From none to drowning in bikes, in just a single year. They're everywhere - bikes to be rented by the minute, by the hour. Even though Singapore has a grand plan to go 'car light' in the future, this was something I never expected. There seem to be four to five companies competing, but the two I prefer are from China: Mobike and Ofo. They're the cheapest and seem to have the most bikes.
Unlike NY or Paris, there are no docking stations. The bikes are simply parked everywhere - at every subway stop, at every bus stop, at the void decks of all the public housing, across the street from my condo. They're simple to use - download an app on your phone and walk up to a bike and scan the QR code on the bike. A circular lock on the back tire slides to an unlocked position and off you go. When you're done, you simply park it and re-lock the rear tire lock.
The prices vary - but they're all cheap. Around 60 cents an hour, but Mobike and Ofo offer monthly passes. I got a three month "all you can use" pass on Ofo for 1.50. Yes, a dollar fifty for three months of unlimited use! The bikes are all similarly designed - with a basket lined with a solar panel to run the front and back lights. Some have three gears, some have no gears.
They're perfect for that last part of a trip, after you get off the bus or train and and don't want to walk under the hot sun a few blocks. They're also great for getting to parts of Singapore that aren't easy to get to on public transport.
We've taken rides to hawker centers for breakfast, rides in the evening to eat satay or visit the local parks. Dodo is a convert - she's not in agreement with her friends, many of whom think the bikes are an "eyesore" and are only being ridden by foreigners.
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