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Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore

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Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore

#131

Post by devy »

I haven't seen anyone mentioned this nor on that page (sorry if I missed it), but I think the biking sharing is a perfect complimentary step to solve the last mile problem in mass transit system / ride sharing programs.

Bikes (or E-Bikes in this Uber/JUMP case) are zero-mission transportation tools perfect for last mile extension from point A to point B in metropolitans where mass transit system won't reach and/or can't reach. Same apply to car sharing programs as there are some small alleys or hilly/twisty roads or pedestrian walkways (maybe this is a stretch) etc.

If you have travel to big cities in South East Asia or Mediterranean you would think it makes sense. They use a lot of mopeds but bikes/ebikes are better because they burn fat rather than fossil fuel:)

Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore

#132

Post by edaemon »

bunderbunder wrote: post #73

How do people who've used it feel about the dockless iteration of bike sharing? I've never had occasion to try it, but I'm very skeptical. It seems like letting people leave the bike more-or-less wherever is optimizing the end-of-ride experience at the expense of pretty much every other part of the operation aside from actually riding the bike. I don't think I'd want to start my morning commute by hunting around in a…

I've never used one myself but I've seen a lot of criticism of the Chinese implementation of dockless shared bikes.

Here's a video that summarizes the problem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdsb2wwn-7g (you only need to watch a few minutes to get the idea)

The purpose is to have them everywhere so they're easy to find, but that's also the problem -- if you have too many companies involved, or an irresponsible company involved that just dumps bikes in the city, there are too many bikes. Bikes get left on sidewalks, in streets, in parks, etc. The docked bike share systems don't have that problem because you have to return them to a designated location, but obviously it makes the bikes less ubiquitous.

Portland has a pretty good system where there are many stations, but if a station is full you can lock it at a nearby public rack for free (the station knows it's full). You can also drop it off at any random public rack in the service area for $2. The app tells you where all the available bikes are: https://www.biketownpdx.com/map

Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore

#133

Post by mattbessey »

mmahemoff wrote: post #38

There's a lot of room for improvement over the new wave of bike startups. I had shockingly bad experiences with OBike - extremely inaccurate locations for their bikes, broken seat, zero response from support when I explained I couldn't lock the bike, and apparently no restrictions in the whole country, so bikes end up all over the country as well as in people's residences or workplaces (not to mention canals and rive…

In addition to the other commenters phone rebuttal, for only £3 you can buy a fob that seems to work much like an oyster card for the bike system. I can't say I've tried them yet, but if it allows auto-top up like oyster, seems more convenient than even a smartphone app!

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/santander-cycles/register-f...

Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore

#134

Post by photojosh »

eyeino wrote: post #76
tgb wrote: post #33

Maybe I'm missing something obvious, but how does an electric bike that can be locked anywhere get charged? Do they have people going around replacing the batteries when they get low? How long does a battery last anyway? Edit: solar panel judging off pictures of the Jump bikes?

It appears that through their Social Bicycling program, JUMP bikes offer a $1 credit to people who lock a bike to a charging hub, rather than just a ‘dumb’ bike rack or pole. JUMP claims that bicycles typically require a charge every 48 hours. I’d assume it’ll work the same way with Uber Bike. Keeping the conservation of energy in mind, any other method of charging isn’t feasible.

This is a fantastic solution to the issue, and could help solve the issue of bikes getting dumped everywhere. Combining the dock and dockless models!

Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore

#135

Post by rrix2 »

dmix wrote: post #99
AndrewWarner wrote: post #16

I rode a Jump bike to work today. It's a magical experience. Just as I struggle a bit to get up a hill, the bike's pedal assist kicks in and helps me out. Ditto for when I'm stopped at a red light and need to get riding fast. The best part of these bikes are the fact that when I get to my destination, I can lock them up to the closest pole or bike rack and just go.

What does 'dockless' bike sharing mean in practice. Where do you pick up the ebikes? From the previous rider directly? How does charging the bikes work (or do they self charge via friction)?

JUMP bikes have a u-lock built in to the back computer contraption, and unlock when you request the bike; they have an agreement with SFMTA that they can lock to any of the bike racks on the street, unsure if they're limited to certain locales or if it's city wide.

Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore

#138

Post by mmahemoff »

mattbessey wrote: post #133
mmahemoff wrote: post #38

There's a lot of room for improvement over the new wave of bike startups. I had shockingly bad experiences with OBike - extremely inaccurate locations for their bikes, broken seat, zero response from support when I explained I couldn't lock the bike, and apparently no restrictions in the whole country, so bikes end up all over the country as well as in people's residences or workplaces (not to mention canals and rive…

In addition to the other commenters phone rebuttal, for only £3 you can buy a fob that seems to work much like an oyster card for the bike system. I can't say I've tried them yet, but if it allows auto-top up like oyster, seems more convenient than even a smartphone app! https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/santander-cycles/register-f...

I've used it, but it's another thing to carry around (admittedly small) and since you usually need the phone anyway for maps and availablity, I think I prefer the phone based QR system. Also it's a downside from a tourist's perspective.

Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore

#139

Post by bunderbunder »

foolfoolz wrote: post #95
bunderbunder wrote: post #73

How do people who've used it feel about the dockless iteration of bike sharing? I've never had occasion to try it, but I'm very skeptical. It seems like letting people leave the bike more-or-less wherever is optimizing the end-of-ride experience at the expense of pretty much every other part of the operation aside from actually riding the bike. I don't think I'd want to start my morning commute by hunting around in a…

dockless is the only future of bike share. the one way fan out of morning and then night commute ensures transport hubs will never have enough docks to scale. if 600 ppl take a train to a station with 20-50 bike slots there’s no way you will have reliable access. i think most of your comments are FUD. people are inherently good

Your example actually makes me feel even worse about dockless bike sharing. If 600 people take a bike to a train station in my city and then leave them there, that would completely block access to the train station, use of the sidewalk around it, and possibly part of the street in front.

I don't know if docks are an essential part of the formula - I'm a bit worried about how inherently monopolistic the dock model is - but the dockless model seems like it is inherently in conflict with the idea of keeping the public right-of-way clear for public use. Real estate around places like train stations and major destinations is scarce, and companies really shouldn't have unlimited ability to use that space for storing their equipment, free of charge.

I suppose the city or private property owners could reserve the right to collect nuisance bikes and hold them for bond, sort of like towing improperly parked cars. If bike sharing companies hold the person who got the bike "towed" responsible for any fees resulting from where they left the bike, similar to what would happen with a car share program, then maybe that would do the trick.

Re: Uber Bike – A New Way to Commute or Explore

#140

Post by dschep »

devindotcom wrote: post #111
dmix wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What does 'dockless' bike sharing mean in practice. Where do you pick up the ebikes? From the previous rider directly? How does charging the bikes work (or do they self charge via friction)?

They lock themselves when you're done and just sit on the street. You're supposed to put them out of the way of pedestrians. But the next person could come any time afterwards - they'd see the location of the bike on their app. "Rebalancing" trucks go around and move bikes in bad locations, bottoms of hills, bushes, etc.

> They lock themselves when you're done and just sit on the street.

JUMP bikes lock to something, it's the majority of other dockless providers(ofo, mobike, limebike, spin, etc) that lock their backwheel.

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