This device is for modifying a bike that doesn’t belong to you. He’s saying that the companies+cities that operate bike shares will forbid modifiction of their bikes and he’s right.
They already do forbid it according to the Citi Bike Terms of Service, the main bikeshare featured in the kickstarter. The only modification to the bikes whatsoever is that the user may adjust the seat height using the provided means.
Killjoy? Maybe, but you can see why someone providing public transportation would forbid people modifying the vehicles. Especially to operate in a manner they were not designed for.
From the look of it the people in the kickstarter did not actually get with any bikeshare to collaborate. There is one line stating that the device currently complies with all bikeshare terms of service. But Citi Bike, the NYC bikeshare, clearly states
“You must not dismantle, write on, or otherwise modify or deface a Citi Bike bicycle or any part of a Citi Bike bicycle in any way. You must not write on, peel, or otherwise modify or deface any sticker on a Citi Bike bicycle in any way. You must not use a Citi Bike bicycle for any advertising or similar commercial purpose. This rule does not apply to the use of the seat height adjustment feature on Citi Bike bicycles.”
When a rule that states you must not modify has an exemption for the integrated seat height adjustment it means do not modify the bike in any way.
They need to collaborate with these bikeshares. Thankfully the product is designed with more than bikeshares in mind, from here it looks like bikeshares are a convenient marketing vehicle for the product, because really, that is a tiny tiny market, esp considering among subscribers who will want to pay that much.
That they used Citi Bike for advertising when that too is expressly forbidden tells me that they didn’t really do much reading of terms of service, or they did & decided to ignore. So they put in one line about & that’s it.
