New All-Terrain Shared Bikes from Ofo Ensure Gnarly Public Shredding

Would you just look at these bad boys:

The phenomenon of shared bikes (public-access bicycles that can be unlocked with a quick phone scan and left basically anywhere when you’re done) took off at lightspeed in mainland China. People already use their cell phones for everything here, so the cheap, convenient, universally accessible alternative to your moped commute was a no-brainer.

But Ofo really outdid themselves with this one. Look at these things. The newest iteration of Ofo bikes comes equipped with these huge, all-terrain wheels. Who is using these? Who is dipping off the paved streets of the big city on their way to work, to go hit 360 tailwhips at the local BMX park? The world deserves an answer.

Maybe this increased willingness to shell out money on largely useless upgrades is prompted by the recent $700 million in new funds Ofo managed to raise, courtesy of e-commerce giant Alibaba group and Russia’s DST Global investment firm. The neck-and-neck competition between Ofo and its competitor Mobike continues to grow necker and necker, with the other half-dozen competitor brands having been basically edged out of the infant shared bike industry. Looks like Ofo plans to achieve victory by takin’ it to the dirt.

H/T Nathan VanderKlippe