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Thanks everyone for the comments. Two additions and clarifications:

1. As Payton points out, stationless bike-sharing is called "flex" by Call A Bike (as opposed to "fix"ed stations). But I see it, the fundamental point isn't the presence or absence of stations ("fix or flex"), it's whether the bikes are smart and carry locks. If you have a smart bike, you have a wide range of options ranging from kioskless stations ("virtual stations") to no stations at all (locking to street furniture), and can choose whatever balance works best for your system. This adaptability is a real strength of smart-bike systems.

2. Paul DeMaio at Metrobike points to a Spanish bikesharing system, "Onroll" by Domoblue, that lets you unlock bikes with text messaging. The unlocking feature appears to be part of the dock, not on the bike, so there's no kiosk. It's in almost 40 cities but not major Spanish tourist cities, so it's not as well known as Call a Bike.

by Matt Caywood on May 1, 2012 10:21 am • link • report