In this edition of our weekly “OV Fiets” bike-sharing case-study David Peck and Alessio Franconi discuss the design characteristics of the OV bike that make it particularly fit for reuse.

Key points:

• Robustness of design and fabrication: The OV fiets is designed to be strong and resistant, as users might not take as much care of it as they would of their own private bike.
• Fewer parts and components: The fewer parts and connections the product has, the less likely it is to fail.
• Design features: The bike has a single back-pedal brake, or coaster brake, built into the back wheel. The lights are integrated into the frame to prevent them from being broken off in an impact, they are powered by a dynamo to avoid the need to replace batteries.