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Lyft Follows Uber Into Bike-Sharing Lane, Buying Owner of CitiBike

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Re: Lyft Follows Uber Into Bike-Sharing Lane, Buying Owner of CitiBike

#91

Post by NorthOf33rd »

boxcardavin wrote: post #82
NorthOf33rd wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bird just opened in SLC and they are suddenly everywhere. Park City, just a few miles away, launched the country's first ebike share system and it's wildly popular. They are also everywhere. I have no hard data to prove this, though I'm sure it's out there- I don't think it's bike vs scooter, it's electric vs human powered that's driving bird's popularity over bike shares.

I think you're exactly right. I'm a pretty hardcore cyclist and I commute 20 miles total every day but the number of people willing to exert massive effort for their commute is super small. My company is working on self-delivering shared ebikes and we recently made the decision to include a throttle because most folks won't ever be capital-B Bikers. The scooters have been a good lesson for us as they've highlighted t…

Thats interesting. Are you in the US? How are you thinking about the legislative landscape that seems to be eager to classify anything non-pedal assist as an e-motorcycle?

Re: Lyft Follows Uber Into Bike-Sharing Lane, Buying Owner of CitiBike

#92

Post by djajshgsjja »

Spivak wrote: post #37

Can someone explain the economics of services like this? I just get the feeling that these bike-sharing services are running on a good sales pitch and a market which seems obvious but isn't really there. There are probably four or five competing services in my city and yet I have never actually seen a single person actually riding them. There are certainly people riding bikes but it's always their own bike. Complicat…

I own a fancy ebike, but never use it since LimeBike came to town. Storing and securing my bulky and expensive 50 lb electronic device is such a pain.

Re: Lyft Follows Uber Into Bike-Sharing Lane, Buying Owner of CitiBike

#93

Post by woolvalley »

ebikelaw wrote: post #75
pj_mukh wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me, it breaks down to: 0-2miles - Scooters (or walk), 2-5miles - Electric Bikes (or Uber), 5-15miles - Uber/Lyft It is a nice little transportation stack Uber and Lyft are fighting over.

No room for buses, trains, or regular bicycles? The nice thing about a regular bicycle is the unlimited range. Whereas the nice thing about an electric bike is the speed. My personal hierarchy is more like this: 0-1 miles: walk 1-10 miles: e-bike or bus or lyft 10-100 miles: regular bike or train > 100 miles: car

They are great too, but if you live in a high bike crime area, you don't want to deal with super locking your bike at your destination. Dealing with stolen tires , seats and handlebars is aggravating as hell after the 3rd time.

Also bring your bike on the train, and then going the last 2 miles to your actual destination is pretty annoying too. It's much nicer to just grab a bike at the station and then leave it at work.

Re: Lyft Follows Uber Into Bike-Sharing Lane, Buying Owner of CitiBike

#94

Post by usrusr »

Spivak wrote: post #37

Can someone explain the economics of services like this? I just get the feeling that these bike-sharing services are running on a good sales pitch and a market which seems obvious but isn't really there. There are probably four or five competing services in my city and yet I have never actually seen a single person actually riding them. There are certainly people riding bikes but it's always their own bike. Complicat…

Bike share meshes with public transit in a way that personal bikes does not.

The concept of dual personal bikes on both ends of a regularly taken transit leg, but it comes worry a maintenance/trash problem surprisingly similar to dockless spam. European train stations are surrounded by reefs of semi-abandoned "away side" bikes.

Re: Lyft Follows Uber Into Bike-Sharing Lane, Buying Owner of CitiBike

#95

Post by usrusr »

Spivak wrote: post #61
bajaj wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bike networks make for a great commuter option in crowded cities, for a few reasons: - Storing a bike is a problem in cities like NYC and SF due to space constraints - Electric bikes offer faster commute option than a regular bike but are more expensive to buy - Bike theft is a really big problem in cities - It's very convenient to have the option to ride a bike somewhere without worrying about carrying it around

I could see a service doing extremely well if they offered something for people who want to bring their own.

Combined parking/maintenance for personal bikes? Would be interesting to run the numbers!

Re: Lyft Follows Uber Into Bike-Sharing Lane, Buying Owner of CitiBike

#97

Post by eiopa »

I'm based in SF, and I've taken over 200 rides with Ford GoBike (operated by the same company).

It is awful.

The bikes: big, heavy and ugly. Due to their sheer weight, peddling up the gentlest of hills will make you question your life choices, and consider other, much faster options, like walking, or just gently slithering around the pavement.

Additionally, Motivate's chosen method of bike cleaning - a dude hosing them down - tends to leave the bikes drenched with ice cold water. I suppose the feeling of freeze gnawing at your body does act as a replacement for caffeine for some, but I find it very unwelcoming.

The stations: Sparse, not well maintained, and honestly, an eyesore. They're this giant, lumbering object that takes away precious public resources, and is only available for Motivate's usage. You also constantly have to plan around them -- is there one next to where I want to go? Is it almost full?

E-Bike deployment: what a joke. They are rarely available, and even you've spotted one of these precious unicorns, you'll often by greeted by a beaming red dot, indicating that the bike is unwell, likely due to the battery giving up in the middle of day.

Other than that, the app spams you with ads, many of which are strangely enough for buying an e-bike. I thought this company is about bike sharing??

Re: Lyft Follows Uber Into Bike-Sharing Lane, Buying Owner of CitiBike

#98

Post by jaredsohn »

donarb wrote: post #88
jaredsohn wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The docking stations are convenient in some ways because you know where to go to find a bike and you can feel good that you're not leaving it in a place that is in the way.

All the bikes in Seattle (Lime, Ofo and Spin) are dockless and GPS tracked so you can find a bike anytime using their app.

But that means you have to check your app; hopefully your phone isn't dead. Also, some days you might need to travel farther to find a bike.

I realize there are also advantages to dockless (you don't have to walk the last bit when near your destination and maybe the bike is nearer to you when you start.)

These are just some ways in which using a dock are more convenient.

Re: Lyft Follows Uber Into Bike-Sharing Lane, Buying Owner of CitiBike

#99

Post by boxcardavin »

NorthOf33rd wrote: post #91
boxcardavin wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you're exactly right. I'm a pretty hardcore cyclist and I commute 20 miles total every day but the number of people willing to exert massive effort for their commute is super small. My company is working on self-delivering shared ebikes and we recently made the decision to include a throttle because most folks won't ever be capital-B Bikers. The scooters have been a good lesson for us as they've highlighted t…

Thats interesting. Are you in the US? How are you thinking about the legislative landscape that seems to be eager to classify anything non-pedal assist as an e-motorcycle?

Yeah, Seattle. Legislators and city govs have been super friendly and eager to help us, and we're still keeping really good pedal assist. The worst case scenario is in some areas we can disable throttles and make our pedal assist boost factor absurdly high. Making the case to govs for throttles on our bikes is easier than with a company who wants to sell ebikes to the public because we're not trying to get bicyclists to purchase our bikes. We're trying to get people to skip car trips and make connecting to public transit actually doable for them. So far this resonates with city planners.

Re: Lyft Follows Uber Into Bike-Sharing Lane, Buying Owner of CitiBike

#100

Post by Reedx »

jaredsohn wrote: post #3
godzillabrennus wrote: post #2

If they can offer these without the inconvenient docking stations it’ll be a much more popular transportation option.

The docking stations are convenient in some ways because you know where to go to find a bike and you can feel good that you're not leaving it in a place that is in the way.

> and you can feel good that you're not leaving it in a place that is in the way.

If only more people felt that way. But look at how many are too lazy/selfish to put away their shopping cart and leave it in a parking spot or propped up on a curb. Even though the docking stations are always close by in that case.

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