renting a bicycle in rio is quite easy - in fact not only are there a variety of stores renting sport equipment to visitors, but the city is equipped with hundreds of bicycles that can be picked up and dropped-off at different locations around town - this service specifically aims at promoting bicycles as an alternative mean of urban transport.

the bicycles for rent are apart of a sharing program called bike rio and were introduced in 2011 - they have helped to boost the popularity of cycling in rio since any individual with a cell phone, and 10 reais per month, can access these bicycles. 

made possible in part thanks to the sponsorship of bank itaú unibanco, and technology by serttel, bike rio made over 600 bicycles available through dozens of bike docks in the city- with an official connection to samba, sistema de bicicletas publicas, locals commonly refer to the bike sharing system as bike rio or itaú bikes.