• What is bikeshare?

• How to rent a YouBike

• Youbike 1.0 vs. 2.0

One of the newest forms of public transportation that cities around the world now offer is bike-sharing, and like everything else, Taiwan has made it easy and convenient! Are you going somewhere that is too far to walk, but too short to take a scooter or car? YouBike will be perfect for you!

YouBike is Taiwan’s bike-sharing system and is located in every major city, including Taipei, New Taipei City (the suburbs), Kaohsiung, and Taichung. Even cities that don’t have YouBike might have their own system, for example Tainan has T-bike that runs the exact same way, but just has a different name. There are now 2 versions of YouBike: 1.0, the original, and 2.0, the updated version. Both versions are very similar, but have some important distinctions, the most important one being you can only return 1.0 bikes to 1.0 stands and same for 2.0 (you can’t return a 1.0 to a 2.0 stand and vice versa). There is no difference in cost, however, both are NT$10 per 30min within the first 4 hours, NT$20 per 30min between 4 and 8 hours, and NT$40 per 30min exceeding 8 hours. If you’re in Taipei, you’ll even get a discount if your ride is under 30 minutes!

These bikes are yellow and orange and always have a kiosk attached to the stand (or nearby if not attached directly). You can pay by credit card for a single ride OR register your EasyCard to become a member so that you can just tap bikes in and out without having to use the kiosk each time (you’ll need a local phone number to register but not for single rides). For both, use the kiosk by selecting English and choosing what you want to do. For single rides, after payment just select a YouBike from the stand and pull back on the handlebars to release it from the stand. IMPORTANT: for single rides, you only have 90 seconds after the ‘ride accepted’ screen to pull your bike out of the stand, or you’ll have to repeat the process. Once you’ve registered your EasyCard, pick the bike you want to rent and just tap your card on the reader between the bikes. When you see/hear the green light beeping, you can pull your bike back from the stand. To return 1.0 bikes, simply push the bike into an empty stand, listen for the lock and tap your EasyCard when the light beeps and blinks blue. When the light is green, you’re finished and free to ride again another day!

These bikes are white and yellow and don’t have a kiosk, so if you’re a tourist or don’t already have a registered EasyCard, it’s best to find a 1.0 kiosk. YouBike 2.0 offers some upgraded features like a lighter frame and cushy handlebars and allows payment by QR code if needed. If you’re using an EasyCard, walk up to the bike you want to rent, press the green button to ‘wake up’ the bike and then just tap your easy card on the reader until you hear the beep and pull the bike back from the stand as usual. To return, just push the bike back into the lock and tap your EasyCard when you hear the beep and the screen says ‘tap your card’. It will always show your EasyCard balance and YouBike charge.  To use the QR code option, you’ll need to download the YouBike 2.0 app and add your payment method to it. Instead of tapping an EasyCard, just scan the QR code to rent the bike, you won’t re-scan it when you return the bike (just wait for the lock and walk away). 

When you rent a YouBike, always check the tires, brakes and lights to make sure they’re working properly. If not, turn the seat backwards and find one that is in good condition (this allows the company and other riders know that there is an issue with the bike). If you’re having issues renting a bike and get a red error beep, look at the error code it gives you on the screen and match it to the error code key located between the bikes to find out your specific problem. If you don’t have enough money on your EasyCard, you can always go to the nearest convenient store and add money to your card. Taipei is currently rolling out 2.0 stands, so there are more 1.0 stands than 2.0 stands. ALWAYS check your destination on googlemaps and look around it to see where the closest 1.0 and 2.0 stands are (and make sure it’s the same version as the bike you’re renting)!