I had a chance to give it a try on a lovely sunny day over the weekend. I found nice new equipment. The system is helpfully integrated with Taipei’s youbike scheme, so no new registration needed for current youbike users. There is currently a 30 minute free use period in effect, I believe until the end of June 2016.
I happily rode around the old city center (i.e. the train station side)–no chance yet to take these puppies out along the wilds of Kuang Fu (Guangfu) Road. The only other users I spotted were young kids who I presume are not yet permitted to zoom around on motorcycles.
So: is this scheme actually going to be used by non-visiting adults too? Will it become part of the everyday fabric of life in Hsinchu (Xinzhu) City? Feel free to share experiences using this system and/or any observations about its development.
I had another great time riding around in Hsinchu (Xinzhu) City yesterday using their spanking new youbike system. I saw more and more locals using it–a fantastic development, given the predilection for scooters in that town. I hope this sticks.
I found this map to be helpful to locate current youbike stations, with info on availability of bikes:
So far, there are no stations in the university zone, near NTHU and NCTU. This is really too bad and I hope they extend the system. If anyone has insider details about possible future developments, do let us know.
They are the same bikes. But I have no idea if the systems are compatible in that way. If you were able to drop off a Taipei youbike at at Hsinchu youbike station, it would be the oldest and dirtiest bike by a mile!
Btw, you are planning to do a less-than-pleasant 85km journey on a three speed? I know some students are into challenges like that, but if your goal is to actually enjoy life there must be better options.
Nonredneck: just look at the chart helpfully posted by Doraemonster. If you pick your youbike in certain cities and drop them off in others, it seems there won’t be a surcharge (example: Taipei/Xinbei to Taoyuan). In other cases, you will be dinged!
[quote=“afterspivak”]Nonredneck: just look at the chart helpfully posted by Doraemonster. If you pick your youbike in certain cities and drop them off in others, it seems there won’t be a surcharge (example: Taipei/Xinbei to Taoyuan). In other cases, you will be dinged!
Guy[/quote]
I’m uncertain if that number in the chart is the total price or just a an extra fee. I assume it’s an extra fee in addition to the fee per half hour. That sucks. I didn’t think there would be a charge like that. I think it’s cheaper just to put your own bike on the train for the journey back.
Yeah, it’s a “repositioning” or “relocation” fee, on top of the regular rental charges. Taoyuan to Xinzhu is about 50 km, while Xinzhu to Taizhong is about 100 km, so both would be doable within a couple of hours, in theory. Not sure if anyone has ever done that on a YouBike though. There was the news a while ago that a YouBike from Zhanghua was spotted in Daan Park in Taipei but it turned out someone just brought and changed the sticker.
Or you can take the YouBike back. But then you would want to make it within 8 hours as then the charges become prohibitive.
Yeah, it’s a “repositioning” or “relocation” fee, on top of the regular rental charges. Taoyuan to Xinzhu is about 50 km, while Xinzhu to Taizhong is about 100 km, so both would be doable within a couple of hours, in theory. Not sure if anyone has ever done that on a YouBike though. There was the news a while ago that a YouBike from Zhanghua was spotted in Da’an Park in Taipei but it turned out someone just brought and changed the sticker.
Or you can take the YouBike back. But then you would want to make it within 8 hours as then the charges become prohibitive.[/quote]
If I’m going to take youbike back, I might as well ride my own bicycle there! It would be much faster and probably more comfortable to do so.
I don’t understand the rationale beyond this prohibitive “relocation” fee. The fourth- and eight-hour charge hike already discourages long-term rentals. Surely, such intercity rides are outside the originally intended scope of the YouBike system but would not need to generate extra costs for the operator if they are equally likely to occur in either direction, and there is no evidence to suggest they are not.
Last summer I rode the youbike from Taipei to Taoyuan. I did not know about the fees at that time, so I guess I was lucky I didn’t ride further.
After moving from Taipei to Hsinchu I have to say that I’m glad Hsinchu also has the Ubike system, although I don’t like it as much as its big brother.
In Hsinchu I really don’t see many people using it. Looking at the city’s bike unfriendlyness that’s no wonder. Besides nonexistent big lanes and crazy traffic, Hsinchu has more hills, a higher rental fee and in my opinion not enough stations. It would be nice to have some more stations in the science park area or near the Liujia line train stations. Zhubei does not have a single station, although I think it would be better suited for cycling.
I always liked making half day ubike trips in Taipei. For now, the only nice routes I did in Hsinchu were either from the science park through the hinterlands to Xiangshan train station (the southernmost bike station) or better, starting from Xiangshan, riding the oceanside railway path and going inland at the harbor on the path along the Touqian river until Xinzhuang station.
But I guess Taipei spoiled me, with so many routes for casual cycling.
For me, the joys of Hsinchu are to be found not near Science Park, nor by the waterfront. They are in the old city center, roughly bounded by Xida, Beida, Donga, and Nanda Roads. Zipping through the old narrow streets in this neighbourhood on a youbike is a joy. And while yes the driving in Hsinchu certainly leaves some things to be desired, the situation is WAY BETTER downtown than in the wilds of Guangfu Road Section 1 or near the Science Park.
I agree, btw, that there really should be stations in Zhubei. I hope they can make the system work and get a stronger sense of integration between Hsinchu City and adjacent parts of Hsinchu County. In the meantime, I’m simply glad that this system exists.
I liked riding by the wind power turbines on the coast of Hsinchu along the bicycle pathway on my round-Taiwan trip. That sound of the slow “thrrrummppp… thrrrrummppp…” as they turned over. cool
Late post, but… Did this on Youbike in early 2017.
From Hsinchu to Daxi it is only about 35km, took 3 hours, then SURPRISE - 750 NTD . Yeah, it was different from that chart, also, didn’t know about “intercity charges” back then. Same distance in Taipei-Taoyuan would be 35-55 NTD.
Now they have stations in Yangmei and Longtan, even closer to Hsinchu (but zero stations in Hsinchu County, even whole Zhubei is left YouBikeless, come on!).
