Gold bikes add sparkle to city streets

A woman looks at a golden-colored sharing bike in Shanghai. [Photo by Shi Xiaofeng/chinadaily.com.cn]

In the fiercely competitive bike share market, a new player is hoping a bold color choice will help it stand out.

A bunch of sparkling gold bikes hit the streets in Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, Shenzhen and Xi'an on Thursday, triggering interest online.

Unlike the orange, yellows and blues employed by the major players, the Beijing-based tech company Coolqi, founded in November, has sprayed the entire bike frame in shimmering gold.

Many bike users have commented that the color is so bright, especially when in the sun, that it may threaten traffic safety.

The company previously rolled out about 1 million green bikes across more than 50 cities on the Chinese mainland.

Some joked that new entrepreneurs joining the fierce battle will be running out of colors.

China's bike-sharing sector has experience rapid growth and expansion since early last year. The major players include Mobike represented by orange bikes, Ofo, which has yellow bikes and Xiaoming with blue bikes.