The one major annoyance I've found with them is that coverage is extremely restricted. In SF, coverage doesn't reach Fishermans Wharf, Golden Gate bridge or Golden Gate park.

When I was in SF for tourism a few years ago, it was a complete non-starter even though at a glance it seemed like the most promising option.

>in SF for tourism a few years ago, it was a complete non-starter

That's intentional - http://www.sfexaminer.com/transportation-officials-halt-fund...

FWIW, it was also extremely restricted when I used it in Toronto. Coverage only went as far as middle of Korean Town, meaning you couldn't use it to go to, say, High Park. For commuting it was an even sillier proposition, because the coverage overlapped with the densest subway/bus grid in the city, and it was not much cheaper per month than a subway pass, unless you got a groupon for it.

It would be nice if there was more coverage but they have been expanding in the Bay Area over the past year.

It is around $150 a year in the Bay Area right now which makes it very economical if you can take the bike instead of the subway or a bus (i.e. just replace six bus trips per month.)

> and you can feel good that you're not leaving it in a place that is in the way.

If only more people felt that way. But look at how many are too lazy/selfish to put away their shopping cart and leave it in a parking spot or propped up on a curb. Even though the docking stations are always close by in that case.

If the stations were upgraded a bit, I bet the docking stations could charge the E-bikes. That would make it especially useful to have docks, far less labor involved in manually charging bikes, the rider sets it to charge automatically!

All the bikes in Seattle (Lime, Ofo and Spin) are dockless and GPS tracked so you can find a bike anytime using their app.

But that means you have to check your app; hopefully your phone isn't dead. Also, some days you might need to travel farther to find a bike.

I realize there are also advantages to dockless (you don't have to walk the last bit when near your destination and maybe the bike is nearer to you when you start.)

These are just some ways in which using a dock are more convenient.