Well guess what, SZTallBike, Mobike read the article and your complaint, along with feedback from thousands of their users. They鈥檝e got a new and improved bike coming out soon. I headed up to their Shanghai headquarters in Wujiaochang to give the new bike a spin and learn more about where the company is heading.
The new Mobike. Doesn't look all that different does it?
There鈥檚 a quiet hustle and bustle at the Mobike office. Employees work from behind rows of workstations. No one is looking up or glancing over as I walk by. They鈥檙e deep in their work.
"For us, our biggest challenge is ourselves."
鈥淏ased on feedback, consumer behavior, and other data, we redesigned our classical version bike,鈥� Michael says. 鈥淭he new bike is [compatible] with different riders and different distances. You can ride this bike for an hour and it鈥檒l still be very smooth."
I take the bike for a quick ride around their office. And wow, they aren鈥檛 kidding, the difference to the original Mobike is night and day. I鈥檓 192cm, and although the seat could still be a bit taller, it鈥檚 a comfortable experience even for me. More than that, the ride is much smoother and noticeably lighter.
The new bike is geared lower too, which means turning the pedal takes less effort. Depending on the user, that might mean a lower top speed, but speed isn't the most important attribute in a rideshare bike. Most of all it needs to be a convenient, pleasant experience that gets you from point A to point B on city roads. In this, the new bike delivers.
"For a penetration rate of say 20-30%, we'd want 2-3 million bikes."
On the way back to the office, I can鈥檛 help but notice some Ofos (an up and coming bike share company backed by the likes of DiDi and Xiaomi) parked near the plethora of Mobikes. Back inside, I ask Michael about the competition.
鈥淔irst, I think it's good for more companies to come in to help this industry develop," says Michael. "But for us, our biggest challenge is ourselves. How can we develop the best ride experience? How can we ensure safety? This is why our bikes have a GPS and electronic lock. When our bikes have problems we can find the bikes and replace them. And we can lock the bike remotely so no one uses a damaged bike before it is replaced.鈥�
Michael only answers in regard to Mobike鈥檚 own challenges, but he鈥檚 being clever with his answer. The features he mentions are ones that Ofo lacks. Mobike鈥檚 300rmb deposit is hefty compared to Ofo鈥檚 100rmb, but it鈥檚 got a GPS chip, electronic lock, and technology that charges the battery to power these devices as you ride. That means it is indeed easier for Mobike鈥檚 users to find bikes and avoid getting on bikes that are damaged. Ofos in the Huangpu River aren鈥檛 going to .
鈥淒id you catch that guy who threw the bikes in the Huangpu River?鈥�
鈥淭he police arrested this guy. He was a Hong Kong citizen, so they sent him back to Hong Kong," Michael says.
(Someone needs to check Victoria Harbor for missing bikes.)
Michael says that these situations are overstated. It grabs the media's attention. "Most people take care of the bikes and give us feedback on how to improve the experience. We do get these problems from time to time and some of our users will submit the problem into our system. But the percentage of this happening is very small."
A staff member knocks on the glass door. Something urgent. Michael has to take it. Throughout the interview, he鈥檚 been answering emails, picking up phone calls, and taking quick meetings with his colleagues outside. When he comes back in, he鈥檚 apologetic. But the staff already warned me that this was to be expected. The man works 16-17 hours a day.
鈥淲eekends?鈥� I ask him.
鈥淯sually Saturdays too. Sometimes I鈥檒l take a break on Sundays.鈥� He shrugs, smiling. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a startup.鈥�
"People often say they want to be sustainable, so the question is how can you truly get people involved with this?"
鈥淣ext year we expect to add at least another 100,000 bikes,鈥� he tells me.
That sounds like a lot. It already feels like Mobike is everywhere. Michael thinks it鈥檚 just the beginning.
鈥淭o give a rough estimate, if Shanghai has 30 million residents, say 10 million families, for a penetration rate of say 20-30%, we'd want 2-3 million bikes. Most people today use cars for transportation, but we hope they will switch to bikes.鈥�
That鈥檚 not just a business. That鈥檚 a movement. Michael agrees, but it didn鈥檛 start out that way.
鈥淲hen we first began we just wanted people to experience and enjoy bikes. We wanted to bring bikes back into the city,鈥� Michael says. 鈥淏ut we鈥檝e grown rapidly. Now the government is supporting us by working with us on bike parking, giving us advice, and helping us promote bike riding.鈥�
鈥淥ver the past 10 years, the entire city has been in car development. The city has suffered from car pollution. People often say they want to be sustainable, so the question is how can you truly get people involved with this? I think Mobike is a great opportunity to let everyone be green and carbonless.鈥�
Pollution is a serious hazard in Shanghai. It鈥檚 obvious why the government and the environmentally conscious are supporting them. And when their new bikes roll out in February, they鈥檒l have some new taller folk on board as well, myself included.
I ask him one final question before I go: Anything you want to say to Shanghai鈥檚 foreigners?
鈥淚 think we鈥檒l eventually expand overseas. Please apply to Mobike and help us grow!鈥�
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