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Sharing bikes in Shanghai
- Cerium 9y agoWonderful run down on the bike sharing situation in China. In regards to the notion that 1 RMB per half hour is cheap, I would say it is fair. One RMB has buying power equal to about one USD in most situations.
- imcotton 9y ago> One RMB has buying power equal to about one USD in most situations. I strongly disagree, with one RMB in China you can only get a lighter (cheap one) in 7-11, I can't really think of anything else for that price.
- darklajid 9y agoFor those of us that never held a USD in their hands: What would you be able to buy with a single Dollar?
- dublinben 9y agoAlmost anything you can imagine.[0][1] [1] https://www.dollartree.com/ https://www.dollartree.com/ [1] https://www.gobankingrates.com/personal-finance/best-dollar-menus-america/ https://www.gobankingrates.com/personal-finance/best-dollar-...
- prklmn 9y agoFor a somewhat apples to apples comparison, a 20 oz bottle of Coke (590 mL) cost me $1.69 in a city of 1 million people.
- mrb 9y agoFor 1 USD you could buy: 1.5L water bottle 2 stamps (cheapest ones) to send 2 letters 1 liter of gas (for cars) About 2/3rd of one McDonald's hamburger About 2/3rd of one avocado
- Cerium 9y agoIn the USA if I need a quick breakfast I grab a bagel with a spread for about $3; in China I will grab a noodle bowl for 3 RMB or a couple baozi for 2 RMB each. Other points I use to come up with my recommendation that outside Beijing and Shanghai you treat 1 USD to be equal to 1 to 2 RMB. Bus Ride - $2, RMB 1-3 Quick lunch - $8-15, RMB 10-20 Beer at a basic bar - $6-8, RMB 8-12 Beer at store: $1-2, RMB 2-4 Of course this is for domestic products in both countries. Imports cost more and follow exchange rate. For example, in China imports are usually exchange price + 25% import tax (electronics, cars).
- fallmonkey 9y agoI've lived in different cities in China and US. 4-6 RMB to 1 USD in major cities like Beijing/Shanghai, and 1-3 RMB to 1 USD in less developed cities or sururban area. Less developed a city is, less RMB to USD in purchasing power for most domestic goods.
- contingencies 9y agoThere are a few I had never heard of here. My recent experience is mostly in Kunming and Shenzhen, but also Beijing. IMHO all three places have Mobike and Ofo dominating the options, with Ofo winning and Bluegogo as an honorable mention.
- nullnilvoid 9y agoOfo has claimed that it is the biggest transportation platform in the world, with more than 20 million rides in one day (yes more than Uber, and even Didi).
- notauser 9y agoI used a Mobike when visiting Guangzhou last year. It is amazing how fast they've overtaken the city. They seemed to be everywhere and ridden by huge numbers of people. I'm a pretty frequent Boris Bike user in London (500 miles a year on the rental bikes) and thought the dockless GPS system was a great improvement on London's docking stations. We cycled to a brewery and left the bikes outside the front door which was much more convenient than having to look for a cycle hire rack. There's absolutely no need to plan your route around fixed infrastructure which is very liberating.
- ithinkinstereo 9y agoHaving bikes chained everywhere is a common sight in China and other developing countries -- even in developed countries where biking is a popular mode of transportation like the Netherlands. This is less common in the US. I wonder if Americans will tolerate having bikes everywhere, like the Chinese or the Dutch do.
- Thlom 9y agoYou tolerate cars everywhere, so why not?
- ithinkinstereo 9y agoApples to oranges.
- nullnilvoid 9y agoIt is not everywhere per say. There are restrictions saying where you can put your bikes. There are designated places in cities where bikes are allowed. For example, in San Francisco, there are only certain places where you can park your bikes.
- r00fus 9y agoAmerica: where you can park your car wherever you want (and laws are set up to mandate construction of parking access for new buildings), but parking your bike is limited to specific areas. Just in case there's anyone still harboring the illusion that the auto/petroleum industry isn't thoroughly dominant in US culture.