Mobike:Getting Started
You may have noticed in the past couple weeks the sudden appearance of hundreds of like bikes. Dark blue and yellow, light blue, and silver and orange bicycles have popped up everywhere. Dozens clutter corners and street sides no matter where you are in the city. So who’s bikes are these anyway?
These bicycles belong to three separate companies that have launched on-the-fly bike share programs. The three bike share programs that have launched within Chengdu are 1 Step Bike, Youon and Mobike. The first two, 1 Step and Youon are utter garbage, which we’ll explain further in a separate review. However, after reviewing each program and it’s bikes our professional endorsement is behind Mobike.
Below we’ll discuss the merits, the utility, and the setbacks of the Mobike program as well as provide concise directions for downloading, installing, registering and making use of it all. Furthermore we’ll take a look at some of the other rules and regulations that users should be aware of, some of the grey areas users should be aware of, and easily our favorite part, a detailed look at the design and practicality of the bikes.
Getting Started
The process for borrowing a bike is straightforward and relies on the fact that anymore most people have a smartphone that is capable of making mobile, in-app payments. Simply download the appropriate app, register, scan a bike and you’re ready to ride.
To begin with, look up “Mobike” in your phone’s app store. We’d recommend using wi-fi for the download. It’s a trending app and should appear at the top of your lists. Once you’ve downloaded and launched the app it should give you a basic step-by-step of how the program works. However, in order to begin actually using the bikes you’re required to register.
Fortunately this process is quick and easy. To begin with you’ll need both a domestic Chinese phone number as well as a functioning WeChat Pay or Alipay account.
Step three: Verify your account. For Chinese citizens this can quickly and easily be done by linking your account with your ID (身份证). For foreigners the process is also relatively easy. Simply select the option to use a passport as your identification. To verify it you need to take two pictures, one of the main page of your passport as well as one with you holding the passport below your face. Once these have been uploaded, select submit. From there, verification takes but a few minutes to be processed.