She’s got the look
First of all, hire bikes have a history of being ugly and heavy, but Mobike is neither. The tiny orange wheels bring out the inner child in me, and remind me of my beloved childhood BMX. The statement frame ditches the right stay and fork making it something of a head turner.
Technology
Mobike make it as easy as possible to get cycling. Simply register with Mobike using an app and pay a refundable deposit of 299 rmb (about 40 euros). The Mobike app locates your nearest bikes by GPS. When you’ve found a bike, just scan the QR code and the Mobike app unlocks the bike. No need to worry about losing your keys!
Cost-effective
The current hire rate for one of these bikes is 1 rmb for 30 minutes – that’s 15 US cents, or 13 Euro cents for half an hour riding. That’s plenty of time to cut across Shanghai city centre at a leisurely pace. At just over 1 euro for 5 hours use, it has to be one of the most attractive cycle hire models in the world.
