This may be a case of competitive mimickry, as Uber bought JUMP Mobility back in April. However, it points to an inevitability in on-demand: Every business that establishes a beachhead with consumers will find it opportune, even essential, to expand into adjacent markets. Bike-sharing, like car-sharing, can be delivered in one interface by Lyft and Uber.
The question is whether there is enough overlap between car passengers and bike riders.
The ride-hailing company acquired Motivate, the operator of Capital Bikeshare and New York’s Citi Bike, among other bikeshare services, in a deal believed to be valued at least $250 million. The company will introduce “Lyft Bikes,” seizing on the momentum around dockless and pedal-assist e-bikes in major U.S. cities, and inject resources into the bikeshare operator to expand those offerings around the country.