Mobi Bike Share started up in Vancouver recently. Think car share but with bikes. Full details on how to sign up, access and return the bikes are available on their website but basically you sign up, fill in some information to create an account, pick your plan, receive your user code and you are good to go. The service is geared for trips lasting less than an hour. If you plan on riding for longer than an hour or in a group like with family it is recommended you go to a traditional bike rental business (they have a list of places to rent biked for longer periods of time on their website).
I was walking by Canada Place recently and passed one of the Mobi Bike Share dock stations. (Eventually there will be 150 dock stations and 1500 bikes in the sytem.) When I passed by the station at around 3:30 pm it was pretty much full with bikes available to rent. On my way home around 6:30pm I passed the same dock station and most of the bikes available for rent were gone. (See photos.) The fact that most of the bikes were not at the station seems like a good sign that the idea and business are off to a good start.
So if you are in the downtown core and need a bike for short trips check them out.
Creativescans 