13 Bike Share Companies in Shanghai
A tsunami of brightly colored bikes has flooded our fair city over the last year. There are so many in fact that, aside from the main two or three companies, it’s hard to know what’s what. Here’s a quick guide to a bunch of the companies we’re aware of in Shanghai.
Ofo
Ofo Curve
Ofo 3.0
Ofo x 700 Bike
Minion (with eyes)
Princess
muscle bike (肌肉车)
Deposit: RMB100
Rate: RMB1/30 min
APP use experience: 9/10
Availability: 10/10 (ofo x 700 and ‘Muscle Bike’ are very rare though)
Their adjustable seats, smooth riding and distinct yellow color have made them a juggernaut in the bike share market. There are several varieties of ofo you might come across, from the original, the princess bike, the minion, and even the new ‘muscle bike.’
Mobike
Mobike
Mobike Lite
Deposit: RMB300
Rate: RMB1/30 min
APP use experience: 9/10
Availability: 10/10
It seems at times like Mobike has been here forever, but was in fact about this time last year we started seeing these pop up around Shanghai. They were the first ones to make the bike share model successful, and cause a flood of copycats. Despite competitor assaults on all sides, they remain one of the easiest and most convenient ones around the city.
99 bicycle (Jiujiu)
Deposit: RMB99
Rate: RMB1/30 min
APP use experience: 9/10
Availability: 9/10
99 bike (or Jiujiu) gets its name from requiring a RMB99 deposit. While it looks a little bit more sporty than most of its rival companies, it is essentially the same as all the others, with no real defining features.
Xiaoming
Deposit: RMB199
Rate: RMB1/30 min
APP use experience: 7/10
Availability: 10/10
Airless tires and polymer bike chain are some of the most notable features of the Xiaoming. They were briefly the third largest bike share company in Shanghai besides Mobike and ofo, but have since wobbled in their standing.
Coolqi
Deposit: RMB298 (for gold)
Rate: RMB1.5/30 min
APP use experience: 4/10 (many users online complain about not being able to get their deposits back)
Availability: 7/10
Coolqi (also known as Haier) has other bikes aside from the flashy ‘Tuhao Gold’ models. The light green Coolqi bikes are seemingly on every corner these days. But come on, the gold ones… besides looking great, they’ve got silicone seats which are significantly more comfortable than other companies. The seats are also AI controlled, which means users enter their height into the CoolQi APP which adjusts the seat accordingly.
Xiang Qi electric bikes
Deposit: RMB300
Rate: RMB2/30 min
APP use experience: 7/10
Availability: 8/10
We recently wrote about how fun and easy these were. The Xiang Qi isn’t the only electric bike share currently operating in Shanghai (Gonbike also offers electric). There are some hassles involved, such as finding a bike with enough battery and the requirement of parking it in a special area when finished, but overall they’re tons of fun, and more convenient than spending several thousand RMB on a scooter.
Gonbike
Deposit: RMB298
Rate: RMB1/60 min
APP use experience: 6/10
Availability: 2/10
Gonbike was a little late to the Shanghai bike share game, launching their ‘power assist’ bike here in June of 2017. They’re lighter and more agile than the Xiang Qi, built more similar to an actual bike. With a full battery they claim to be able to go up to 80km.
Bluegogo
Deposit: RMB99
Rate: RMB1/60 min
APP use experience: 7/10
Availability: 5/10
U-Bicycle (优拜单车)
Deposit: RMB298
Rate: RMB1/60 min
APP use experience: 6/10
Availability: 6/10
Youon
Deposit: RMB99
Rate: RMB1/60 min (first hour is always free)
APP use experience: 8/10
Availability: 6/10
一步单车 (yi bu dan che)
Deposit: RMB99
Rate: RMB1/60 min
APP use experience: 7/10
Availability: 3/10
100bike
Deposit: RMB99
Rate: RMB1/60 min
APP use experience: 7/10
Availability: 3/10
[Note: above ride rates may vary as companies adjust to the market and offer promotions. Also the ‘app use experience’ and ‘availability assessments’ are based on the opinions and experience of our staff, and may vary for other users.]
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