It is operated by Motivate in a partnership with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

[3] Bay Wheels is the first regional and large-scale bicycle sharing system deployed in California and on the West Coast of the United States.

[10] Bay Area Bike Share had originally planned for a larger initial rollout with 1000 bicycles and 50 stations in San Francisco.

On May 27, 2015, the MTC entered into a contract granting Motivate the exclusive right to operate bike sharing in the target cities and to manage the expansion.

[4] Coinciding with the expansion and rebranding as Ford GoBike, Motivate launched several new programs such as integration with Clipper cards and a low-income pricing option.

[1] In June 2019, after Motivate's acquisition by Lyft, the system rebranded to Bay Wheels and dropped the Ford naming.

In response, Lyft has filed a lawsuit against the city in an attempt to block other competing bicycle sharing operators, citing the exclusivity agreement with MTC.

[16][23] All models are aluminum frame utility bicycles equipped with integrated lighting, front luggage rack, and continuously variable gear shifting.

[26] This allows members to tap their Clipper card in order to rent a bicycle instead of scanning the bike's QR code with the Bay Wheels or Lyft app.

A reduced pricing option called "Bike Share for All" exists for users who qualify for CalFresh, the SFMTA's Lifeline pass, or PG&E's CARE discount.

[33] annual membership membership ride time (e-bikes only)◆ docking station (e-bikes only)‡ Wheels service area (e-bikes only) ‡ Waived if the nearest docking station is full or if ending in any of the following neighborhoods in San Francisco: the Sunset District, Parkmerced, West Portal, St. Francis Wood, Forest Hill, Miraloma, Twin Peaks, Midtown Terrace, Golden Gate Heights, Ingleside, Oceanview, Merced Heights, the Outer Mission, the Excelsior District, Sunnydale, Visitacion Valley, Little Hollywood, Bernal Heights (south of Cortland Avenue), Hunters Point, Candlestick Point, and the Presidio (see the complete map here).

[34] At any given time, each docking station is assigned a point value for picking up or dropping off bikes, based on availability, which is displayed in the Bay Wheels app.

[34] Members can accumulate points each month and over their lifetime to earn rewards such as e-bike ride credit, membership extensions, water bottles, and keychains.