Friday Eye Candy: Dockless Bikes, as Far as the Eye Can See

As explained by Alan Taylor, the dockless bikeshare industry was quick to flood the streets of China, supply outpacing demand before regulators could catch up.

Riders would park bikes anywhere, or just abandon them, resulting in bicycles piling up and blocking already-crowded streets and pathways. As cities impounded derelict bikes by the thousands, they moved quickly to cap growth and regulate the industry. Vast piles of impounded, abandoned, and broken bicycles have become a familiar sight in many big cities. 

Taylor's team at The Atlantic deployed a photographer to China to capture the sights of dockless bikeshare's high water mark. This slideshow has some truly jaw-dropping photos.