OBike – Trying Out The Bike Sharing Platform

We have seen a lot of silver and yellow rental bicycles by the name of OBike around our estate for the past couple of weeks. On one Monday afternoon, we decided to download the app and try out the bicycle sharing platform.

What is an OBike?

OBike is an On Demand & Station-less Bicycle Sharing Platform.

How does it work?

1. You have to download the app from the Apple Store or the Google Play Store. 
2. Open the OBike App and search for a bicycle in your area. You can also reserve a bicycle in advance.
3. After locating your preferred bicycle, scan the QR code.
4. This will unlock the bicycle and you ready to go!

Pricing

S$ 0.50／15 minutes

Where did we go?

While Obike users are usually people who ride the last mile from the MRT to their home or for short distances, we decided to try the OBike for leisure purposes.

We rented a bicycle each and off we went towards the direction of Pasir Ris Park from our home in Tampines.

Along the way, we stopped and smelled the roses mushrooms, snapped some photos and just enjoyed the sea breeze. After reaching a dead end of Pasir Ris Park, we rested on a breakwater and snapped a few selfies.

We then decided to cycle to Coney Island but halfway through the journey, we ended up at a McDonald’s in Pasir Ris instead and return home after. 😛

What do we think about the platform?

Pros

1. It is cheap and the bicycles are situated everywhere in our estate
2. Simple & Easy to use App
3. Park anywhere at a designated bicycle parking after using

Cons

1. There is a $49 deposit ($19 for students) for the bicycle which is refundable
2. The bicycles are gear-less. It is quite heavy and difficult to ride up the slightest of hills or elevations
3. It is quite hard to teach the older generations how the app works

Conclusion

We enjoyed really enjoyed our ride. However, we felt that the bicycle could be lighter so that we can have joy rides further afield. As said earlier, the bicycles are gear-less and it is quite a chore to ride up a hill.

• Related: Bickering over Bickertons – Start of Our Riding Adventures
• Related: Our May Day Riding Adventures

All in all, we spent about $1.50 each for our 3-hour adventure after discounts and breaks in between.

Will we try this again?

Of course!

*Update 25/06/2018: Obike has ceased operations in Singapore. Do read the announcement below.

Special Announcement From oBike

A post shared by oBike Singapore (@obikesg) on Jun 25, 2018 at 12:37am PDT

*featured photo by OBike