Swapfiets, Bike Subscription Service, Netherlands, 2020

Swapfiets is a Netherlands based bike subscription service with 200,000 members operating in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and Denmark, blurring the lines between ride-based bike share models and regular bicycle ownership. The service enables people to receive and retain a bicycle through a monthly subscription. If the bicycle breaks down or needs a tune up, the Swapfiets team will repair or replace it with a new, working bike within 48 hours at a location of your choosing. Additionally, they have store locations that offer same-day services. 

Swapfiets operates in 57 cities with varying bicycle availability and pricing structures based on the city. In Berlin for example, Swapfiets offers three different models, ranging from the ‘Original’ model, a traditional robust ‘Dutch Bike’ without gears, which costs 16 euros per month and up to the ‘Power 7’ model, a luxury e-bike with gears and hand brakes that costs 73 euros per month. Berlin also offers the E-Kick, an electric scooter that costs 44 euros per month. This take on shared mobility offers the rider the stability of having a bicycle each day at their home, without the added stress and cost to deal with when it breaks. 

As of July 2, Swapfiets was set to open up in London, Milan and Paris. For more information on Swapfiets, visit their website.