Originally Posted by
robertorolfo
Wow, I can only imagine how bad those other bikes must be. I probably rode 5-6 different Mobikes, and they just made it feel so difficult to make any sort of meaningful progress. And it wasn't always a question of gearing, because some of them had Shimano three speed grip shifters.
The bike I used in Parma was from this service, and as I mentioned it was great by comparison. While waiting around at one point I spun the front wheel in the air and the bearings seemed perfectly maintained and adjusted, and the wheel very true.
In China they are all single speed and have no lights. I noticed some electric ones, but did not try them. My good Bologna experience was with the company below. Within the basic price they provided a helmet and gave a city map and, when it became apparent that I fix bikes, they wanted to supply me with a tire repair kit, pump and some tools, at no charge. I travel with those, but I still took something to make them feel accomplished
. They also had better bikes, but a city bike was sufficient for most of my needs.
