EU bikes all over the city
 

The commune usually tries to reduce the number of bikes in the city, and they do this by putting a sticker on the handlebar, ~"is this bike abandoned? if it isn't, care for it or we'll disintegrate it". If they didn't do this, the whole city would be flooded by bikes, which actually is close to the situation anyway.

But now they did something different, namely injected tons of bikes into the city pool. These are so-called "EU bike"s. I haven't found a single mass media article covering it, but apparently it has happened in several cities..

They bikes are made in China or Taiwan as there are stickers with Chinese chars. They have drum brakes on both wheels, which are 24s, with 37-540 tires (24x1-3/8 or 600x35A). They have a bell that looks like a grip shifter, a basket, reflectors, fenders, a chain guard, and a kick stand.

They have a frame lock which is controlled by a QR code and a dedicated smart phone app. You get to ride it "ten times free of charge", after that 5 SEK/30 minutes, a ridiculously low prize.

Here [1] is an image from Stockholm, but it doesn't give justice to the huge quantities dumped around the railway station in my Uppsala, which is a much, much smaller city.

[1] https://scontent-sea1-1.cdninstagram...48174848_n.jpg

EU bikes all over the city
 

Now a newspaper article [1] has arrived. It isn't a communal venture like I theorized above but a commercial one, a duplicate of a business model that "has worked in China".

The company is called Green Economy. How they will earn any money dumping 1000 bikes and then charge 5 SEK for 30 minutes is beyond me, maybe the smartphone app comes with a fee or ads.

The article also says they are not worried people will steal the bikes because of their particular look. And low quality, one might add.

[1] http://www.unt.se/nyheter/uppsala/ny...r-5040854.aspx

EU bikes all over the city
 

On 8/2/2018 3:15 PM, wrote:
Now a newspaper article [1] has arrived. It isn't a communal venture like I theorized above but a commercial one, a duplicate of a business model that "has worked in China".

The company is called Green Economy. How they will earn any money dumping 1000 bikes and then charge 5 SEK for 30 minutes is beyond me, maybe the smartphone app comes with a fee or ads.

The article also says they are not worried people will steal the bikes because of their particular look. And low quality, one might add.

[1] http://www.unt.se/nyheter/uppsala/ny...r-5040854.aspx

This website made the rounds some weeks back...
https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/20...cycles/556268/

I am doubtful that bike sharing will still be a thing in 10 years.

EU bikes all over the city
 

I am doubtful that bike sharing will still be a thing in 10 years.

It is much better for people who see the benefit of a bike gets one, a quality bike, and then cares for it. But I suppose it is positive that the Chinese are once again a bike riding country if that is what is happening.

EU bikes all over the city
 

On Thursday, August 2, 2018 at 10:34:21 PM UTC-7, wrote:
I am doubtful that bike sharing will still be a thing in 10 years.

It is much better for people who see the benefit of a bike gets one, a quality bike, and then cares for it. But I suppose it is positive that the Chinese are once again a bike riding country if that is what is happening.

There seems to be the problem that it is cheaper to get a new bike than to maintain the old ones.

EU bikes all over the city
 

On 22/08/18 00:19, wrote:
On Thursday, August 2, 2018 at 10:34:21 PM UTC-7, wrote:
I am doubtful that bike sharing will still be a thing in 10 years.

It is much better for people who see the benefit of a bike gets one, a quality bike, and then cares for it. But I suppose it is positive that the Chinese are once again a bike riding country if that is what is happening.

There seems to be the problem that it is cheaper to get a new bike than to maintain the old ones.

We(most of us) live in a "disposable world'. It is inevitable that
bicycles would go the same way.

OTOH, it is nothing new as there has always(long period ofg my life)
been a range/variety/style of bicycle that was always "disposable, aka
Kmart/Walmart/???