Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

After a huge but brief boom in the bike share business in China, several start-ups have gone bust. A New York Times article describes the challenges now faced in one of the towns affected by the swift rise and fall of the industry.

Wangqingtuo initially saw massive investment as companies looked to set up bike factories there. Now, “parts of Wangqingtuo look like a ghost town. Many factories are locked tight, and the signs that once showed their names and specialties have been removed,” the New York Times reports.

“Storefronts stand empty on the street where many of the bike factories used to run shops. A stack of bicycle wheels sits beside a storefront. Nearby, someone has piled unwanted bicycle forks in a haphazard row.”