Fourteen of the fifteen New Dawn partner clinics you can book today have a YouBike 2.0 dock within 160 metres of the door, and the fifteenth is 201 metres away. That makes Taipei's public bike the shortest last mile from your hotel or the MRT to the clinic. This guide covers what YouBike is, what a ride costs, how a visitor without a Taiwan phone number rents one, which dock is closest to each clinic, and the mornings when you should take a car instead.
What is YouBike, and who is behind it?
YouBike is Taiwan's public bike-share system, run by YouBike Co., Ltd. The company is one of the service brands of Giant Group, the Taichung bicycle maker behind the Giant, Liv and Momentum brands. That parentage shows in the hardware: the system belongs to a bicycle manufacturer, not to a software company that leases its bikes.
The scale in Taipei City alone, from the city government's statistics office (September 2025):
| Taipei City, end of September 2025 | Figure | Change on a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| Docking stations | 1,663 | +200 (+13.7%) |
| Bikes | 24,200 (22,000 YouBike 2.0 and 2,200 electric-assist 2.0E) | +2,685 (+12.5%) |
| Rentals, January to September 2025 | 58.74 million | +11.42 million (+24.1%) |
| Rentals per day | 215,000 | +43,000 (+24.6%) |
| Rentals per bike per day | 9.3 | +0.2 |
| City bike lanes | 410.6 km | +2.8 km |
It also earns its keep. Figures read into the record at Taipei City Council in November 2025 put the operator's revenue at NT$553.7 million in 2023 and NT$749.1 million in 2024, while Taipei rentals rose from 46.1 million to 65.4 million over the same two years. The same session criticised the system's rider insurance as thin: the operator paid NT$9.88 million in premiums in 2024, and of 1,722 accidents reported between 2023 and November 2025, 387 led to a payout. Ride it the way you would ride any city bike: slowly, on the bike lane, and not in the rain if you can help it.
Why is YouBike 2.0 different from most bike-share systems?
The first-generation docks were wired to the mains, which meant trenching a pavement before a station could open. YouBike 2.0 was designed around "electricity-free and light docks", in the operator's words. The bikes and the docking posts run on solar power, each post holds one bike, and a station can be placed on an ordinary pavement without a power connection. That is why a dock now sits on almost every block of central Taipei, and why the nearest one to your clinic is measured in metres rather than minutes.
Since 30 August 2024 Taipei has also run YouBike 2.0E, an electric-assist version, with about 2,200 bikes in the fleet by September 2025. It is the right choice for the climb to Beitou. It is priced separately and is not covered by the free first 30 minutes described below.
How much does a YouBike ride cost in Taipei?
The operator's published Taipei rates, which apply to members and one-time users alike, are:
| YouBike 2.0 | YouBike 2.0E (electric assist) | |
|---|---|---|
| Base rate | NT$10 per 30 minutes for the first 4 hours | NT$20 per 30 minutes for the first 2 hours |
| Longer rides | NT$20 per 30 minutes from 4 to 8 hours, NT$40 per 30 minutes after that | NT$40 per 30 minutes after 2 hours |
| Rounding | Any part of 30 minutes counts as 30 minutes | |
| Taipei City subsidy | Taipei City pays NT$10 of every member rental, which is why residents call the first 30 minutes free; the policy has run since 28 February 2024 | None |
| One-time users (no membership) | Base rate only, no subsidy, credit card only, with a NT$3,000 deposit that is released after a normal return | |
In practice a hop from the MRT to a clinic is one 30-minute block: free for a member, NT$10 for a visitor on a one-time rental.
Can a visitor rent a YouBike without a Taiwan phone number?
Yes, through the app's one-time rental, but not as a member. Membership requires a mobile number registered in Taiwan, verified by SMS, plus a passport or ID number so the operator can enrol you in the public-bicycle injury insurance. A visitor without a local number uses the one-time rental in the YouBike app instead. The rules for that path, from the operator's rate page and membership terms:
- Payment is by credit card only, at the base rate above; the Taipei City subsidy does not apply.
- A NT$3,000 deposit is held on the card and refunded automatically after a normal return; how fast it reappears depends on your card issuer.
- One approval covers 120 hours of rentals; after that the app asks you to approve the card again.
- The bikes fit riders between 140 cm and 190 cm tall.
- A bike that turns out to be faulty within five minutes can be returned to the same dock at no charge.
- If the dock you arrive at is full, the app's full-station function gives extra time to reach a nearby station.
- The membership terms describe injury insurance for members; they say nothing about cover for one-time users, so assume you have none and bring your own travel insurance.
Which YouBike dock is closest to each New Dawn partner clinic?
We matched the coordinates of every partner clinic that currently takes bookings against the live station lists published by Taipei City and New Taipei City on 9 November 2026. Distances are straight-line; walking minutes assume an unhurried 80 metres a minute. Two clinics whose map pins we could not verify are left out.
| Clinic | District | Nearest YouBike 2.0 dock | Distance | Second choice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beitou Health Management Hospital | Beitou | Zhongyong Park | 36 m · about 1 min on foot | MRT Xinbeitou Sta. (Exit 2) (144 m) |
| Taiwan Adventist Hospital | Songshan | National Land Management Agency, MOI | 25 m · about 1 min on foot | Energy Administration, MOEA (105 m) |
| Central Clinic & Hospital Healthcare Center - Health Screening Center | Da'an | Ln. 49, Sec. 4, Zhongxiao E. Rd. | 24 m · about 1 min on foot | Liugong Park (66 m) |
| iHope Clinic | Xinyi | Sec. 4, Xinyi Rd & Yanji St Intersection | 134 m · about 2 min on foot | Guangfu S. Rd & Sec. 4, Xinyi Rd Intersection (Southeast) (158 m) |
| Aimer Beauty Medical Aesthetic Clinic | Zhongshan | Nanjing Rd. & Longjiang Rd. Intersection | 70 m · about 1 min on foot | Zhong Zheng Elementary School (Ln. 48, Sec. 3, NanJing E. Rd.) (120 m) |
| Provenir Clinic | Nangang | Xingnan Park | 33 m · about 1 min on foot | Ln. 52, XingNan St. (185 m) |
| Feza Eyesalon | Zhongshan | MRT Nanjing Fuxing Sta.(Exit.5) | 98 m · about 1 min on foot | Zhulun St. & Fuxing N. Rd. Intersection (145 m) |
| EG Dental | Da'an | Ln. 170, Siwei Rd. | 55 m · about 1 min on foot | Ln. 103, Sec. 2, Dunhua S. Rd. (63 m) |
| Shifu Massage 獅傅按摩恢復中心 | Da'an | MRT Da’an Sta. (Exit 5) | 92 m · about 1 min on foot | MRT Da’an Sta (Exit 4) (98 m) |
| Revive Blanc | Zhongshan | MRT Zhongshan Sta. (Exit 5) | 158 m · about 2 min on foot | MoCA Taipei (168 m) |
| Berkeley Ophthalmology 柏克萊眼科 | Zhongshan | Yongan Elementary School (Ln. 554, BeiAn Rd.) | 139 m · about 2 min on foot | Dazhi Station (Exit 3) (161 m) |
| her spa | Zhongshan | MRT Zhongshan Sta. (Exit 2) | 54 m · about 1 min on foot | MRT Zhongshan Sta. (Exit 3) (90 m) |
| NUWA Fertility Center Taipei | Da'an | MRT Da’an Sta. (Exit 3) | 46 m · about 1 min on foot | MRT Da’an Sta (Exit 2) (73 m) |
| Merrier Clinic | Da'an | Long Men Plaza | 51 m · about 1 min on foot | MRT Zhongxiao Dunhua Sta. (Exit 7) (87 m) |
| Pan Chiao Chung Hsing Hospital (PCCH) | Tucheng, New Taipei | Ln. 70, Sec. 1, Zhonghua Rd. Intersection | 201 m · about 3 min on foot | Zhonghua Rixin St. Intersection (236 m) |
Three of these are the hospitals behind our health screening packages: Beitou Health Management Hospital, Taiwan Adventist Hospital and Central Clinic. For Beitou, the dock at Zhongyong Park is closer than the MRT exit, and a 2.0E takes the hill out of the ride up from Xinbeitou.
When should you not ride to your appointment?
A bike is the right tool for a consultation, a dental visit or a follow-up. It is the wrong tool on three kinds of morning:
- Any procedure under sedation. Gastroscopy and colonoscopy are usually done under sedation at our partner hospitals, and you must not ride afterwards. Our concierge arranges a car for the way back.
- Eye appointments with dilating drops. Your near vision blurs for hours after dilation; walk or take a taxi from Berkeley Ophthalmology.
- Fasting screening mornings in summer. You arrive without breakfast for most screening packages. A flat two-minute hop is fine; the Beitou hill on a hot morning on an empty stomach is not. Take the 2.0E or the MRT.
For everything else, the MRT plus a YouBike beats a taxi across Taipei at rush hour. Our transport guide covers the MRT lines and the airport connection.
How do you rent a YouBike 2.0 step by step?
- Install the YouBike app before you fly; it is in both app stores and can be switched to English.
- Open the one-time rental option and register a credit card. The app places the NT$3,000 hold at this point.
- Walk to any YouBike 2.0 dock, pick a bike, and scan the code on its handlebar unit with the app.
- Lift the bike out, adjust the seat post, and ride on the bike lane; Taipei's are marked on the road and on most boulevard pavements.
- At the clinic, push the front wheel into any empty 2.0 post until it locks, then check the app shows the rental closed.
- After your appointment, repeat from step three. Each one-time approval lasts 120 hours, so a week's visits usually need one card authorisation.
Sources
- Taipei City Government, Department of Budget, Accounting and Statistics — Statistics Weekly No. 1359: public bicycle rentals January–September 2025 (accessed 2026-11-09)
- YouBike Co., Ltd. — Taipei rental rates (accessed 2026-11-09)
- YouBike Co., Ltd. — How to sign up (Taipei) (accessed 2026-11-09)
- YouBike Co., Ltd. — Membership terms of service (accessed 2026-11-09)
- YouBike Co., Ltd. — About YouBike (accessed 2026-11-09)
- Giant Group — corporate site, service brands (accessed 2026-11-09)
- Taiwan News — Bicycle sharing service YouBike 2.0 now available in New Taipei, 21 October 2021 (accessed 2026-11-09)
- China Times via Yahoo — 北市YouBike年收7.5億 用戶保險不到千萬 理賠門檻高挨批, 18 November 2025 (accessed 2026-11-09)
- Taipei City Open Data — YouBike 2.0 real-time station information (accessed 2026-11-09)
- New Taipei City Open Data — YouBike 2.0 real-time station information (accessed 2026-11-09)
Frequently asked
Is the first 30 minutes on YouBike free for tourists?
No. The free first 30 minutes is a Taipei City subsidy of NT$10 per rental paid to YouBike members, and membership requires a mobile number registered in Taiwan. A visitor on the app's one-time rental pays the base rate, NT$10 per 30 minutes on a YouBike 2.0, with no subsidy.
How much is the deposit for a one-time YouBike rental?
NT$3,000, held on your credit card when you approve the card in the app and released automatically after a normal return. The operator notes that the refund can take as long as your card issuer takes to process it. One approval covers 120 hours of rentals.
Can I ride a YouBike back after my health screening?
Not after a sedated procedure such as a gastroscopy or colonoscopy, and not with dilated eyes after an eye exam; our concierge arranges a car in those cases. After a consultation, a dental visit or an unsedated scan, yes.
How many YouBike stations are there in Taipei?
1,663 docking stations and about 24,200 bikes in Taipei City at the end of September 2025, according to the city government's statistics office, up 200 stations on a year earlier. New Taipei City runs its own network, which is why Pan Chiao Chung Hsing Hospital in Tucheng also has a dock nearby.
What is YouBike 2.0E and does the free period apply to it?
YouBike 2.0E is the electric-assist model Taipei added on 30 August 2024, about 2,200 bikes by September 2025. It costs NT$20 per 30 minutes for the first 2 hours and NT$40 per 30 minutes after that, and the free first 30 minutes does not apply to it. It is the easier way up the hill to Beitou Health Management Hospital.
