Meet the weak link in the shared bike chain

First off, I'm a bit of a conservative when it comes to bicycles - back in the days when I rode one, all I required were a comfortable saddle, a sturdy frame, good tires and a decent set of gears.

So the arrival of China's Mobike, which provides bike-hiring service, in Manchester recently came as a bit of a shock. Skeletal unisex frames, fluorescent wheels, solid rubber tires and no chain - instead there's a cunning shaft-driven single-gear transmission, and handlebars packed with digital stuff.

Here in London, we have become used to what everyone calls "Boris Bikes", named after former London mayor Boris Johnson on whose watch they were introduced. The bikes, initially sponsored by Barclays Bank but now by Santander, the Spanish bank, are solid, rugged and reliable, with gears and lights. You use your credit or debit card to release one from the docking mechanism, and it's yours for a basic charge of 2($2.59) for 24 hours, although longer journeys outside central London cost more. You have to return the bike to a docking station after use. Few get stolen. They are, after all, rather distinctive in their silver and red livery.