Keeping the habit of cycling around West Lake every Saturday afternoon, Thuy Lien (24 years old, Cau Giay) usually pays about 30,000 VND/bike for 2 hours of renting a bike in this area.
Unlike the purpose of moving between locations, Lien and her friends consider weekly cycling as a way to exercise after a week of working almost sitting in the office. Therefore, according to Lien, the criteria for choosing a bicycle suitable for her purpose is smooth riding, shock absorption, stability and safety.
Decoding the attraction
Nowadays, public bicycles are very convenient and are expected to become a "national" means of transport in the near future in Vietnam. However, this means of transport is more suitable for daily travel than for sports activities.
The above reasons create favorable conditions for the bicycle rental business model at West Lake to flourish. Bicycle rental shops along Nguyen Dinh Thi, Trich Sai streets... are always crowded with customers, even though the public bicycle system has been deployed throughout Hanoi.
Talking to reporters, Ms. LTH (30 years old), owner of a store on Trich Sai street said:
"Community bicycles are small in size and do not have speed-increasing and -decreasing components like off-road vehicles. Therefore, people who consider cycling as a sport will prefer to travel by off-road vehicle, because the frame is sturdy and the thick wheels adapt well to uneven roads."
Regularly using the West Lake bicycle rental service, Ms. Thuy Lien (24 years old, Cau Giay) said: "I have to move my motorbike to West Lake, so I prefer to choose bicycle rental areas in Trich Sai, because public bicycle locations have limited parking or will be charged a fee."
According to a survey, the closest public transport stop to West Lake is on Thanh Nien Street (Photo: Ke Tung).
As an office worker who uses both public and off-road bicycle rental services, Mr. Trung Dung (27 years old, Tay Ho) shared:
"I often choose to ride public bicycles to work every day because they are close to home and have a basket for storing things, so they are quite convenient. As for exercising, I like off-road bikes. Rental shops have a variety of bikes for me to choose from to experience."
Comparing the prices of these two types, there is no difference. The price for renting a public bicycle is 5,000 VND/30 minutes for a mechanical bicycle and 10,000 VND/30 minutes for an electric bicycle. Meanwhile, the bicycle rental service in West Lake usually costs 30,000 VND/bike/3 hours.
The public bicycles are simply designed with the main colors being white and blue. The iron frame is very sturdy, with a clip in the middle of the handlebar to hold the phone in case the customer needs to look at a map or listen to music. The bike can adjust the height of the saddle easily and quickly.
Renters can pick up and return the bike at any station, and can also buy daily or monthly tickets. In general, public transportation is designed to be quite convenient, easy, and friendly, meeting the basic needs of all users in daily life.
However, for the purpose of daily health and fitness training, conquering long roads, many people still prefer to choose off-road vehicles.
Mountain bike frames are usually large and sturdy, made from high-quality materials to increase durability and impact resistance. The wheels have many small deep grooves to increase friction with the road surface, suitable for moving on difficult terrain. Straight handlebars are designed to reduce fatigue for the driver. The tires are moderately thick, helping to limit the risk of flat tires when moving on the road.
Partly, thanks to the advantage of diverse designs and models such as tandem bicycles and small bicycles for children, the rental service has helped many small businesses not to be too disadvantaged and compete fiercely with the public bicycle model.
Therefore, while public bicycle rental services are quite deserted, bicycle rental services of small traders are bustling with customers.
More attractive in summer
According to Dan Tri reporters, along Trich Sai and Nguyen Dinh Thi streets (Tay Ho, Hanoi), there are more than 10 bicycle rental shops, the rest are 4-5 spontaneous rental points, hanging a price sign on a tree and displaying a few bicycles on the sidewalk.
Many spontaneous rental areas appear on the sidewalk (Photo: Ke Tung)
This is a clear, convenient route for renters to easily start their cycling journey around the lake. On the sidewalk, bicycles are arranged in clusters including: mountain bikes, regular bikes, tandem bikes,... suitable for the age and preferences of customers.
The rented shops often use the sidewalk to store about 20-30 bicycles. A normal day welcomes 50 to 60 customers, on weekends it can be up to 200 customers.
Cycling is also a favorite dating activity for couples (Photo: Ke Tung).
Opening his shop from 5am to 9pm every day, Mr. Truong Van Dung (30 years old), the owner of a shop on Trich Sai Street, said that the average monthly revenue is about 60-70 million VND, not including other expenses. Currently, his shop has about 60 motorbikes.
Merchants give water to each tenant (Photo: Ke Tung).
Busy guiding customers to rent a bike, Mr. Tung (28 years old), an employee at a bicycle rental shop on Trich Sai street, shared:
"Every time a customer returns, I have to clean it for the person behind me, and I also have to keep an eye on the bus to prevent theft. In the summer, many people like to cycle around the lake because of the cool weather, so many days I'm busy from morning to night."
Passionate about cycling after work, Ms. Minh Huong (30 years old) said: "After finishing work, I often cycle around the lake to relax after a productive day of work. This is also an activity that strengthens my family's bond every weekend."
Responding to the trend, Hong Tham (20 years old) shared: "I study full-time, so on weekends I often invite my friends to go cycling to West Lake. The bicycle rental service is quite convenient, it suits my current need of only cycling when I have free time."
Hong Tham considers cycling a relaxing activity as well as a health exercise (Photo: Ke Tung).
Most people who rent bicycles express interest in this form of exercise. To avoid rush hour, the elderly often choose to cycle around 3pm, because West Lake Road is often congested.
Diem Quynh
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