Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Scott No Mates
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Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby Scott No Mates » Mon Aug 21, 2017 7:35 am

I've noticed in the last few days several no-dock bikes around Drummoyne (yellow) & Chatswood (red).

Is there a story behind them?

Are they located anywhere else?
I really should take up cycling!

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g-boaf
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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby g-boaf » Mon Aug 21, 2017 7:41 am

Yeah, there is a whole heap of them around the CBD now in various styles. The red ones if I remember right were from a Chinese operator. :?: I think you had to scan a code on them with your phone to use them and the billing arrangement I cannot remember.

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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby find_bruce » Mon Aug 21, 2017 7:58 am

Red bikes are Reddy Go https://www.reddygo.com.au

Yellow bikes are obike https://www.o.bike/

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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby Scott No Mates » Mon Aug 21, 2017 9:16 am

Thanks - I'd seen the docked bikes around Flinders St Station etc so easy to understand - pay and release.
I really should take up cycling!

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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby find_bruce » Mon Aug 21, 2017 3:33 pm

Just realised that at $2 for 30 mins, I am "saving" nearly $2,000 a year - got to be time for a new bike :D

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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby Bunged Knee » Mon Aug 21, 2017 4:44 pm

find_bruce wrote:Just realised that at $2 for 30 mins.
And don`t forget the refundable deposit that their sites didn`t disclose the price until after you download the app.

$99 refundable deposit from Reddy-Go bikes, don`t know from O-Bikes until someone says the cost when they download it.
ID please? What ID? My seat tube ID is 27.2mm or 31.6mm depending on what bikes I ride today.thanks...

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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby OnTrackZeD » Sat Aug 26, 2017 9:03 am

Bunged Knee wrote:
find_bruce wrote: don`t know from O-Bikes until someone says the cost when they download it.
$69


In theory a good idea but in realty its going to be a mess having these bikes in the way everywhere and make it harder to park my private bike where I want too.

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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby find_bruce » Sat Aug 26, 2017 2:45 pm

I hadn't realised they were horsemen of the cycling apocalypse. Now I'm surprised they don't have shaft drive & a funky saddle to go with their airless tyres
OnTrackZeD wrote:In theory a good idea but in realty its going to be a mess having these bikes in the way everywhere and make it harder to park my private bike where I want too.
Fortunately however they are easy to move so you can get to the bike rack - the lock stops the rear but you can just pick em up by the saddle & wheel them out of the way. at least for now. Long term the volume might be a problem

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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby Bunged Knee » Sat Aug 26, 2017 3:19 pm

OnTrackZeD wrote: In theory a good idea but in realty its going to be a mess having these bikes in the way everywhere and make it harder to park my private bike where I want too.
As find_bruce stated above.

But if it do one day soon with a lot of dockless bikes at racks. In City of Sydney council site, there`s an info of who to report it to.
Bike parking

Bike share customers should consider the safety and comfort of all footpath users by parking bikes in a responsible manner. This means keeping footpaths clear for safe, accessible and equitable use for people walking or travelling along the street.
Customers are encouraged to park bikes near bike racks but not to take up space for regular bikes that need to be locked to a fixed point.
Riders can request bike parking on City land.
Shared bikes can be moved out of the way if causing obstruction or you can contact the relevant operator.
If a bike share bicycle is causing a serious hazard, contact the City.
ID please? What ID? My seat tube ID is 27.2mm or 31.6mm depending on what bikes I ride today.thanks...

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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby Scott No Mates » Sat Aug 26, 2017 7:32 pm

Just checked out both bikes at Mc Mahons Point.

Reddy go appear to be lighter & gears. Both types have helmets, lights, reflectors.

Dunno if I'd ride any great distance with them.
I really should take up cycling!

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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby Bunged Knee » Mon Aug 28, 2017 9:25 pm

Seen 1 Reddy Go bike parked at Newington shopping centre at the bike parking rack tonight.

Image

Sorry for the poor phone pic.
ID please? What ID? My seat tube ID is 27.2mm or 31.6mm depending on what bikes I ride today.thanks...

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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby Bunged Knee » Wed Aug 30, 2017 5:27 pm

There`s no FAQ in Reddy Go bikes site of credit points rewards/penalties for using it for cost of use.
But there`s is one in O-Bike FAQ credit points.
Prices increases if abusing the use of dockless bikes. Want to lock the O-Bike with your own private lock for later use will get your points to zero and any points less than 60 will increase your half hourly rides to $19.90.

O-Bike credit rules,points and prices info
Image

Image

Moving bikes illegally, What the? Damn it, I`m moving it out of that bike rack that I need to park my bike in....
ID please? What ID? My seat tube ID is 27.2mm or 31.6mm depending on what bikes I ride today.thanks...

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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby mikesbytes » Tue Sep 05, 2017 3:40 pm

From the various pieces of info that have come my way its looking like this to me;
- initial outlay largely covered by the refundable deposit, as long as they get enough takers
- $2 for 30 minutes seems quite reasonable
- Gearing too tall, in particular the Obike
- Obike is heavy and both are sluggish due also to the solid tyres
- Obike helmet is a bit small for bigger heads
- Have seen quite a few being ridden but only one rider not wearing the helmet, which was sitting in the basket
- Most don't seem to be sitting in the same place after a couple of days but I get the feeling that utilisation is still too low. May well change as summer kicks in.
- Quite a few with the helmet stolen. This is surprising as they are branded so if you use them its clear you are using a stolen helmet
-
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby mikesbytes » Wed Sep 20, 2017 1:35 pm

Article explains how the share scheme makes its money. http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/ar ... akes-sense
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby mikesbytes » Sat Sep 23, 2017 4:41 pm

I'll continue talking to myself

The number of them sitting around with the no helmet, ie the helmet has been stolen is alarming. Don't people realise that theft is a criminal activity?
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby find_bruce » Sat Sep 23, 2017 6:01 pm

I had seen the article & I hadn't thought about the sums in deposit schemes. In my experience it might be more than a little optimistic to think those deposits are tucked away in an interest bearing account & not spent on capital costs such as bikes & equipment or even executive bonuses.

The suggestion that A$1,791 covers the cost of the bike & replacements & maintenance seems to me to be excessive. They are a heavy single speed with solid tyres. Given the volume of bikes, I would be surprised if the cost price for each bike, even including the electronics, was more than A$200 to 300.

Ironic isn't it, people nick the helmet but leave the bike :D

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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby mikesbytes » Sat Sep 23, 2017 7:16 pm

I suspect that the unit cost is less than that, they are a bulk order with nothing that could be considered spec parts.

A$1,791 unit and operational costs is probably a cost incurred to the local legal entity primarily by the purchase of the bike from the parent legal entity, a way of avoiding paying local tax as the local legal entity doesn't make a profit. This is common amongst international companies
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby find_bruce » Tue Sep 26, 2017 8:44 pm

Apparently significant numbers are ending up in the Yarra Dozens of oBikes pulled from Yarra River

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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby mikesbytes » Wed Sep 27, 2017 1:16 pm

find_bruce wrote:Apparently significant numbers are ending up in the Yarra Dozens of oBikes pulled from Yarra River
There was one in Cooks river.

Vandalism is no different to theft

I'm wondering about the sheer number of helmetless hire bikes, are the companies driving around and replacing them?
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby mikesbytes » Thu Oct 05, 2017 7:37 pm

I'm still wondering about the huge numbers without helmets, surely its affecting their business. And if you go on the app to locate a bike, its going to send you to a bike you can't ride.

However it did occur to me that a small % of those helmets might of been taken as a way to reserve a bike
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby mikesbytes » Thu Oct 12, 2017 9:31 am

The third dockless provider has arrived. I thought they were just targeting Adelaide but they have plans for Melbourne and Sydney

https://concreteplayground.com/sydney/t ... australia/
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby Bunged Knee » Tue Oct 17, 2017 11:27 pm

Thinking that young men had the hatred and dumped the dockless bikes. But there`s an old pensioner man who had the hatred of it and pushed the bikes down and took the helmets and dumped it in the bins while it was under video surveillance in Bondi beach,Sydney.
Man spotted throwing helmets in public bins :o :shock:

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ID please? What ID? My seat tube ID is 27.2mm or 31.6mm depending on what bikes I ride today.thanks...

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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby mikesbytes » Wed Oct 18, 2017 1:25 pm

Putting helmets in bins is technically theft. And to state the obvious if I am unhappy with where a motor vehicle is parked, that doesn't give me the right to vandalise it.

hire bikes are the future, not driverless cars http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/dockle ... ars/021989
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby Too Tired » Wed Oct 18, 2017 3:45 pm

Bunged Knee wrote:there`s an old pensioner
His arm is in a sling. I imagine he's upset that they don't come with training wheels.
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Re: Free/hire bikes around Sydney?

Postby AUbicycles » Thu Oct 19, 2017 7:29 am

The bike share company could push this for more attention. In their shoes I wouldn't prosecute, but to turn it into a plus. The fellow involved has embarrassed himself enough already.
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