Mobike review 

"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer) 08/12/2018 at 17:05 • Filed to: None

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My derrailur broke...again, and I was tempted to try something new: enter mobike

Mobike is a chinese bike sharing service that launched in Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico City a few months ago. The services costs 2 dollars per month; a lot more expensive than Mexico’s own EcoBici, that costs less than 1.5 dollars per month to subscribed users.

Setting up an account is as easy as inputing your credit card, your phone number, and your email. No need for further ID, which makes it better than EcoBici.

However, Mobike is restricted to some neighborhoods of Miguel Hidalgo, and Roma Norte/Condesa in the adjacent borough of Cuauhtémoc. Despite the restrictions, mobikes have been stolen and taken to the black market at Tepito for disassembly. The electronics inside, mechanical parts, and other accessories are exclusively of Mobike bikes (and patented), which is supposed to serve as a deterrant to thieves. But they manage to sell the bikein parts anyway. Another issue is that mobikes are often locked inside offices or malls by users to preserve their spot, this has encouraged for the biggest mall of the area to be deemed a restricted area.

Mobike’s app is very intuitive and encourages users to park bikes in so called “hubs” that are placed around the service area. In order to unlock a bike you aim your camera at the QR code on the seat post or the front fork. The bike quickly unlocks via an audible warning and the removal of the tire lock at back.

As for the bikes themselves, these bikes have smallish tires with hub brakes, they weigh much more than my mountainbike and the gearing is rather uncomfortable for riding at speeds higher than 15-20km/h. This would unencourage riders into using the roads, and instead drive them to the side walk.

All of the components are inside the frame, the brakes are really bad, but in exchange for being bad, the bike is impossible to drift, I guess a safety feature. I don’t think this bike has a chain drive either.

The seat is easily adjustable, the seat itself is comfortable, and it has safety features like lights and a bell.

As for availability in general, Mobike’s website isn’t as user friendly as their app, it also doesn’t display a map of where it’s available. According to Wikipedia however, Mobike is available in cities across Asia and Europe, but for North America it seems to have been restricted to three US cities and the Mexican Capital. 

Given the cost, restrictions, and quality, mobike is clearly a niche product, any usability as a bike share program is stripped by the restriction. However, due to the limited availability of EcoBicis, they seem to have succeeded thus far as an alternative during rush hour or to bike within the restricted area.

atfsgeoff > Spanfeller is a twat 08/12/2018 at 17:11

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If you are having a lot of problems with traditional chain geared bikes, I suggest looking into something like a Priority Continuum . CVT + belt drive ftw!

The rideshare bikes are always incredibly heavy and mostly useless in hilly areas, sadly.

Spanfeller is a twat > atfsgeoff 08/12/2018 at 17:14

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Well, My derrailour is quite fragile, honestly I think I’m gonna choose a comfortable gear and keep it a fixie, I only use it to commute. But if I ever spring for a new bike or a new drive gear, I’ll be sure to check a CVT out! 

Spanfeller is a twat > atfsgeoff 08/12/2018 at 17:21

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I’m tempted to say the Mobike has a shaft drive, and some sort of alternator for the electric systems(lights,GPS,antenna to HQ) 

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Spanfeller is a twat 08/12/2018 at 17:23

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Ha lf of the Ford bikes etc.. I see in SF are ridden by homeless people. So we re the scooters until they banned them.

atfsgeoff > Spanfeller is a twat 08/12/2018 at 17:26

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It does look like an enclosed shaft drive. Probably has a dynamo front hub to provide electricity.

Shaft drives are great for cars and motorcycles, but they’re too inefficient for widespread bicycle use. You lose too much energy from the two axial shifts in power transmission.

Spanfeller is a twat > atfsgeoff 08/12/2018 at 17:27

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Oh, regular bike shares use the dynamo, checks out. 

Spanfeller is a twat > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 08/12/2018 at 17:28

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Is that, um, bad? Are we against high-mobility homeless people? 

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Spanfeller is a twat 08/12/2018 at 17:32

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Well they steal the bikes and never taken them back.

Spanfeller is a twat > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 08/12/2018 at 17:37

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Dockless systems might help curb that... but mostly it seems like a good background check is the way to go, or a retainer on the credit/debit card used

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Spanfeller is a twat 08/12/2018 at 17:52

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I don’t know how they get them, maybe they take them from people. I have never rented one, they are electric but it looks like they keep riding them after it’s dead. They must have some lojack? Maybe they chase them down and get them back, I have no idea, but most of them are not where they should be! 

Spanfeller is a twat > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 08/12/2018 at 18:06

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the Mobikes have GPS tracing and also a motion sensor (when I lifted one to weigh it, the alarm started blaring)