Culture Trip 9 : This is me on my Mobike

*Please note this trip was done before my wisdom teeth opp*

If you are from Newcastle or have visited Newcastle, then you will have noticed orange bikes standing around the town or people riding these funny little bikes. I know I have certainly noticed.

Intrigued to know more, I did a bit of googling and found out that these bikes are known as Mobikes.

 

A Mo what?

A mobike, essentially it is like a sharing bike service that you can go on and off at your own leisure.

All you need to do is download the Mobike App, register an account with your mobile number and pay the refundable deposit of £29.

How does it work?

After you have paid the deposit and registered to an account, the app has a map of Newcastle on highlighting where the Mobikes are and where the parking stations are.

You simply find a bike, use the app to scan and unlock it and off you go.

I have included a screen shot of the pricing details below, you simply add your card details to your account and you can select how much you would like to your account, of course it all depends on how long you are going to use the bike for.

Does it have any features?

The bike is surprisingly easy to ride, it is really comfortable- you can adjust the seat if needed. It has no gears so you don’t need to worry about that, it does however have a bell and a basket feature so you can do your shopping and let people know you are coming through.

You can also track your location/route  and distance of where you have ridden. This feature is location on the My Trips section on the app.

Obviously you have to look after these bikes as if they were your own. So it’s nice when you have finished the bike that you lock it properly, you do this by standing your bike up and pressing  the lock down. The app will confirm it has been locked.You should also park it at a Mobike station.

If you follow these rules, then Mobike will give you credit on your account- you can check your credit on the app.

 

Is it worth it?

It was my first time on the bikes, so I went into town on a Sunday and rode with my brother along the Quayside just to test them out. But now I know what I am doing, I dare say I can ride further into/around town.  It is a great way to see the sights of Newcastle and the bikes are really easy to ride.  And it is also a great form of exercise, cycling around the North East- what could be better.

For more information about Mobike click here 

To see more of my #CultureTrips click here