Your transportation ought to be every bit as mobile as you are, especially if you’re renting it. Luckily, there’s a new bike share platform that agrees. Meet bluegogo, the first smartphone-enabled, dockless bike share platform to launch in the U.S., which makes its official debut in San Francisco Monday. Heralded as “the most convenient, efficient, and healthy option to navigate cities and campuses,” bluegogo sets itself apart from other similar bike sharing platforms with what it doesn’t have — a parking station for all those rental bikes. Instead, thanks to the platform’s smartphone, GPS, and solar technology, users will be able to search, reserve, unlock, and pay for bluegogo bikes wherever they are (and wherever the bikes are), all from their mobile devices.
“Like other bike sharing companies, we’re providing the convenience of cycling without the hassle and worry of bike ownership,” said Ilya Movshovich, the company’s VP of Operations. “We stand apart by offering a supply of great bikes with no membership fee with no pre-determined pick-up or destination. We can quickly adapt our supply to meet consumer demand while reducing traffic on the streets.”
At launch, the bikes (which are manufactured by global cycling brand SpeedX), will be located in public bike racks around San Francisco. But once they’re taken, they’ll be spread out all over the city, and users will simply find the nearest one when they’re in need of a bike ride. Users are charged a dollar every 30 minutes — there are no overage charges for extended journeys, and no membership fee required.
And don’t worry — just because this is a dockless system doesn’t mean it’s any less safe. Rather, the bikes all come with a smart lock, unique frame and tires, security screws, and a built-in alarm system to guard against theft. The bike’s companion app will also give you the history on your own bike riding habits, including your distance traveled, routes taken, carbon emissions saved, and calories burned.
“We implement high-end professional bicycle standards in our design and manufacturing, a great improvement from the everyday bike. We believe the outstanding quality of our bikes provides the best possible experience for our users,” said said Ye Sun, bluegogo’s Chief Operations Officer. “bluegogo will be the most convenient and affordable bike sharing platform ever seen in the US. We believe being able to park our bikes anywhere within city regulations, starting in San Francisco, is going to change how we all navigate urban areas,” he concluded.
So if you’re in the San Francisco area, go ahead and take one of these bikes out for a spin.
