noblesville Bike Share
The Noblesville Bike Share program is available during the spring and summer and includes 10 bikes, located at bike stations in Forest Park by the Carousel Corner and the Midland Trace Trailhead at Hazel Dell.
Daily rates are $1.50 per every half hour with a cap of $24 in a 24-hour period. There is also an option to pay a $30 annual fee that has unlimited rides under one hour, with every additional hour being charged at $1.50 per half-hour to a maximum of $24 in a 24-hour period.
Mobile App: Movatic App
Greenfield Bike Share
Greenfield’s Bike Share program has 4 different docking stations at Riley, Beckenholdt, Brandywine, and Depot Street Parks for users to access to explore Greenfield. The Bike Share program is part of a healthy living initiative for Hancock County. The bikes are free to use but the user still has to enter their credit card information. This is to ensure there is no misuse of the bike and that they are returned properly. Rental times are from 6 am to 9 pm daily.
Mobile App: On Bike Share
15 Best Bike Trails in Central Indiana
Marion County
Indianapolis Cultural Trail
Located in the heart of downtown Indianapolis, the 8-mile Indianapolis Cultural Trail connects the six cultural districts of the city. The trail features the city’s museums, theaters, restaurants, shops, hotels, the canal, and the hustle and bustle of downtown Indianapolis.
Monon Trail
One of, if not the most popular trail in central Indiana is the Monon Trail. Averaging over 1.3 million people annually, the Indianapolis area of the trail stretches a sprawling 24 miles and starts just north of downtown Indianapolis. The Monon cuts through multiple neighborhoods like Broad Ripple and Meridian-Kessler and stretches all the way up to the Carmel/Westfield area. The longest continuous stretch of the trail runs from 10th Street downtown to Westfield’s Grand Park, a total of 20.6 miles!
Falls Creek Trail
A sister trail of the Monon, Falls Creek Trail is just under 7 miles in length and runs from Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park to the Central Canal Towpath. Shifting between heavily forested paths to park areas, bridges, neighborhoods, and the creek itself, there’s plenty of variety on this route. You can connect to the Monon and Skiles Test Nature Park to further your ride, should the mood strike.
Johnson County
Polk Hill Trail
Possibly the most unique trail on this list resides in Greenwood with Polk Hill. There are multiple great trails in Greenwood but Polk Hill features Art on the Trail, featuring multiple art sculptures and pieces from local artists that get rotated every couple of years. Not only does it show great support for the local art community, but it also is a nice change of pace from usual bike trails that feature nature or city pathways. The Polk Hill art trail also connects to other trails like Tracy Trail, Freedom Park, and others.
Greenway Trail
The Franklin Greenway Trail features 3.4 miles of trails that connect to everything from Franklin College to other schools and community centers. Featured trails are both paved and off-road ranging in difficulty. Young’s Creek and Hurricane Creek are both featured on these trails, as is the woodland area of Morgan Park.
Windisch Trail
Part of the Windisch Park area in Bargersville, this serene location features a paved trail perfect for biking and other recreational activities. This trail features a story walk path as well as a playground if you want to let your littles burn off some extra energy after a family bike ride.
Hamilton County
White River Greenway
This 2.85-mile trail goes along, you guessed it, the White River. Paved and unpaved pathways will meet you on this forested trek through Noblesville. You’ll come across multiple great views of the river through Potter’s Bridge, including the covered bridge, Hamilton County courthouse, and the Museum of History just a stone’s throw away.
Nickel Plate Trail
The 9.2-mile portion of the Nickel Plate Trail cuts through Noblesville and was recently converted from the Nickel Plate Rail to a 14-foot-wide paved pedestrian trail perfect for biking, running, and rollerblading. The trail goes through the heart of the Nickel Plate District and is located near Ritchey Woods Nature Preserve and the Cheeney Creek Natural Area.
Cool Creek Loop
Clocking in at just under 14 miles, this trail is mostly paved and is in the heart of Carmel. It features some gorgeous nature views from creeks to bridges and a nature center. While any time is a great time to take on this trail, it’s hard to not circle fall as the best time to make a trek out to Cool Creek Park & Nature Center.
Hancock County
Hancock Gateway Park
Part of the Hancock Health area, the Gateway Park trails are a 3.7-mile loop that includes a pond, commercial and retail locations, as well as picnic areas right off of I-70. What it lacks in other more nature-heavy trails on this list, it makes up for with its suburban location with plenty of locations to pull off for a bite to eat or to grab a drink.
Pennsy Trail
Located in Greenfield, the 5 ½ mile paved trail is part of a 150-mile, cross-state National Road Heritage Trail that stretches from Terre Haute to Richmond. The trail features scenic nature as well as passes through town to give you a little bit of everything. The rest of the connection to the rest of the expansive trail is expected to be completed by 2026.
Hendricks County
B&O Trail
In Hendricks County, there are two main trails that run throughout the county that used to be old railway corridors and have been redeveloped as rail trails. The most popular of these trails is the B&O Trail which extends from Indianapolis through Avon, Brownsburg, and Pittsboro. The new Virgil Park in Brownsburg is one of the many trailheads of this trail.
Vandalia Trail
Vandalia Trail is another former rail trail that runs through Plainfield and Coatesville. This trail highlights Plainfield parks of Hummel and Franklin Park and downtown Plainfield.
Boone County
Big-4 Rail Trail
Looking for a trail in Boone County? More likely than not, the Big-4 Rail Trail is the one you’ll see populate in every search engine. And for good reason! The 5-mile paved central spine starts at Zionsville Road and goes through Whitestown as well. Named after the old Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis railway corridor, the expansive trail gives you plenty of varying difficulty and scenery. Trailhead parking and amenities are across six different locations throughout the trail. Especially in the autumn season, with leaves changing colors, it’s a must-do for any cyclist looking to see central Indiana in all its glory.
Starkey Nature Park
Located in Zionsville, the Starkey Nature Park is a massive 80 acres, the largest park in Zionsville. The park features a number of trails for all levels of biking. Paved, unpaved, wooded pathways, dirt, and uneven paths can all be found here. You’ll come across Eagle Creek as well as the aforementioned Big-4 Rail Trail.
20 Breathtaking Places to Go Hiking in Indy
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