[rfrey]

Bixi made a 3 or 4 year go of it in Toronto before exiting the market. So it could be that all their locations (except Montreal) are profitable because they exit markets where they are losing money (except Montreal).

If that's true it raises the interesting question about why it works in some cities and not in others, since presumably the operations by Bixi are equally competent in the various places they open.

[CydeWeys]

It could just be that bike shares aren't profitable in northerly cities with long cold winters.

[tedmiston]

Sometimes founders keep a home city alive despite being unprofitable as a symbol if nothing else. Like when clothing companies have expensive flagships in NYC that are more about marketing than being stores.