Took some Mobi bikes out on Sunday, and wandered around downtown, Olympic Village and elsewhere. I like the simplicity – get a bike, ride somewhere, drop the bike. Done. Get another when you’re ready, ride, drop, repeat. Slick and simple.
I was looking for people riding Mobis, and found them easily. Mobi is already a part of the mix of people on bikes, even at such early days for the system.
Perhaps I should call this effort (after Pokémon Go) Mobimon Go. Seeking out exotic creatures in the wild.
Mobi bikes attract people. I spent as much time talking Mobi as I did riding Mobi.
The system seems solid. The communications gizmos just do their job, and getting a Mobi is easy and quick. Don’t be misled by those who mistake the one-time, first-time, never-to-be-repeated registration procedure with the rest-of-your-life procedure. The first time is sort of like getting a new debit card, and going through the registration procedure with the banker at the bank. After that, getting a Mobi is about as easy as paying for a loaf of bread at the grocery store.
The bike is heavy and clunky. It needs to be, given the circumstances of its life. But it rides smoothly, it’s very stable, and the seven-speed shifter works fine.
I am a bit concerned about the impact of all of these newbie cyclists (mostly tourists) on our streets and notably – yesterday – on our sidewalks. My experience in London suggests that new rider education is a definite must-have! There, newbie riders are a hazard even to other cyclists!!!!
How do we communicate the rules of the road at Mobi stations? Do we need some Mobi Ambassadors to impart a polite culture of riding in the city? Perhaps this is an opportunity for some volunteers?
A sign with some tips for newbies could be added to the Mobi stations but the ultimate solution is to make the infrastructure obvious and comfortable to use.
I’m far far more concerned about newbie drivers.
I hate that I have to sign up for this. In Montreal I just paid my $5 for the one day use and that was it. No log in etc.
Author
Why not wait until this soft launch is over, the full launch happens, and Mobi offers daily and monthly fee choices.
I really dislike soft openings. Twice now I’ve been disappointed by this system. Leaves a bad taste in ones mouth is all.
I too found the sign-in sign-out system to work well. The locations are very convenient for my purposes in and around the Olympic village. The bikes are like the bikes in Montreal and I foresee a good long life for them. As for the helmets, the odd one is missing already and I await with interest to see what happens on that front.
Many things about the launch are promising, but the elephant is still in the room…
https://patrickjohnstone.ca/2016/07/mobi.html