Thousands of abandoned share bikes in China from The Atlantic.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by jtbadge

High end or not doesn't really seem to be the point. These bikes were produced to be available to the public.

Some transportation advocates in the US should organize and get these all imported for bike shares in towns across the country.

But add 15-25%...

[livingminimal]

my god, incredible.

[dddd]

Originally Posted by Louis

How long until all those cyclists are driving 15 mpg SUV's?

As soon as the marketing establishment wants them to?

I couldn't see any of the pictures because of a browser (settings???) issue.
The article itself appears fine, but with huge blank (white) panels where any pictures or links would seem to have been placed.
Does anyone here know what sort of settings issue that I might need to change in my IE 10 browser to restore the appearance of photos, videos and their links?
HELP!

[RonW87]

I think this is what happens when corrupt municipal official gets kickback from buddy who owns bicycle factory who gets easy credit from buddy in state-owned bank that is insolvent but subsidized by central government. Its a win-win-win!

[veggieburger]

I'm very sad that the pictures aren't loading up on my PC!

[dddd]

Originally Posted by veggieburger

I'm very sad that the pictures aren't loading up on my PC!

I'm thinking maybe security settings, or ad-blocker.
What browser do you use?

[veggieburger]

Works on firefox.

[General69]

All those bikes still take up less space than 100 cars!

[ptourkin]

Originally Posted by jtbadge

High end or not doesn't really seem to be the point. These bikes were produced to be available to the public.

Some transportation advocates in the US should organize and get these all imported for bike shares in towns across the country.

We just got a wave of dockless bikes in San Diego. The NIMBYs are going nuts. I love them. Some are the yellow OFOs from China. The seat post barely pulls up high enough for me at 5'8" - these are clearly built for that market. Lime is marginally taller but I am still at the top.

[54ny77]

WOW that's a lotta bikes!!!!

[velomateo]

Originally Posted by fignon's barber

I read that all those bikes are there because the Chinese are switching to disc brakes.

Hahaha

[fiamme red]

Interesting article: http://time.com/5218323/china-bicycles-sharing-economy/.

One in three of China’s 1.3 billion people once owned a bicycle, meaning production, repair and maintenance were mammoth industries. The sharing phenomenon undercuts that demand. “It’s changed the whole industry, it’s subversive, catastrophic, we’ve lost almost all clients,” says Yan Yiming, chairman of China’s storied Forever Bikes manufacturers. “Nobody needs their own bike now.”

I don't think it's a coincidence that bike shops in NYC have gone out of business at unprecedented rates since Citi Bike was introduced.

[benb]

Is this a bigger deal than the similar parking lots here in the US that are filled with hundreds of thousands of VW TDIs? Seems like we're making a bigger deal about China's problem when China's problem is probably not as severe as our own.

Still this is amazing on a business/planning/central gov. angle. Just totally crazy with the amount of people it took working to make that many bikes and flood them all over the cities!

[mmfs]

Originally Posted by fiamme red

Interesting article: http://time.com/5218323/china-bicycles-sharing-economy/.



I don't think it's a coincidence that bike shops in NYC have gone out of business at unprecedented rates since Citi Bike was introduced.

Is this Citi Bike conjecture correct? Or is it that there were so many new Bike shops in NYC that business was unsustainable, regardless of Citi Bike?

[fiamme red]

Originally Posted by mmfs

Is this Citi Bike conjecture correct? Or is it that there were so many new Bike shops in NYC that business was unsustainable, regardless of Citi Bike?

I'm sure it's correct. Bike shops that had been in business for years and catered mainly to commuters and casual riders were undercut when Citi Bike moved in to their neighborhoods.

For example, Red Lantern Bicycles in Fort Greene: http://www.bicycleretailer.com/retai...g#.WsKOhIjwa70

Additionally, the expansion of the Citi Bike bike share system, now numbering more than 10,000 bikes, has had a negative effect on bike sales, Gluck noted.

"It wasn't this gateway drug I thought it was going to be, where it was heavy and clunky and they'd want to get a new bike. That never happened. There was never a connection. I think the customer is compromising between it not getting stolen, not having to maintain it, and not having to lug it up four flights of stairs," Gluck said.