Dockless bike scheme comes to town

[MichaelW2]

Ofo have just launched a dockless bike scheme in Norwich. I checked out the bikes which are well made 3 speeds with aluminjum frame, dynamo lights, hub brakes and chains not belts. Saw my first dockless bike lurking in Chapelfield Gardens tonight( it not me).
The geofence seems a bit small but does extend to the university.
Lets hope that people respect the scheme and don't cause mindless vandalism or thievery.

 

[jefmcg]

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/uber-bikes-for-manchester.219732

 

[alicat]

And I have just seen a scheme start up in Lille too. What made me notice it was bikes being left in daft places and staying there for days.

 

[mjr]

It's Ofo's fourth city in England, after Cambridge, Oxford and London. Interestingly, they only require Android 4.1 or later, so I guess it doesn't keep a Bluetooth connection on the whole ride, unlike some.

 

[mjr]

And I have just seen a scheme start up in Lille too. What made me notice it was bikes being left in daft places and staying there for days.

Ofo claim they'll move daft bikes but I guess we'll see. Who ran Lille's?

 

[mjr]

The geofence seems a bit small but does extend to the university.

You can take it outside the fence but you have to return it - I think your hire period won't end until you do but I may have misunderstood. So if you're going out of the centre for a whole day or two, a Bike&Go from the station would still be cheaper.

 

[jefmcg]

And I have just seen a scheme start up in Lille too. What made me notice it was bikes being left in daft places and staying there for days.

(from another country)

 

[Dave 123]

It's been going in Cambridge for a couple of months. I see them being used, and parked up all over the shop. I've seen a lad in an OFO coat, he rounds the bikes up to the centre of town from far flung places. They also have a little electric flat bed truck, I assume to cart the broken ones off with.

 

[MossCommuter]

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/uber-bikes-for-manchester.219732

The Manchester ones are very different. Shaft drive for a start and a little bit rubbish

 

[alicat]

Not seen any as daft as that, @jefmcg.

The Lille ones are run by gobee. Just appeared in the last couple of weeks.

 

[rivers]

A similar scheme has been in Bristol for a while now. The bikes were banned from South Bristol for a bit (the ban has just been lifted recently) as bikes ended up in all sorts of compromising situations, back gardens, houses, etc. And people wonder why we are not allowed to have nice things....

 

[mjr]

Is there a way to see where the geo fences are without using the app?

The flaming Android app whines and refuses to work if a phone isn't connected to Google Play Services.

 

[mjr]

A friend's sent me a snap of the current Norwich fence. I'd still like to know Cam and London.

 

[MichaelW2]

Saw the first rider on a yellow dockless bike this morning, riding to work. Not sure how he arranged for the bike to be parked conveniently near to his house.

 

[jefmcg]

[QUOTE 5023929, member: 45"]Boris Bikes work. It's a shame that there isn't the interest in investing properly in these schemes in a similar way outside London, rather than trying to do it on the cheap.[/QUOTE]
Because they are very expensive and need to be underwritten by a huge banks.

I like the idea that private companies can make a profit out of a very simple scheme. I assume they do work in China, otherwise they wouldn't be branching out into the rest of the world.