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I'm not sure how well this would work out in the US. Any standard parts would be stripped off those things instantly. Have you ever seen what happens to a bike

I'm not sure how well this would work out in the US. Any standard parts would be stripped off those things instantly. Have you ever seen what happens to a bike after being locked somewhere for more than a couple days? It disappears piece by piece until nothing but the frame is left.

wapz 10y ago
It's the unfortunate thing about the US. Although I don't think it's impossible, having any decent quality bike would definitely get stripped like you said. The only way I can imagine this being implemented is if there are bike lockers that completely enclose the bike. Unfortunately, that would raise the cost of the rentals to probably more than people are willing to pay.
- trevyn 10y ago
  There are plenty of bikeshares in the US -- the bikes are just built to be nearly theft-proof.
  - wapz 10y ago
    I've seen several bike shares in the US in tourist areas and they were all awfully expensive (I want to say something like $5/hour or ~$15 for the day?). They also required you to park at one of the docking stations which wasn't too bad because they had them near the tourist spots. Having the freedom of China's seems a little farfetched for the US in my opinion.
    - rtpg 10y ago
      based off of related comments in here, it seems like the freedom isn't really working in China either... I think $10 a day is reasonable if you're moving around. It's a bit more than a movie ticket, and if you rent in the morning you get a full day's usage. Though to be honest I don't know many US cities that would be fun on a bike...
      - mattkrause 10y ago
        Most of these bike-share services aren't really meant for fun all-day rides. In fact, most of them limit you to 30-45 minutes before you have to return the bike to a dock. The hope is that these short 1-2 mile rides replace car trips and extends the territory covered by a bus or metro line.
    - trevyn 10y ago
      This is actually how it works with Breeze bike share in Santa Monica: $99/year membership Includes 90 minutes free ride time each day ($7/hr after that) Many well-placed pods, but can leave anywhere in the city for a $2 fee
JimmyAustin 10y ago
The US has a per-capita GDP is close to 5x higher then Chinas. Why would theft be exclusive to the US instead of China?
- sremani 10y ago
  Many reasons.. but it ultimately comes to one thing, Cops do not give hoot to bike theft, so the rist-reward in bike theft is favorable.
  - imron 10y ago
    So no different from China then?
  - drozycki 10y ago
    Can you speak to how much the authorities in China care about bike theft?
    - sremani 10y ago
      Cannot comment about China, but again from anectodal personal experience in India, the component of street justice in some places cannot be totally ruled out. If you are caught by a mob while stealing .. brace for Impact! edit: The broader point being "risk" component of theft in certain places is sometimes inhibitive in spite of apathy from authorities.
    - imron 10y ago
      The authorities in China care nothing about bike theft. The best theft-prevention mechanism in China is to have an old, rusty, broken looking bike.
- beatpanda 10y ago
  In the case of the US per capita GDP just means that we are a country containing many rich people, not a rich country. Income inequality is extreme. When the government or private industry refuses to redistribute money downward, poor people will just take it.
ganfortran 10y ago
Unless you have a national identity tracking system and register with every mobile phone, which in China's case, it does. If someone steal the bike, they will be sorted out immediately.
ganfortran 10y ago
Unless you have a national identity tracking system and register with every mobile phone, which in China's case, it does. If someone steal the bike, they will be sorted out immediately.
microcolonel 10y ago
Would there be a black market for bicycle parts if you could pick a bike up off the street and ride it for next to nothing? What would be the price of a nut or half a chain or a handlebar handle in a market where there are so many bicycles? Why commit a crime to purchase a bicycle, when they can apparently be shipped to your city assembled for about 50 bucks?
jlarocco 10y ago
I think what you meant to say was, "That would never work in my city". We don't all live in the ghetto.

wapz 10y ago

It's the unfortunate thing about the US. Although I don't think it's impossible, having any decent quality bike would definitely get stripped like you said. The only way I can imagine this being implemented is if there are bike lockers that completely enclose the bike. Unfortunately, that would raise the cost of the rentals to probably more than people are willing to pay.

trevyn 10y ago
There are plenty of bikeshares in the US -- the bikes are just built to be nearly theft-proof.
- wapz 10y ago
  I've seen several bike shares in the US in tourist areas and they were all awfully expensive (I want to say something like $5/hour or ~$15 for the day?). They also required you to park at one of the docking stations which wasn't too bad because they had them near the tourist spots. Having the freedom of China's seems a little farfetched for the US in my opinion.
  - rtpg 10y ago
    based off of related comments in here, it seems like the freedom isn't really working in China either... I think $10 a day is reasonable if you're moving around. It's a bit more than a movie ticket, and if you rent in the morning you get a full day's usage. Though to be honest I don't know many US cities that would be fun on a bike...
    - mattkrause 10y ago
      Most of these bike-share services aren't really meant for fun all-day rides. In fact, most of them limit you to 30-45 minutes before you have to return the bike to a dock. The hope is that these short 1-2 mile rides replace car trips and extends the territory covered by a bus or metro line.
  - trevyn 10y ago
    This is actually how it works with Breeze bike share in Santa Monica: $99/year membership Includes 90 minutes free ride time each day ($7/hr after that) Many well-placed pods, but can leave anywhere in the city for a $2 fee

JimmyAustin 10y ago

The US has a per-capita GDP is close to 5x higher then Chinas. Why would theft be exclusive to the US instead of China?

sremani 10y ago
Many reasons.. but it ultimately comes to one thing, Cops do not give hoot to bike theft, so the rist-reward in bike theft is favorable.
- imron 10y ago
  So no different from China then?
- drozycki 10y ago
  Can you speak to how much the authorities in China care about bike theft?
  - sremani 10y ago
    Cannot comment about China, but again from anectodal personal experience in India, the component of street justice in some places cannot be totally ruled out. If you are caught by a mob while stealing .. brace for Impact! edit: The broader point being "risk" component of theft in certain places is sometimes inhibitive in spite of apathy from authorities.
  - imron 10y ago
    The authorities in China care nothing about bike theft. The best theft-prevention mechanism in China is to have an old, rusty, broken looking bike.
beatpanda 10y ago
In the case of the US per capita GDP just means that we are a country containing many rich people, not a rich country. Income inequality is extreme. When the government or private industry refuses to redistribute money downward, poor people will just take it.

ganfortran 10y ago

Unless you have a national identity tracking system and register with every mobile phone, which in China's case, it does. If someone steal the bike, they will be sorted out immediately.

ganfortran 10y ago

Unless you have a national identity tracking system and register with every mobile phone, which in China's case, it does. If someone steal the bike, they will be sorted out immediately.

microcolonel 10y ago

Would there be a black market for bicycle parts if you could pick a bike up off the street and ride it for next to nothing? What would be the price of a nut or half a chain or a handlebar handle in a market where there are so many bicycles? Why commit a crime to purchase a bicycle, when they can apparently be shipped to your city assembled for about 50 bucks?

jlarocco 10y ago

I think what you meant to say was, "That would never work in my city". We don't all live in the ghetto.