This article originally appeared on ABACUS China’s bike-sharing madness has gone from boom to bust in just two years, leaving streets and rivers clogged with unused bicycles . With only a handful of big players left, the contest has largely wound down to a war of attrition: Most companies now let users rent bikes without paying any deposits . While most aspiring entrepreneurs might now see bike-sharing as a minefield to avoid, a few others have decided to jump in by reaching out to a new demographic: Preschoolers. Chinese media report that kiddie bikes are popping up in neighborhoods around the eastern city of Jinan. Fitted with training wheels, a front-basket and a bicycle bell, each bike costs around 2 yuan (US$0.3) to rent for a 30-minute ride. Parents scan a QR code on the bike and pay via an app. No deposits are required. But unlike most regular bike-sharing services, the kiddie bikes can only be picked up and dropped off at specific docking areas -- all located within gated communities. But with adult bike-sharing running into plenty of problems ranging from theft to vandalism, skeptics aren’t sure that kiddie bike-sharing will be any different. One Weibo user thinks it could even be worse : “For people who are used to stealing bikes, this size should be even more convenient for them.” A few users wondered, somewhat sarcastically, whether it’s time for sharing businesses to target the graying population, with some suggesting wheelchair-sharing as a possible idea. It'd be funny, except it’s actually already been done: A number of hospitals in China are now offering rental wheelchairs through mobile apps. Spurned users decide to sell shared bikes to make up for their lost deposits For more insights into China tech, sign up for our tech newsletters , subscribe to our Inside China Tech podcast , and download the comprehensive 2019 China Internet Report . Also roam China Tech City , an award-winning interactive digital map at our sister site Abacus .
