Oxford has been the real hot-spot for dockless bikes. In the year that I was there, over four different companies were using the city as a testing ground, and each one was trying to out-design the other to win over the bike market. I’m a huge fan of dockless bikes, meaning that you can pick them up from anywhere (in comparison to the Hubway system in Boston), just unlock them using a QR code that you scan onto an app, and then ride them to wherever you want and “lock” them by sliding a lock down over the back wheel, which also ends the ride. Ofo was my favorite brand because they had baskets and gears (!), which were very important in Oxford, as parts of the city are hilly. Unsurprisingly, Ofo has raised tons of money, especially in China, where it was founded. It’s a genius idea, and I think it’s going to really revolutionize city biking.
