The rise of the bike wrangler

Bike-share operator Li Yue (L) rides his Xiao Ming bike in search of strays to fix, repair, or replace. [Photo/wxrb.com]

A typical day will begin with the bike technicians agreeing on which areas of the city they will each roam, before saddling up and setting off by 8 am.

Upon arriving in his designated zone, Li then seeks out his first bike. He will check the brakes, tires, saddle, and stand to make sure they are all in good working order and then carry on his way.

"I have a general overview of all of the bikes in my area," says Li. "I use the mobile app so it is very easy to track the bikes down, check if they are all working okay, as well as return bikes to appropriate parking places with lots of traffic flow.

Once inspected and given the all clear, Li Yue puts the bike back in place ready for service. [Photo/wxrb.com]

"For bicycles that are broken and I can't fix on the spot, I will punch its serial number into the app to lock it in fault mode," Li says. "That way no one can use an unsafe bike and I can return later on and fix it." Bicycles that have more serious problems are flagged up and removed during the evening and taken back to the factory for repairs.