Mobiking: Bike share in Shenyang

Shenyang station

One of the first things you might notice on arriving in Shenyang from Dalian is a large number of bicycles parked around the train station, almost all share bikes, rentable by the ride, picked up and paid for using a mobile app.  There is no need to return these bikes to a docking bay.  Just lock and leave in a convenient spot. Their presence in Shenyang is especially obvious in light of their absence in Dalian.

The bike share business has been big news in China in recent years, first for the size and scale of the introduction of the concept, followed quickly thereafter by equally huge problems and financial losses.  Living in the far suburbs of Suzhou, we've had access to only one city-owned docking program, which I never bothered with as I own two bicycles.  

I have on occasion borrowed unlocked share bikes and I also joined a bicycle tour in Guangzhou that employed share bikes. I've found them small and not especially smooth riding. But here in Shenyang I saw such an abundance of what looked like clean, new, and large-sized bicycles -- that I wanted to try!  

It seems there are at least three companies operating in Shenyang. I chose Mobike because, well, I'd already downloaded the app during last year's visit to Guangzhou, but never applied for the service.  Doing so required taking a selfie while holding your passport, then uploading this image plus a picture of the passport, as well as entering some personal details. Five minutes of work that is then  reviewed by a human.

New Mobikes!

Within the hour I received notice that my application was declined.  Took another photo and was declined a second time. Took another photo and after being declined a third time wrote to customer service to ask specifically what I was doing wrong.  I got another form reply in response and wrote again asking exactly what need improvement, that I had followed a similar application process for Wechat Pay and never had such issues.  

The next message welcomed me to Mobike.  

The following morning I did my first bit of urban sightseeing via Mobike, taking in Xinle village, the Manchu Mausoleum in Beiling Park, and 9.18 Museum, altogether a 15km trip, according to Strava.  I was mostly pleased with the experience and even began thinking I may not need to be schlepping my Dahon around NE China. (I disabused myself of the idea two days later.)

On the positive side, the bikes are literally all over downtown and are easy to find.  That also means you usually have a choice and don't have to settle for a beater.  Most I have seen are clean and in decent condition.  Riding is smooth and comfortable, with seat extension close enough for my height.  The front basket is big enough to hold a backpack, camera bag, or handbag, and mud guards keep the water from spraying up your backside or onto your shoes and pant legs.  Build seems sturdy enough for taking on typical urban bumps, holes, cracks, and other obstacles.  Altogether, they seem to be solid, steady bicycles.  And because you can leave them anywhere, they're extremely convenient. You don't have worry about getting your share bike back home. If you're tired and want to go home, or your plans change -- just leave it when it's no longer needed.  

My Mobike at Xinle village

On the less than positive side, these bikes are fixed speed, so they're best suited to environments without any serious hills (which is one reason I can see why they might not be so popular in a place like Dalian).  Because they're often left out in the open, they may frequently be covered in dust or rain water and may need a wipe down before using.  And because people are often selfish and inconsiderate, you can find bikes parked almost anywhere and everywhere.  I saw one parked in the street in front of a bus stop.  Not on the sidewalk, but in the street. In fact the one regrettable thing you notice right away about share bikes, whether you like riding them or not, is that because they can be left anywhere, they become a kind of urban pollution, clogging up sidewalks and blocking access to businesses.  

After the rain, an abandoned Mobike

One thing to consider if using share bikes for city touring is that once you lock the bike to enter a facility, like a museum or a park, it then shows up on the company app as available for hire.  That means you may come out of the museum to find your bicycle is gone. If you're in a heavily trafficked area, finding another bike won't be so difficult.  But if you're on a tight schedule, or riding in areas where there aren't many bikes, it would be prudent to carry your own cable or chain lock to insure the bike is still available on your return.  

I so enjoyed my first day Mobiking, I decided to try again the next day and enjoyed it just as much.  I even thought maybe I should send my Dahon home and make this a bike share trip.  But then I went on a trip down the Hun river and greatly appreciated having my 16-speed Dahon.  If you're visiting Shenyang, or looking for a place to ride in that city, you have to spend a morning or afternoon on Binshui Lu.  

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