OTTAWA — The Canadian company that designs and builds the bicycles and supporting technology for bike-sharing systems around the world, including those in New York and London, sought bankruptcy protection on Monday.

Denis Coderre, the mayor of Montreal, told reporters that a failed, if ambitious, international expansion plan and a financial dispute with some United States cities, including New York, had forced the move by Société de Vélo en Libre-Service, a nonprofit company, better known as Bixi.

The move will allow the company, which was spun off from the city of Montreal, to continue to operate in the short term. But untangling the financial and legal mess surrounding its operations will most likely be a more protracted business.

Bixi’s financial statements from 2012 have still not been released. In September, the city of Montreal’s auditor general expressed doubt about its financial viability. On Jan. 15, Montreal demanded that Bixi make a long overdue 31.6 million Canadian dollar ($29 million) payment on a 37 million dollar loan from the city. The city has also guaranteed a 6.4 million Canadian dollar bank line of credit, and Bixi owes suppliers about 9 million Canadian dollars.