The Appeal of Bicycle Rentals on Tourists and Locals Alike

Asia is fast changing into bicycle friendly territory.

Countries like China, Philippines and Singapore are fast-becoming conducive bicycle hubs. In China, Beijing has Hangzhou city which recently launched the world’s largest bicycle share program with more than 60,000 bicycles today and a target of 175,000 bikes by 2020. In the Philippines, there are now massive on-going efforts to put up cycling and jogging lanes and special recreational areas and parking spaces for bikers and an ever-growing number of bike shops in both urban and rural areas of the country. In 2011, Singapore openly espoused the use of bikes and started designating dedicated bike lanes in major roads and highways which expectedly spawned the establishment of bicycle custom and rental shops throughout the city.  

A few other bicycle rental shops in Singapore are strategically located in famous tourist locations in the Singapore including East Coast Park, Pasir Ris Park, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Marina Barrage, West Coast Park, Dairy Farm Nature Park, and Kent Ridge Park understandably because rentals usually appeal to foreigners and tourists.  

Strangely enough though, majority of Singapore bicycle shops are still found near Singapore public transportation stations, Today, in the Singapore’s urban center alone, there are more than a dozen bicycle shops. Most of these shops are one-stop shop for buying ready-made bikes, custom assembly, repair and parts replacement  services and, recently, rentals which has a growing market demand due primarily to an emerging collaborative, non-ownership, access-based consumption culture where instead of buying actual products, consumers now pay for temporary experiences afforded by these products.  Together with experiences in Pasir Ris Park and East Coast Park bicycle shops, this trend suggests that bike rentals now appeal not just to foreigners but to locals as well.

Furthermore, many young consumers now opt for rentals rather than direct purchase which provides the flexibility and value-for-money short term ‘purchases’. Understandably, most of these new consumers opt to rent various models for the sake of optimizing the diverse range of experiences that rentals can offer. The most common choices of bikes of course have always been among the three most common types. The racer provide speed in smooth terrains and therefore appeal to young people looking for a rush.  The mountain bike provides flexibility with its changing gears and large, thick wheels and are therefore suited for outdoor-oriented individuals moving across various types of terrains and off-road trails. And then there is the BMX, a low, lightweight type with frames designed for general comfort and appeals to younger market looking for exhibitions and casual rides. In bike rental shops in Pasis Ris and East Coast Park, recumbent bicycle and even hybrid bikes are now becoming a fad among tourists. Folding bicycles are also becoming fashionable for people who are looking for additional mobility since these bikes can easily be carried through other public transportations like boats and trains. Likewise, there are also increase in rentals of non-traditional bicycles like freight, couples, small-wheel, sideways, tall bikes, safety bicycles and even unicycle, a one-wheeled bicycle  often used only entertainment circus or feature shows.

Various bicycle shops now provide on-line bicycle purchasing and services options for assembly of factory ready to custom made mountain bikes with popular choices from alloy, titanium and steel frames, ergonomic saddles, precision derailers, suspensions and shifters, and assorted tires and tubes.

Among sports enthusiasts however, the racer is a popular type made with high frames and large but thin wheels that allow fast movement across smooth terrains and are therefore best for competitions or speed junkies. Among hipsters, the BMX, a low, lightweight bike with frames designed for general comfort, is still a favourite almost as if having its own cult following from younger generation. Not generally built for extended rides like the mountain bike and the racer, the BMZ design instead appeals due to its better maneuverability and are therefore popular among exhibition artists and extreme game fanatics and can be found not just in the streets but in BMX racing tracks with various surfaces street, park, vert, dert, and flatland in addition to stunt circuits like the high jump, leap of faith and drag.