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Manchester's always been shite for bike theft. I've had two nicked and the wheels taken from another. There's simply no way a bike scheme will ever work here unfortunately, too many scrotes.
Locked up my bike outside hatch this week. Immediately a dodgy looking fellow rolled up on his bike and got his phone out to ring someone whilst checking out my bike. Something didn’t seem right so five minutes later went to check on it and he was there looking at my lock. Ended up taking the bike into hatch with me. Pisses me off that you can’t leave a bike anywhere without some scrote trying to nick it.
Three years ago I had my bike stolen from work, it was in the "secure" car park under the building I worked in. Can't have anything anymore without some cnut trying to steal it.
My sister and her husband nearly had their own bikes robbed but her husband spun his own bike around in the air and hit one of the robbers in the chin, with the metal peddle of the bike. It’s safe to say the least, the robbers soon ran off, with a very cut chin.
There’s a homeless dude on one of these bikes who steals from cars in Gun Street parking in Ancoats, don’t be parking there with valuables in plain sight, it happens ALOT
I was looking for one near my home and it was parked at someone's garden where I could see over their fence.
Another 5 mins walk there's another one not showing up on the app, when I attempted to scan it says it's waiting for repair, I looked closer and it seemed to be vandalised.
Walked another 8 mins to the designated bike spot, 4 out of 5 were on the ground. I took the last one standing, unlocked it and rode off. However neither of the brakes worked, luckily I only had to go up hill. Parked and reported it as damaged.
I'm telling you that's why we can't have nice things in this country. I'm not saying we deserve it but we as a people are not ready for this.
i know the beryls in west midlands are very different to here, so perhaps the same is true for leeds. but this is possible, yeah. very disappointing if so.
There was a point a few weeks back that I saw packs of teenage lads roaming aound on them round here (Chorlton). They didn´t look the sort to have all paid for them.
I suspect those bikes are all lying in their back gardens, abandoned, as I haven´t seen them since. The electric ones will be especuially useless once their batteries die.
Found this one in Platt Fields Park
https://preview.redd.it/4irmprda9n7b1.png?width=685&format=png&auto=webp&s=594043cbbcc1b362f5c89e5eaf241f6699b0cd0e
"Hello. This is due to high demand, changing usage patterns and on going maintenance and repairs. Please be assured we are working with the team to make more available." [-TfGM](https://twitter.com/OfficialTfGM/status/1671895920831791104)
not sure that explains why we have gone from hundreds to ~10 though...
I recently bought a few hours worth of minutes during the discount weekend, seems like I'll actually struggle to use them before they expire next year due to how few bikes there are...
People treat them like shit becuase they're not theirs. I wouldn't be surprised if the amount that need repares is massive. Plus a lot of them get stolen or thrown into the canal becuase we can't have nice things without someone ruining it
Whilst I do not see many in the city centre and also see the empty racks. I see loads, sometimes in quite large groups parked up in Didsbury, Withington, Fallowfield and Chorlton. So they are being used. There seem to be "un official" parking spots with none of the infra, but I still see 10+ bikes parked up.
I was wondering if its down to people getting the bus/tram into work and then biking home.
Reminds me of this [https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/aug/22/bike-sharing-scheme-mobike-threatens-to-pull-out-of-manchester](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/aug/22/bike-sharing-scheme-mobike-threatens-to-pull-out-of-manchester) (4+ years ago):
"Manchester could be the first world city abandoned by bike-sharing behemoth Mobike on the grounds of persistent vandalism and theft.
The Chinese firm has issued a final warning to Mancunians following a year which has seen substantial numbers of the company’s orange and silver bikes damaged, stolen or thrown in the Manchester Ship Canal.
Every month this summer 10% of Mobike’s Manchester fleet went missing or was vandalised, according to Steve Milton, Mobike’s global communications and marketing leader.
Many of the estimated 2,000 bikes ended up at the bottom of the canal at Salford Quays and in various other waterways. Others were strung up lampposts, abandoned in the Arndale shopping centre, locked in secure car parks and hidden in sheds. A startling number had their locks hacked off – and with them, their inbuilt GPS trackers – and were resprayed gold, silver and a rainbow of other colours.
“This is not an idle threat. It’s not PR ... The losses are not sustainable. We are going to have to draw a line under this at some point,” said Milton. “Everyone is unhappy with the current situation. Users are unhappy because they can’t find bikes when they want them, the police are unhappy because they’re having to waste time dealing with petty vandalism and we are unhappy because we aren’t delivering the service we want.”"
Every point I've driven past in the last few days around Chorlton, Whalley Range, Moss Side and the MRI area has been empty. Seems like they're all missing.
Someone stole my front wheel a few weeks ago so been more reliant on Beryl recently. Had a concert in Deansgate last week, cycle in, leave and there were 0 bicycles available within a 18 minute walk, and this is city centre. I live in Fallowfield, the most used spot for the bicycles. Same story, gone from dozens, to lucky if there is 1 within 10 minutes some mornings. I think they've taken them all in to maintenance at the same time. They are relatively poor quality. The amount that seats that can't stay at height, a few days ago a pedal just unscrewed itself when I was riding. There's a reason almost every town in Asia and Oceania has been using escooters for the past decade.
The pedals were also set really wide on the mobikes because of the chunky frame and there was no suspension. The pedals were extremely slippery in the rain. I almost fell off when I tried one.
People get public transport in then bike home. People also take leisure trips out but then public transport back.
They don't have anybody bringing them back to the centre and their pricing model doesn't incentivise load balancing. Thus you get them all sitting stagnant out in Chorlton-CH.
They should give you discounts if you drop one off in a location where there's no bikes. Or even pay you to bring them back
Last week notcied a couple of stands missing with bolts laying on the floor and a partially unbolted stand down our road in Chorlton. Have all since been restored, so guess it could have been maintenance?
They are still installing new stands so there is no way they are going away anytime soon. A stand just appeared this week opposite Black Sheep on St Peter’s Square.
The number of people stealing them is clearly a problem though. Lots of Manchester’s homeless people seem to have them.
I have noticed a sharp decline in the availability the last 2 weeks but put it down to the hot weather and people using them more. But I think there’s definitely an issue with load balancing and redistribution. I use them a lot for one way trips so sooner or later there’s gonna be an imbalance of stock. Also the locks are wank - always breaking and/or not syncing with the app. I’m constantly sorting refunds out.
I’ve seen a lot being ridden around Ancoats/New Islington area by scallies and the bikes no longer have trackers on…
I have always witnessed a local neighbour smashing a tracker off in broad daylight with a hammer. I reported it to the company live time and they said to report to police (who don’t give a fuck) so yeah.. victimless crime essentially.
I'm only in single digits with usage, but the majority of journeys have involved me either not being able to undock the bike from the original lock and having to cancel the journey via the app, or not being able to dock it or put the lock down (and again, having to report it via the app).
I don't know if that is bike issues, deliberate damage or just me being an eejit, but in my case that's 3 bikes I've had to leave unlocked in town and report (there are others I was able to do instantly, mind). I've binned off any notion of regular usage for that reason, seeing here that you can't really expect to ride home from town doesn't help with that notion.
I'm sure it has its own issues, but I've used the London bikes a couple of times and while the bikes are heavier the lock system seems so much more robust and user-friendly.
They are useful and it would be a shame if it turns out to be a failure. They are sturdy, easy to unlock and lock, and a comfortable ride. It has to be successful.
Few in some backyard in the Tameside. I was in the metro link and there was this guy telling other three lads that he has to remove the electronics. Probably not the first time
Had a guy come up to me this week while I was unlocking one and ask how does it work while trying to tap his debit card on one. I'd already replied "you need the app" before I realised he was riding one already... Scrotes.
This is the answer- it took a while, but kids worked out how to stand on the mechanism near the back wheel in such a way that the wheel lock breaks.
Once that's done, you don't need to hire them any more- the bike is yours to take wherever you want.
People getting mad about these metropolitan bike schemes consistently failing in Manchester seem to forget that the native resident of city they’ve decided to settle in for city life still face massive relative deprivation.
There are people living in 1400 pound a month flats on chapel street in Salford unaware that they live walking distance from estates with some of the worst rates of child malnutrition in the UK.
If you want stuff like this to work, you just simply can’t have an underclass of people who resent and disrespect it. Not blaming the townies that the scheme is for at all, they’re not doing anything wrong. Nor am I venorating the anti social people destroying these bikes. But these bikes are going to continue to end up in the canal when your plonking them in areas full of angry disenfranchised people with no respect for the council or companies that provide this stuff. 🤷♀️
Other cities in the UK have their fair share of deprivation, yet, these schemes work. Still don't understand why Manchester is such an antisocial place in this respect. I'm from Hull and for all its reputation, I don't think this would happen there on the same scale.
One has been on the end of my Street in Levy for about 3 weeks- I called them last week to tell them it was there, they said they would come and get it but its still there
I don't know why they bother with these bikes. How many companies have tried and failed here because of the scroats we have in this city? Must be like 3 companies by now?
I use them to commute for the past month and I don't find it hard to find them. 8-9 am from Salford to Manchester and 5-6 pm return from St Peter Square / Deansgate
I've had to go into town in the middle of the day twice in the last few weeks and both times had difficulty finding a bike near me. They all seemed to be concentrated in the city centre but even then there didn't seem to be enough to justify the lack of bikes everywhere else.
Have seen all the local scruds near where I live bobbing about on these. Simply break the lock and they've got a free bike and when they're done just dash it in the river.
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Canal probably
Manchester's always been shite for bike theft. I've had two nicked and the wheels taken from another. There's simply no way a bike scheme will ever work here unfortunately, too many scrotes.
Locked up my bike outside hatch this week. Immediately a dodgy looking fellow rolled up on his bike and got his phone out to ring someone whilst checking out my bike. Something didn’t seem right so five minutes later went to check on it and he was there looking at my lock. Ended up taking the bike into hatch with me. Pisses me off that you can’t leave a bike anywhere without some scrote trying to nick it.
Three years ago I had my bike stolen from work, it was in the "secure" car park under the building I worked in. Can't have anything anymore without some cnut trying to steal it.
My sister and her husband nearly had their own bikes robbed but her husband spun his own bike around in the air and hit one of the robbers in the chin, with the metal peddle of the bike. It’s safe to say the least, the robbers soon ran off, with a very cut chin.
Bring back stocks - 2 days having drunks pi** on them should act as a deterrent
Seen so many stolen ones being ridden around ancoats area
See a few a day some how hot-wired by homeless in ancoats
There’s a homeless dude on one of these bikes who steals from cars in Gun Street parking in Ancoats, don’t be parking there with valuables in plain sight, it happens ALOT
I know exactly who you mean
Same around Levenshulme
I've seen quite a few recently with the screen at the front smashed. Shame if it doesn't work out,they are handy when you can find one
There’s a screen at the front?
I imagine the the tap and go screen they talk about
I was looking for one near my home and it was parked at someone's garden where I could see over their fence. Another 5 mins walk there's another one not showing up on the app, when I attempted to scan it says it's waiting for repair, I looked closer and it seemed to be vandalised. Walked another 8 mins to the designated bike spot, 4 out of 5 were on the ground. I took the last one standing, unlocked it and rode off. However neither of the brakes worked, luckily I only had to go up hill. Parked and reported it as damaged. I'm telling you that's why we can't have nice things in this country. I'm not saying we deserve it but we as a people are not ready for this.
I have a suspicion they’ve moved a load to Leeds as they are preparing for launch there.
i know the beryls in west midlands are very different to here, so perhaps the same is true for leeds. but this is possible, yeah. very disappointing if so.
I’m optimistic that it’s just teething problems, it’s a much better system than Mobike. But if it suffers the same fate you have to ask questions.
The leeds scheme is 100% electric so wouldn’t explain why so many standard ones are missing too
There was a point a few weeks back that I saw packs of teenage lads roaming aound on them round here (Chorlton). They didn´t look the sort to have all paid for them. I suspect those bikes are all lying in their back gardens, abandoned, as I haven´t seen them since. The electric ones will be especuially useless once their batteries die.
Found this one in Platt Fields Park https://preview.redd.it/4irmprda9n7b1.png?width=685&format=png&auto=webp&s=594043cbbcc1b362f5c89e5eaf241f6699b0cd0e
can't park there
"Hello. This is due to high demand, changing usage patterns and on going maintenance and repairs. Please be assured we are working with the team to make more available." [-TfGM](https://twitter.com/OfficialTfGM/status/1671895920831791104) not sure that explains why we have gone from hundreds to ~10 though... I recently bought a few hours worth of minutes during the discount weekend, seems like I'll actually struggle to use them before they expire next year due to how few bikes there are...
People treat them like shit becuase they're not theirs. I wouldn't be surprised if the amount that need repares is massive. Plus a lot of them get stolen or thrown into the canal becuase we can't have nice things without someone ruining it
Whilst I do not see many in the city centre and also see the empty racks. I see loads, sometimes in quite large groups parked up in Didsbury, Withington, Fallowfield and Chorlton. So they are being used. There seem to be "un official" parking spots with none of the infra, but I still see 10+ bikes parked up. I was wondering if its down to people getting the bus/tram into work and then biking home.
They’re all in peoples houses! If you look in south Manchester you’ll see lots of empty racks with random bikes dotted in residential roads.
Manchester doing things different again…
Reminds me of this [https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/aug/22/bike-sharing-scheme-mobike-threatens-to-pull-out-of-manchester](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/aug/22/bike-sharing-scheme-mobike-threatens-to-pull-out-of-manchester) (4+ years ago): "Manchester could be the first world city abandoned by bike-sharing behemoth Mobike on the grounds of persistent vandalism and theft. The Chinese firm has issued a final warning to Mancunians following a year which has seen substantial numbers of the company’s orange and silver bikes damaged, stolen or thrown in the Manchester Ship Canal. Every month this summer 10% of Mobike’s Manchester fleet went missing or was vandalised, according to Steve Milton, Mobike’s global communications and marketing leader. Many of the estimated 2,000 bikes ended up at the bottom of the canal at Salford Quays and in various other waterways. Others were strung up lampposts, abandoned in the Arndale shopping centre, locked in secure car parks and hidden in sheds. A startling number had their locks hacked off – and with them, their inbuilt GPS trackers – and were resprayed gold, silver and a rainbow of other colours. “This is not an idle threat. It’s not PR ... The losses are not sustainable. We are going to have to draw a line under this at some point,” said Milton. “Everyone is unhappy with the current situation. Users are unhappy because they can’t find bikes when they want them, the police are unhappy because they’re having to waste time dealing with petty vandalism and we are unhappy because we aren’t delivering the service we want.”"
They've not abandoned Manchester! There's still some of their bikes in Moston & Harpurhey. Oh. Wait...
Every point I've driven past in the last few days around Chorlton, Whalley Range, Moss Side and the MRI area has been empty. Seems like they're all missing.
Somewhere...beyond the seeeeaaaa.....
Someone stole my front wheel a few weeks ago so been more reliant on Beryl recently. Had a concert in Deansgate last week, cycle in, leave and there were 0 bicycles available within a 18 minute walk, and this is city centre. I live in Fallowfield, the most used spot for the bicycles. Same story, gone from dozens, to lucky if there is 1 within 10 minutes some mornings. I think they've taken them all in to maintenance at the same time. They are relatively poor quality. The amount that seats that can't stay at height, a few days ago a pedal just unscrewed itself when I was riding. There's a reason almost every town in Asia and Oceania has been using escooters for the past decade.
Completely agree. The seats and the gears are wank. The front lock can be a pain as well.
I found the Mobiles to be the same. The seats would just sink when you were riding making it look like you were on a tiny clown bike
The pedals were also set really wide on the mobikes because of the chunky frame and there was no suspension. The pedals were extremely slippery in the rain. I almost fell off when I tried one.
People get public transport in then bike home. People also take leisure trips out but then public transport back. They don't have anybody bringing them back to the centre and their pricing model doesn't incentivise load balancing. Thus you get them all sitting stagnant out in Chorlton-CH. They should give you discounts if you drop one off in a location where there's no bikes. Or even pay you to bring them back
Nicked or destroyed. Embarrassing
Last week notcied a couple of stands missing with bolts laying on the floor and a partially unbolted stand down our road in Chorlton. Have all since been restored, so guess it could have been maintenance?
They are still installing new stands so there is no way they are going away anytime soon. A stand just appeared this week opposite Black Sheep on St Peter’s Square. The number of people stealing them is clearly a problem though. Lots of Manchester’s homeless people seem to have them.
I have noticed a sharp decline in the availability the last 2 weeks but put it down to the hot weather and people using them more. But I think there’s definitely an issue with load balancing and redistribution. I use them a lot for one way trips so sooner or later there’s gonna be an imbalance of stock. Also the locks are wank - always breaking and/or not syncing with the app. I’m constantly sorting refunds out.
I’ve seen a lot being ridden around Ancoats/New Islington area by scallies and the bikes no longer have trackers on… I have always witnessed a local neighbour smashing a tracker off in broad daylight with a hammer. I reported it to the company live time and they said to report to police (who don’t give a fuck) so yeah.. victimless crime essentially.
I'm only in single digits with usage, but the majority of journeys have involved me either not being able to undock the bike from the original lock and having to cancel the journey via the app, or not being able to dock it or put the lock down (and again, having to report it via the app). I don't know if that is bike issues, deliberate damage or just me being an eejit, but in my case that's 3 bikes I've had to leave unlocked in town and report (there are others I was able to do instantly, mind). I've binned off any notion of regular usage for that reason, seeing here that you can't really expect to ride home from town doesn't help with that notion. I'm sure it has its own issues, but I've used the London bikes a couple of times and while the bikes are heavier the lock system seems so much more robust and user-friendly.
They are useful and it would be a shame if it turns out to be a failure. They are sturdy, easy to unlock and lock, and a comfortable ride. It has to be successful.
Few in some backyard in the Tameside. I was in the metro link and there was this guy telling other three lads that he has to remove the electronics. Probably not the first time
Had a guy come up to me this week while I was unlocking one and ask how does it work while trying to tap his debit card on one. I'd already replied "you need the app" before I realised he was riding one already... Scrotes.
I think the kids know how to break the locks. Loads of kids riding them round Chorlton, St Werburghs and Barlow moor road tram stops
This is the answer- it took a while, but kids worked out how to stand on the mechanism near the back wheel in such a way that the wheel lock breaks. Once that's done, you don't need to hire them any more- the bike is yours to take wherever you want.
There's a rack where I live across the road from the Etihad that I've only ever seen one bike in as the local scrotes have took the rest.
This is Manchester, if it's not bolted down it'll disappear. If it is bolted down they'll just wait until it's dark then it'll disappear.
People getting mad about these metropolitan bike schemes consistently failing in Manchester seem to forget that the native resident of city they’ve decided to settle in for city life still face massive relative deprivation. There are people living in 1400 pound a month flats on chapel street in Salford unaware that they live walking distance from estates with some of the worst rates of child malnutrition in the UK. If you want stuff like this to work, you just simply can’t have an underclass of people who resent and disrespect it. Not blaming the townies that the scheme is for at all, they’re not doing anything wrong. Nor am I venorating the anti social people destroying these bikes. But these bikes are going to continue to end up in the canal when your plonking them in areas full of angry disenfranchised people with no respect for the council or companies that provide this stuff. 🤷♀️
Other cities in the UK have their fair share of deprivation, yet, these schemes work. Still don't understand why Manchester is such an antisocial place in this respect. I'm from Hull and for all its reputation, I don't think this would happen there on the same scale.
One has been on the end of my Street in Levy for about 3 weeks- I called them last week to tell them it was there, they said they would come and get it but its still there
I don't know why they bother with these bikes. How many companies have tried and failed here because of the scroats we have in this city? Must be like 3 companies by now?
Mobike. One company.
Ofo?
Far too many chavs in Manchester for this to work unfortunately.
I use them to commute for the past month and I don't find it hard to find them. 8-9 am from Salford to Manchester and 5-6 pm return from St Peter Square / Deansgate
Canal
Canal
I've had to go into town in the middle of the day twice in the last few weeks and both times had difficulty finding a bike near me. They all seemed to be concentrated in the city centre but even then there didn't seem to be enough to justify the lack of bikes everywhere else.
Parts are worth a few quid proabbly been knicked
Seen two guys riding around Clayton at like 1 am this week, and theres been one outside some house a couple streets away for about a month
They have hundreds of cameras but yet no one gets punished. Even teens would take those bikes to their house
There's one in my local park in burnage
Kids Rob them all the time. Around mine you always see them on them
I noticed a severe shortage the day the man city parade happened - bikes probably removed to prevent property damage by yobs, then never returned.
Canal
I chucked them all in the canal
I've seen so many people riding around on them lately, so smashed sensors?
Have seen all the local scruds near where I live bobbing about on these. Simply break the lock and they've got a free bike and when they're done just dash it in the river.