However, the supply has vastly outpaced demand.
Many Chinese cities ill-equipped to handle the sudden flood of millions of shared bicycles have been overwhelmed.
Illegal parking have led to clogged sidewalks, while damaged and mangled bikes are routine occurrence.
A giant pile of mangled bicycles in Xiamen, south-east China.
Almost overnight, websites became defunct and apps stopped working.
Thousands of bicycles were left abandoned on the streets, attracting vandalism and abuse on those uncollected bikes.
