Author Topic: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)  (Read 26851 times)

mattc

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Re: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)
« Reply #100 on: 11 January, 2019, 01:15:20 pm »
Some good points! Particulary this:

  The advantage of a dockless bike over the above is that any able-bodied member of the public can, if necessary, pick it up and move it out of the way.

I said in some other thread that I'd much rather see a town littered with dockless bikes than littered with cars.

I suspect there's a couple of factors creating negative reactions in Oxford:
- at least on the streets I frequent, car parking is almost totally absent. So the extra bikes "strewn" on the pavement do make quite a visual impact.
- having all the bikes in garish corporate colours* marks them out as part of a profit-making business.

I do agree that the schemes probably have a net positive effect on any afflicted town centre, but there is perhaps some room for improvement on the PR front. I'm not personally bothered, because I don't spend much time in these towns, and I think it's very early days - market forces (and tech) will shape things a lot more in the years to come.


*Could the bikes be more quaint, and made of biodegradable materials?
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)
« Reply #101 on: 11 January, 2019, 01:19:01 pm »
In Oxford they have definitely become litter [there are at least 3 schemes there, don't think there are any docked schemes?]. Each operator does have permission from the council, but I think the latter may be regretting it! Public opinion seems very much against them - in a town where anti-cycling sentiment is pretty low.
There is one docked scheme from the Sandhills P&R to Headington and the JR.  They have gone bust at least once though.
There was Ofo, MoBike and Pony, but I think Ofo have now given up in the UK. I'm not sure if anyone else has arrived recently, and I've not seen Pony bikes around much, so maybe we're down to just MoBike. That might be one of the reasons why they have become litter - when the operator was running they had a few bicycle driven trailers moving them around the place, but now I don't know where they have gone or who owns what's left.
I really like the MoBike design (single sided forks, orange mag style wheels), but I can't help feeling they are likely to be pretty rubbish to ride. Then again, given the BSOs that many students ride around on...

mattc

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Re: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)
« Reply #102 on: 11 January, 2019, 01:23:34 pm »
orange mag style wheels
I suppose they are delightfully 80s ...
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)
« Reply #103 on: 11 January, 2019, 01:26:18 pm »
The fancy looking Mobikes are all single speed and have such a low gear as to be near unrideable, at least if you're trying to get anywhere.

The more conventional framed ones are three speed and ride pretty well. Better than Boris Bikes.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)
« Reply #104 on: 11 January, 2019, 01:27:06 pm »
orange mag style wheels
I suppose they are delightfully 80s ...

I bet they flex like well cooked spaghetti.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)
« Reply #105 on: 11 January, 2019, 01:41:14 pm »
Some good points! Particulary this:

  The advantage of a dockless bike over the above is that any able-bodied member of the public can, if necessary, pick it up and move it out of the way.

I said in some other thread that I'd much rather see a town littered with dockless bikes than littered with cars.

I suspect there's a couple of factors creating negative reactions in Oxford:
- at least on the streets I frequent, car parking is almost totally absent. So the extra bikes "strewn" on the pavement do make quite a visual impact.
- having all the bikes in garish corporate colours* marks them out as part of a profit-making business.

I do agree that the schemes probably have a net positive effect on any afflicted town centre, but there is perhaps some room for improvement on the PR front. I'm not personally bothered, because I don't spend much time in these towns, and I think it's very early days - market forces (and tech) will shape things a lot more in the years to come.


*Could the bikes be more quaint, and made of biodegradable materials?

Have you fallen into an alternative universe? It sounds like it might be a better one.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)
« Reply #106 on: 11 January, 2019, 01:42:15 pm »

People like to complain about things that are new and different.  While I'm sure there are legitimate complaints about dockless bikes being left in places that block pavements, private bikes locked in stupid places - while not always accepted - are rarely considered noteworthy other than by wheelchair users etc who are actually obstructed by them.  Inconsiderately parked cars (which are surely a much bigger problem) are so normal that people don't even notice them.  The advantage of a dockless bike over the above is that any able-bodied member of the public can, if necessary, pick it up and move it out of the way.

I said in some other thread that I'd much rather see a town littered with dockless bikes than littered with cars.

Some streets on the estate where I live have pavements and roads obstructed by parked cars.
It has crossed my mind to park a load of Lime bikes in a line along the road where people park outside their homes while they're all at work, but keeping driveway entrances etc clear.
Set up a webcam and crack open the popcorn.... :demon:

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)
« Reply #107 on: 11 January, 2019, 02:12:21 pm »
- having all the bikes in garish corporate colours* marks them out as part of a profit-making business.


*Could the bikes be more quaint, and made of biodegradable materials?


Interesting point.  Obviously there's an advantage to the user (and probably the company) in making the bikes easy to spot, but I don't think that necessarily means they have to be garish.  Boris Bikes are mostly an inoffensive colour, apart from the branding on the basket and skirt guard.  They stand out by being an iconic design, to the point where they're instantly recognisable by other road users (who will generally expect the rider to do something stupid in slow motion, which is a useful safety feature).

telstarbox

  • Loving the lanes
Re: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)
« Reply #108 on: 13 June, 2019, 09:14:00 am »
The latest system to hit the streets of London is "Jump" e-bikes.

I'm not sure if the bike offers anything over the Lime one, but the notable thing about this one is that you book via the Uber app (which lots of people already have on their phones) so this could give them a big head start.

https://www.standard.co.uk/tech/uber-jump-bikes-london-islington-pilot-a4150066.html
2019 🏅 R1000 and B1000

Ben T

Re: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)
« Reply #109 on: 13 June, 2019, 12:37:33 pm »
The latest system to hit the streets of London is "Jump" e-bikes.

I'm not sure if the bike offers anything over the Lime one, but the notable thing about this one is that you book via the Uber app (which lots of people already have on their phones) so this could give them a big head start.

https://www.standard.co.uk/tech/uber-jump-bikes-london-islington-pilot-a4150066.html

Good. :thumbsup:

I used jump bikes via the uber app when I was in america. They were great.
On the app, there's a little drop down at the top of the map with 'ride' and 'bike/scooter', you change it to bike/scooter to show the location of bikes.
The customer service was very good.
Any that I used where the e-assist didn't work (which was roughly 1 in 10), I sent a message to uber and pretty much *instantly* got a message back saying they'd refunded me and given $2 credit.
They were generally all in very good condition.

Re: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)
« Reply #110 on: 13 June, 2019, 01:18:51 pm »
How and where do Lime/Jump bikes get their batteries re-charged?

telstarbox

  • Loving the lanes
Re: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)
« Reply #111 on: 13 June, 2019, 01:32:11 pm »
Not sure if this still applies, but this article says that Uber travel to the bikes to swap their battery packs.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2017/09/22/we-rode-all-four-of-d-c-s-dockless-bike-share-so-you-wouldnt-have-to/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.f7c2e20015a0
2019 🏅 R1000 and B1000

Re: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)
« Reply #112 on: 13 June, 2019, 01:55:01 pm »
Not sure if this still applies, but this article says that Uber travel to the bikes to swap their battery packs.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2017/09/22/we-rode-all-four-of-d-c-s-dockless-bike-share-so-you-wouldnt-have-to/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.f7c2e20015a0
I did wonder whether it'd be something like that.

Ben T

Re: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)
« Reply #113 on: 13 June, 2019, 02:07:23 pm »
How and where do Lime/Jump bikes get their batteries re-charged?

I suspect they get taken to some sort of depot.

I do know they (JUMP bikes) get rounded up by blokes in a van, as I once accidentally rode one outside of the allowed area.  :P  O:-) I then noticed you get a $25 charge for parking it outside the area, so I took it a couple of blocks back to where I thought it was inside the area but it still wasn't. I sent a note to uber pleading ignorance, and they said don't worry you won't be charged, but when I was walking back I saw two blokes in a van having off with it.

Apparently you are allowed to take them outside the area, just not to leave them parked there - but then you are paying the hire charge for however long you have it there.


I did notice on another one a couple of days later that the app flashed up a message saying "this bike needs recharging - get your trip for free and a $2 credit if you take it to a charging station!"
I didn't bother though because it then didn't seem to tell me where a/the charging station was. And I then still would have had to get another one to get from the charging station back to where I was originally going.

cygnet

  • I'm part of the association
Re: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)
« Reply #114 on: 13 June, 2019, 03:23:19 pm »
The latest system to hit the streets of London is "Jump" e-bikes.

I'm not sure if the bike offers anything over the Lime one, but the notable thing about this one is that you book via the Uber app (which lots of people already have on their phones) so this could give them a big head start.

https://www.standard.co.uk/tech/uber-jump-bikes-london-islington-pilot-a4150066.html

I saw Jump bikes appearing in London last month. The newest I've come across in the city (spotted my first yesterday) are fluro yellow, definitely not Uber bikes.
I Said, I've Got A Big Stick

telstarbox

  • Loving the lanes
2019 🏅 R1000 and B1000

ian

Re: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)
« Reply #116 on: 13 June, 2019, 03:39:49 pm »
Not sure if this still applies, but this article says that Uber travel to the bikes to swap their battery packs.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2017/09/22/we-rode-all-four-of-d-c-s-dockless-bike-share-so-you-wouldnt-have-to/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.f7c2e20015a0
I did wonder whether it'd be something like that.

In Portland, a van turned up and swapped the scooters for charged ones. For the bikes, they switched out the battery packs.

Re: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)
« Reply #117 on: 13 June, 2019, 04:16:44 pm »
Either Lime or Uber was advertising for cargo bike riders to swap the batteries. Can’t remember which.

I’m seeing more legit-looking riders on the Uber bikes than I ever did for the other operators.

bhoot

  • MemSec (ex-Mrs RRtY)
Re: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)
« Reply #118 on: 13 June, 2019, 04:37:21 pm »

cygnet

  • I'm part of the association
Re: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)
« Reply #119 on: 14 June, 2019, 08:57:58 am »
Yes them. Fugly looking things.
I Said, I've Got A Big Stick

cygnet

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Re: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)
« Reply #120 on: 06 March, 2020, 10:08:28 pm »
I saw a new one this week, a turquoisy looking thing called beryl.

beryl
I Said, I've Got A Big Stick

Re: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)
« Reply #121 on: 06 March, 2020, 10:17:03 pm »
Yes them. Fugly looking things.

The only thing I like about those is regenerative braking. Want.

Re: Dockless Bikes (merged superthread)
« Reply #122 on: 13 March, 2020, 09:20:28 am »
Randomly isaw two beryl bikes on my trip to Wales last week. They must have been in Hereford