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Bird One Scooter – Pre-Order
- dev_dull 7y agoBetter option is to find cities impounding abandoned scooters and auctioning them off. They can be repurposed with a new IC from China.
- VectorLock 7y agoI've been looking but haven't been able to find any. Has anyone had any luck?
- css 7y agoFor auctions [0]? Or hardware [1]? [0] https://www.usa.gov/state-surplus-sales https://www.usa.gov/state-surplus-sales [1] https://www.ebay.com/itm/Durable-Board-Dashboard-bluetooth-Module-Part-for-Xiaomi-MIJIA-M365-BIRD-Scooter/293025080088 https://www.ebay.com/itm/Durable-Board-Dashboard-bluetooth-M...
- VectorLock 7y agoFor scooters themselves. None of the auctions I've been to physically or online have had any, in a major Northeast metropolitan area.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- jwr 7y agoI wonder how that works in practice. The scooter looks like a Bird scooter and is branded with Bird logos. If you leave it anywhere, won't people take it and try to ride it?
- darkstar999 7y agoThey could be physically stolen but not operated.
- wuunderbar 7y agoThe problem is that it seems that people (not most, but sizable enough in my city that I used to see it everyday) seem to be okay with vandalizing the scooters. I can only think they’re more ready to do it belongs to a big company rather than someone personally.
- kawfey 7y agoYes. My friend has the same Xiaomi Mi scooter that Bird uses, and we're in a busy Bird market. He usually parks it within line of sight and often has to pester riders to quit trying to ride it away. In one case, a Bird charger took it (assuming it was broken) and he had to trace it back via a GPS tracker he installed. Even though it's very obvious it's not a Bird (no labeling, doesn't have the large box on the handlebars, doesn't show up on Bird's map) people assume its a Bird scooter anyway and start fiddling with the controls. Now he U-bolts it to bike stands, and now riders leave it alone in confusion.
- primo44 7y ago*its "it's" = "it is"
- maxxxxx 7y agoI think you are losing this battle. The apostrophe’s are winning!
- adrianmonk 7y agoHere's how I keep this straight mentally. The rule is, in English, you can make a noun possessive by adding "'s" to the end. Let me emphasize one part: that's the rule to make A NOUN possessive. "It" is a pronoun, not a noun! The rule doesn't apply any more than it applies to a verb or an adjective. Hence you don't have stuff like "you's", "he's", "she's", "we's", or "I's", and you also don't have "it's".
- EpicEng 7y agoPretty sure we do actually have he's and she's. "He's being an idiot", or "she's wrong about that."
- jstanley 7y agoYou're just proving the point: "'s" is only possessive for a noun. Your examples aren't possessives.
- EpicEng 7y agoYes, I misunderstood his point entirely. On reading my response again I also realize that my examples come off as a not so subtle insult, and which is not what I meant.
- buzzy_hacker 7y agoYes, but as a contraction of "he is", not as a possessive.
- cjm42 7y ago
- allworknoplay 7y ago> "give your commute a higher purpose with zero carbon emissions." Can people please stop claiming electric vehicles are zero emissions?
- DerpyBaby123 7y agoWhy should they? What sort of emissions do electric vehicles have? I suspect you'll say that generating electricity causes emissions, which is only true in some cases
- ecnahc515 7y agoOne of the bigger arguments is also in the production itself can be not very eco-friendly, eg: creating the batteries themselves.
- rovr138 7y agoThat’s not a commute issue though. Not saying it’s okay, but it’s a valid statement.
- georgespencer 7y agoYou are exactly right. People have a tendency to discount the production of the non-emission-generating thing in the first place. The energy and emissions required to build something like this is non-trivial. It should be mandated that if you want to appeal to green-fingered consumers with your marketing, you have to state the emissions deficit from which your product operates and how many years it would take to recover from it with typical usage.
- mikepurvis 7y agoOkay, I'll play: what is the "emissions deficit" of a small electric scooter? Even combined with mass transit, surely the power consumed is miniscule compared with driving alone in a car, and the car is many times the initial manufacturing cost in metal parts, motors, even batteries. I commute in the summer on a Boosted Board, which uses most of the 99Wh battery to go one way (8km). My electricity in Ontario is largely nuclear and hydro, but say it's the worst case scenario and all the power comes from gas— the emissions from consuming 0.1kWh is ~35g CO2: https://canadianenergyissues.com/ontario-power-stats/ https://canadianenergyissues.com/ontario-power-stats/ https://www.google.com/search?q=240+tons+%2F+602+MWh+in+g+per+99Wh https://www.google.com/search?q=240+tons+%2F+602+MWh+in+g+pe... This is a far cry from what it would be driving that same distance in my Mazda 5, which would be a little under a litre of fuel (21MPG -> 11.2 L/100km), or 2.3kg of CO2, a 65x difference. It's possible you're coming from a place of legitimate care, but honestly your comment sounds a lot like concern trolling to me. If there's anything out there which needs an "emissions deficit" sticker to help dissuade conscientious purchasers, lets start with private automobiles.
- xeromal 7y agoThe price is a bit high for my taste, but having an onboard GPS tracker is nice.
- tyopiuy 7y agoEvidence their business model isn’t working out. Their scooters (along with all the other companies) have all but disappeared from my area, where they once littered the sidewalk. Once you fall once or twice on these scooters, it’s hard to ride them again. Especially when it’s the scooter that’s broken, as is often the case. It’s a shrinking market base, consequently. They (Uber-Jump, Lime) should have given incentive by offering some kind of coupons after an accident, instead of declining all responsibility and sending you the terms you signed or ghosting their customers.
- sschueller 7y agoThey haven't learned it yet here (Switzerland). A new one from Berlin just showed up. Now we have Bird, Flash and Tier (both out of Berlin). Ironic since these scooters are illegal in Germany so they can't operate them in their own country. Lime has bailed out of Zürich after a serious accident which was caused by a scooter applying the park brake at speed due to some firmware issue.
- s3nnyy 7y agoFlash I see everywhere, Tier not so much in Zürich. Is it new? The German firms have models that have a brake that works mechanically on the wheels and this was the prerequisite by the city police after the lime accidents. Lime's scooters don't have a mechanical brake.
- rsuelzer 7y agoI hope they fail. The sidewalks in Long Beach are a mess with these scooters. I see kids who are clearly not old enough to drive riding these things around, sometimes three on a scooter. Meanwhile the bike share program bikes now sit unused on the racks. This isn't replacing cars in my area, it is replacing exercise. The beach path is filled with these things, creating a real hazard since the exercise path is now a motorway.
- libraryatnight 7y agoI only just became aware of how obnoxious these things are. We just took a trip to San Diego and stayed in the Gaslamp and these things are everywhere, from multiple companies. By early evening they're just dumped all over place, sometimes in piles. Then the people riding them are a hazard, if they're on the sidewalk they come around corners and almost cream pedestrians, if they ride in the street they almost get themselves killed driving like idiots in traffic. I hope this trend goes away.
- allworknoplay 7y agoIt says "Free Rides Package" and "Bird Service Center", but there's zero detail on what either of these means. Anyone know? It feels like those might a decent portion of why the price is so high, but can't say.
- mdorazio 7y agoLooks like details are TBD, but it's almost certainly going to be something like either discounted rides or X free minutes of riding per month and discounted service if it breaks.
- modernerd 7y agoFrom https://shop.bird.co/ https://shop.bird.co/: “Bird One owners get access to additional rides on our dockless shared network in 100+ cities worldwide—so even if you’re away, you’re never without Bird.” [They mention “20 free rides” but don't say if that's per month, per year, or a one-off with the purchase.] “Bird Service Centers offer expert vehicle care and added peace of mind.” [No word yet on location or what sort of care is included.] The Verge has this on the service centers/anti-theft: “If your scooter breaks down, VanderZanden said you can bring it (or mail it) to one of Bird’s service centers, located in North America and Europe. If the scooter is stolen, Bird’s “bird hunter” network of freelancers may be able to track it down and find it.” https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/8/18535698/bird-one-electric-scooter-ride-share-own-price https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/8/18535698/bird-one-electric...
- vetrom 7y agoIs it just me or is this being offered at a 1000% markup or so?
- phinnaeus 7y agoLooks more like 200%-400% to me.
- k3oni 7y agoI'm sorry but at 1.3K i was expecting a bit more, or maybe i'm just off but that price looks high to me.
- jimkri 7y agoThat price is high. If you go to Alibaba or Aliexpress you can find the same scooters for $400-500 or if you buy them bulk around $250-$300
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- avree 7y agoI'm not sure if it's really too high. Boosted Boards are quite popular and sell at a $1,399 price point. Seems like an equivalent purchase.
- sithadmin 7y agoBoosted Boards also tend to be a lot higher quality in terms of build, user experience, etc. compared to similar low cost competitors. This Bird scooter has very little that sets it apart from the low cost crowd.
- anbop 7y agoHow do you know what the "build, user experience, etc." of this scooter is? And that it's not much higher quality than the competition?
- C1sc0cat 7y agoIt is a quick google shows that you can get a 50cc vespa for just under $4000.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- diegorbaquero 7y ago$1299??? Apart from the GPS and "Free Rides Package" and "Bird Service Center", what's the value added? I could just get a Segway Ninebot ES4 for less than $800?
- benatkin 7y agoOr a Boosted Board. I see people riding by on Boosted Boards and sometimes think that I want one. I never think that when I see someone on a scooter. I like to ride the scooter now and then, but I don't want to own one, nor do I want to carry one into my home or office.
- 15155 7y agoI'm absolutely in love with the Onewheel: it may seem gimmicky, but having a massive, air-filled tire means you can go over serious obstacles and off-road (off-sidewalk) very easily. Having a single wheel also means the wheelbase/turning radius is extremely small - you can turn in-place with enough skill.
- benatkin 7y agoI think I like the Boosted Board because it looks like an ordinary skateboard, and you can use it unpowered mode. https://blog.boostedboards.com/blog/practice-riding/ https://blog.boostedboards.com/blog/practice-riding/
- dominotw 7y agoI ride a unicycle. I wasn't really comfortable with side riding angle of onewheel.
- on_and_off 7y agoI have a boosted board and I have been wanting to exchange it for a onewheel. I am a bit more worried about the OW failure states though : For example what happens if the battery dies ? since the OW balances itself, I fear it would be worse than a boosted (for which you are already potentially in a tight spot but you might be able to slow down manually) .
- Simulacra 7y agoWe have Segways all over the campus where I'm at. We used to have Lime and Bird's but the security concerns nixed that.
- pbiggar 7y ago$1300? What the fuck! The birds in SF are just the Xiaomi scooter which costs $450. https://www.amazon.com/Xiaomi-Electric-Long-range-Fold-n-Carry-Ultra-Lightweight/dp/B076KKX4BC https://www.amazon.com/Xiaomi-Electric-Long-range-Fold-n-Car...
- thetimbanks 7y agoThere are additional details on the home page of their shop https://shop.bird.co/index.html https://shop.bird.co/index.html The "free ride program" details: 20 FREE RIDES • Up to $5/ride on shared Birds • $100 value
- syntaxing 7y agoHard to compete with what's out there in the market. Service centers aren't that big of a selling point when you can buy these around $500. I think they're better off raising the price to $2K and adding some "Level 2" autonomy to it.
- bsmith 7y agoThis seems like a rip-off, and a pretty high-risk buy given how new Bird is to hardware... With a quick Google search, you can find the same Segway scooter that many of the scooter companies (including Bird) have used for around $500, new.
- brontide 7y agoEveryone is talking about the high price, but they should be talking about the bigger offense — Electric Rose. We're going to look back at everything "consumer electronics pink" in a few years and cringe. I'm surprised Bird is willing to let their marketing team further complicate their brand for the sake of short term sales.
- mfatica 7y agowhat's wrong with having a pink color option?
- brontide 7y agoIt looks bad. Especially after a few months of being abused or the first rainy day. Same problem with the white Birds in their current fleet. There's nothing wrong with pink, but it makes more sense for a Google Home Mini than a mode of transportation. Bird selected pink because it's an "in" color. The product is going to outlive the color trend, which will result in further branding confusion in the future. See Jump for effective use of color. Take note that they only use one…
- mfatica 7y agopink is not a trendy color... pink has been a fairly common color for as long as people have been making multiple colors of things. it's the "female" color. white / pink stuff does get dirtier more easily than black. it just requires you to care for your things and keep them clean and don't abuse them. next you suggest we should make all shoes in a single color?
- brontide 7y agoIt definitely is trendy – https://www.pantone.com/color-intelligence/color-of-the-year/color-of-the-year-2019 https://www.pantone.com/color-intelligence/color-of-the-year... There are other reasons, outside of complicating branding, to stick to one color: https://blog.bolt.io/sonos-x-hay-8fb9e96fcc72 https://blog.bolt.io/sonos-x-hay-8fb9e96fcc72.
- purplezooey 7y agoThey missed out by not calling it Birb.
- cameldrv 7y agoThis is a weird offering for an individual purchase. Look at the unique features: 1. Non folding stem: Adds durability for a rental, but the super quick fold is a huge part of the appeal of a scooter, because it means you can easily take it with you on the train, put it in the trunk of a car, or store it under your desk. If you didn't care about compactness, you'd probably buy an e-bike. 2. Huge battery: Adds to the cost and weight, which makes it more annoying to carry. Great for a rental where Bird is paying per charge, but very few people need to ride 30 miles between charges, and for those that do, they'd probably rather have an e-bike that is faster and more stable.
- tedmiston 7y ago3. If you leave it parked outside a place, people will assume it's part of the shared fleet or "force ride" it without unlocking while it beeps the whole way.
- astrodust 7y agoThese are just asking to get "stolen".
- charlesju 7y agoOr if you leave it parked outside, people can rent it and you make money... :) Ala Tesla auto driving fleet
- malcolmgreaves 7y agoAnd then never get it back...?
- addicted 7y agoSo Bird is unable to recoup the costs of buying a scooter from rentals but somehow an individual, paying more for each scooter, and getting a smaller rental share than Bird does, will?
- 7y ago
- an4rchy 7y agoInteresting change in their business model. Wasn't the initial goal of on-demand scooter companies to give people the convenience of renting without the hassle of owning? What's the benefit of buying this from Bird vs any other scooter mfg? Unless, this is some sort of rev share where they can let you rent in their network and make money.
- Rudebwoy10 7y agoAre these still made by Ninebot?
- anthonybsd 7y agoI honestly fail to see the appeal of this as opposed to say Solowheel Glide 3 for last mile commuters. Doesn't fold, so forget folding it under the seat of the bus/train/etc. What's the point?
- elamje 7y agoYou can get a street legal new Honda Ruckus or Yamaha Zuma 50cc for ~2500. 115mpg, no motorcycle license required, 100+ mile range, and no charging. This is a tough purchase price, when you can order direct from amazon or Alibaba for at least 50% lower.
- TylerE 7y agoAt least where I live (NC) mopeds are hugely looked down upon, as any one riding them is assumed to be a drunk who lost their license due to DUI. This assumption is not exactly unwarranted.
- elamje 7y agoSo what would people assume about you riding a $1500 scooter on the road instead?
- ahoy 7y agoThat you were a drunk who lost their license because of a DUI. I'm also from NC, and what the parent commenter said is accurate for any kind of scooter.
- tsumnia 7y agoTo continue with the other NC'ers (there's literally dozens of us!), I used to live in Wilmington, NC, which has a large number of scooters to the point a term I've taken from others is to refer to them as dui-scooters (read "dewey scooters"). I don't know the difference between a $1200 scooter or a dui-scooter. However, the overall opinion is if you aren't in a traditional vehicle or a crazy cyclist, you're riding the vehicle you're riding because you are not legally allowed to drive.
- unethical_ban 7y agoI don't know if the attitude you're conveying is yours, or the population, but it's really sad. That if you don't drive a car, you're crazy for riding a bike. And if you want the combined environmental and cost benefits of a bike with the speed and lack-of-work of driving, you must be a drunk. Even if there is a grain of truth in some stereotypes, it is harmful.
- themark 7y agoIs this a joke ?
- hmhrex 7y agoThis is too expensive for what I need to commute to work and back. Any other recommendations for electric bikes/scooters/boards?
- brink 7y agoSegway has a few good offerings on eScooters https://store.segway.com/segway-ninebot-kickscooter-es4 https://store.segway.com/segway-ninebot-kickscooter-es4
- squarefoot 7y agoI would attempt convincing this guy to make a product out of his hack. It would surely be a lot cheaper. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhxD5owuN8g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhxD5owuN8g
- samsolomon 7y agoBefore the scooters and e-bikes hit Atlanta, I was very close to purchasing a Van Moof. A friend of mine has one here and says it's one of the best purchases he's made. https://www.vanmoof.com/en_us/electrified-s2-x2 https://www.vanmoof.com/en_us/electrified-s2-x2 Then Bird, Lime, Lyft and Jump all appeared. There's always several Jump bikes outside of my place, which negates the need for my own bike. EDIT: Just realized that this is also probably out of your budget. Going to leave it for anyone else that's interested though.
- hmhrex 7y agoThe option to "subscribe" is enticing! $25 a month is pretty good if using daily.
- fooblitzky 7y agoThe Micro Merlin is $799: https://www.microkickboard.com/micro-merlin https://www.microkickboard.com/micro-merlin RAD Power bikes are reasonably priced, but a bit more at $1499 for a RadCity: https://www.radpowerbikes.com/products/radcity-electric-commuter-bike https://www.radpowerbikes.com/products/radcity-electric-comm...
- 7y ago
- polote 7y agoI think one of the issue with people from silicon valley trying to make consumer products is the fact that it will always be too expensive for people outside of silicon valley. When you live there you have a huge salary and the feeling that 1k is nothing, so selling a scooter for 1k is nothing, reality is that SV is a world of its own. That's complex product management issue in my opinion
- mdorazio 7y agoNote that Bird is a Los Angeles company, but the point still stands.
- on_and_off 7y agoTrue .. I got a boosted board when I moved to San Francisco. Well, reason number one is that the public transportation system is a joke in this city compared to the European cities I am used to. The price still felt steep but I can afford an 1k skateboard with a tech salary. Especially if I can recoup part of its cost by avoiding lyft rides.
- brianbreslin 7y agoI've long contemplated a boosted board, but am hesitant to spend $1k on a skateboard that I can't use when it rains.
- on_and_off 7y agoThat's a valid concern. I live 25 minutes from work by foot, 10 by boosted. When it rains, I just don't bother using my boosted, I go for a nice walk instead. It is possible to use it when it rains but : - most important point : your adherence will be way worse. With slick wheels, the board slides a lot when it rains. Your braking distance becomes way too long. - you also get your pants and shoes wet. Not as important as point one of course, but still annoying. I live in SF so I don't expect to see any rain in the next 6 months.
- 7y ago
- zed88 7y agoSeems like a desperate attempt by Bird owing to the inherent flaws in the business model. The pricing is wrong, one could really buy good scooters at that price band. What were they smoking?
- chrismckleroy 7y agoOr, you could ride a bike.
- nimbius 7y agoThis feels like Bird trying to head-off people who might learn they can buy a bird scooter from impound for about $30, and a kit for about $10 to convert them back into normal scooters. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18604049 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18604049
- yalogin 7y agoIs Bird getting ready for an IPO? Why are they targeting the consumer directly instead of the rents market they are supposed to focus on?
- Kiro 7y agoWhat does "Free Rides Package" mean? Do I need to pay to use my own scooter?
- rangersanger 7y agoPhase 1 - give scooters away basically for free Phase 2 - sell same scooters for 1300USD This is a business strategy that only works with heroin.
- tlrobinson 7y agoBoosted is launching a scooter next week too: https://boostedboards.com/coming-soon/scooter/ https://boostedboards.com/coming-soon/scooter/
- dreamcompiler 7y agoOr if you're a hacker you can buy one at auction for almost nothing. https://hackaday.com/2018/12/07/liberating-birds-for-a-cheap-electric-scooter/ https://hackaday.com/2018/12/07/liberating-birds-for-a-cheap...
- sharadov 7y agoOne more gimmick to try and salvage a dying business.
- nullwasamistake 7y agoI don't see how "Uber scale" scooter rental is viable long-term. Interestingly, this appears to show bird acknowledges it at some level. Unlike cars, the purchase and maintenance cost of scooters is minimal. And you don't need a license or insurance. The only reason to rent one is lack of scooter parking or if you're visiting. Eventually society will catch up and scooter rental will be like bike or car rental. A viable business, but not nearly the scale of rideshare. You only need to look at how successful Jump bikes are vs scooter rental to see where this is going. I've already seen many people around town that were driven to buy their own scooter after trying out the rentals. It's just one big advertisment for buying your own scooter. Rental will still exist, but I expect the market to shrink, not grow, in the cities that already have rentals available. The barrier to buying your own is too low to make this a viable SV style business
- jzl 7y agoIn case you missed it, see also this very well researched LA Times article from a few days ago: "Can Bird build a better scooter before it runs out of cash?" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19835491 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19835491