Article updated on September 18, 2018 by Byothe
For several days I had been passing people everywhere in Paris, parked wisely on the sidewalks of the capital neon green bikes…Taking my courage in both hands I approached one of them and on the frame was written “Gobee.bike”.
On my way home, a quick search on the web made me discover this new alternative to our beloved Vélibs.
Gobee.bike is a short-term bicycle rental system intended for the general public and which has the very big advantage of operating without terminals. The bikes are autonomous and can be parked anywhere in Paris! The advantages are that you no longer need to look for a free terminal to park your bike… but the downside is that you will not always have a bike available nearby. The system works with an application that allows you to locate available bikes and once there, to unlock them by scanning a QR code.
Geek as I am, unable to resist temptation, I rushed to download the dedicated application on my iPhone... then a few days later, I created my account which I credited with €10 as well as a deposit of €15 (this deposit is normally €50, but it was reduced for the launch).
Then a few days passed, the cold settled over the city and this morning, I finally decided to take the plunge: take a Gobee.bike to go to work.
I drop the kids off at school, pull out the Gobbe.bike app and try to locate a bike. Perfect, there's one parked on the sidewalk not too far away. Excited, as if it were the first time, I try to scan the QR code to unlock the bike's lock. Once, twice, three times... it's a failure. The bike is recognized, but doesn't unlock. Well, it doesn't matter, there's another one not too far away. I repeat the manipulation and in a few seconds the bike unlocks as if by magic.
I adjust the saddle, study the path I am going to take and there I am, off on the Parisian cobblestones!
First pedal strokes, the bike starts moving. I accelerate and turn the rubber wheel on the right handle of the bike… Ring Ring… ah it’s not the gear change, it’s the bell. But where is the gear change? On the Vélib there are 3, it must be the same… and well no, Gobee doesn’t have any gears!!! Sniff.
As a result, the climbs are hard on your legs and the descents are like pedaling in the void... but that's not a problem, the bike is light and sturdy. The unlocking system and the geolocation of the bike seem to work thanks to the solar panel that lines the bottom of the basket installed on the handlebars... clever!
Price-wise, it's very reasonable. Expect to pay €0.50 for 30 minutes of cycling. The meter starts 1 minute after unlocking the bike so you can check that everything is working.
Well that's not all now, if you ever sign up, don't hesitate to use my referral code (8buCj5) at the time of payment, you will benefit from 60 minutes of free credit… and me too!
So, I tested Gobee.bike and I really liked the concept… compared to the Vélib that I hadn’t used for a few years, it’s a real feeling of freedom. No problem with the terminal, you can leave it anywhere. And the system is very simple! In short, I love it!
Gobee.bike
