You ever come out of a Montreal bar at night a little hammed and feeling like you have a brilliant idea for the next thing to do or place to go?
This will happen to you.
1. You will come out of a random Montreal bar.
2. You will spot a BIXI station and be amazed they are everywhere.
3. You will attempt to persuade all in your party to hop on and go drunk riding
4. You will most likely get yourself home afterward after riding off the buzz
I'm not advocating operating any sort of vehicle under the influence, but I'm just saying...it's definitely not as crazy as those that drink and drive and seriously when you come out of somewhere drunk and you spot one of these things, you think it's the best idea in the world. (I might be speaking from experience).
Anyways in all seriousness, Montreal has done a great job in implementing this bike share system. The bikes are solid and comfortable for commuting in the city and they have all the basic easy riding components. A kick stand and a pseudo basket. Lights make it easy for people to see you and the chain is nicely covered to make sure you don't get your pants (or skirt) caught in it.
Their prices are super reasonable and their annual fee is amazing if you live in Montreal. It really makes it a feasible transportation alternative during the warmer months if you live within the coverage area of BIXI.
Note to other visitors who might not be informed, you have to check the bike in every 30 mins, or else you get charged extra it's not like a rental you might do from a bike shop. Like others have mentioned it's a means for you to get from one point in the city to another, not so much for touring.