It's a scourge that's afflicting many city councils across Australia right now.
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But the ACT government will look at setting up a permit or licensing system next year to stop dockless bikes winding up in trees, on footpaths or at the bottom of Lake Burley Griffin.
The government has released a set of guidelines for bike share companies who want to set up operations in Canberra.
Three companies have approached the government to express their interest in bringing their bikes to the capital and city services minister Meegan Fitzharris said the guidelines would provide them with some parameters.
"We have been closely monitoring these schemes in other Australian cities, and appreciate the significant benefits they offer, such as an affordable way to move around our city, getting people active and encouraging cycle tourism here in Canberra," Ms Fitzharris said.
"However there are also challenges with dockless bike share, including vandalism, clutter and illegal bike dumping. These guidelines will help prevent some of the issues from happening here.
"Bike parking, the rebalancing of bikes, repair and maintenance, liability insurance and bike quality are all issues which can have an impact on community safety and the general aesthetic on Canberra's streets."
The guidelines state each dockless bike should be equipped with a GPS to allow companies to easily locate bikes and ensure they were evenly distributed.
They say every rider must wear a helmet, the company must have correct insurance and the bikes must be in good working order.
The company should have repair and maintenance staff on deck to respond to problems and broken bikes should be automatically locked.
Companies that go bust will also have to remove their bikes from Canberra within seven days or the government will charge the business for their removal.
Bike share companies will have to get a permit from the National Capital Authority before they can start operating in Canberra and a spokeswoman for Ms Fitzharris said the ACT government would consider at its own permit or licensing system next year.
The shared bicycles have been a thorn in the side of local authorities, clogging up footpaths and being left taped up on lamp posts, in trees, dumped on roofs and thrown into bodies of water.
But the bikes also allow people to make short, quick and cheap trips across the city, and will help Canberra become "the cycling capital of Australia", Ms Fitzharris said.
