Barclays/TFL cycle hire scheme in London

[skyscraper101]

It seems to me that unless you're someone who goes to central London for any length of time, and then need to move around from place to place, in a short space of time, this would probably be ideal. However, if you live an easy cycle ride away in surrounding zone 2 areas and may want to pop to central London and back on a bike - they haven't considered you.

 

[Crispy]

It seems to me that unless you're someone who goes to central London for any length of time, and then need to move around from place to place, in a short space of time, this would probably be ideal. However, if you live an easy cycle ride away in surrounding zone 2 areas and may want to pop to central London and back on a bike - they haven't considered you.

Nor should they, IMO - commuting would shove all the zone 2 bikes into the center in the morning (leaving racks empty, or making the resupply vans shuttle back and forth), and then back out again in the evening, leaving the center empty.

This scheme is intended (in part) to replace the last leg of your public transport journey - ie. the last bus or tube that you'd catch after getting off a mainline train. It's also for making quick cross-center trips during a working/shopping/out-and-about day.

 

[Black Halo]

It seems to me that unless you're someone who goes to central London for any length of time, and then need to move around from place to place, in a short space of time, this would probably be ideal.

As Crispy has noted that is the point of the scheme. Want to commute by bike? Get your company to sign up for the cycle-to-work scheme.

 

[London_Calling]

Indeed.

skyscraper101 - it's not a substitute for bike ownership. The scheme serves entirely different purposes.

 

[skyscraper101]

It seems that the Paris velo network is a lot more expansive though. Why can't it be the same in London? For example, you can get a velo in the middle of Paris say (eg. Paris Town Hall) and ride it out as far west as Boulogne - Pont de Saint-Cloud - a good 10km away. Yet if I wanted to pick up a bike at a similarly central London location, eg. Big Ben - the furthest west I could go is Olympia, a mere 5km away.

Why can't London have a bigger network like Paris?

 

[Crispy]

The Paris network has been expanded significantly since it started - twice the bikes and dock sites. But even at the beginning, it was larger - 750 compared to 400 docking sites in Paris vs. London. Money and good old British aversion to change are to blame IMO.

 

[skyscraper101]

I don't like the way that they have 'Barclays' plastered all over the back either.

 

[Kanda]

Who would be your prefered sponsor??

 

[skyscraper101]

The Paris network has been expanded significantly since it started - twice the bikes and dock sites. But even at the beginning, it was larger - 750 compared to 400 docking sites in Paris vs. London. Money and good old British aversion to change are to blame IMO.

That's the odd thing isn't it. Paris seem to manage more sites and without turning each bike into an advertising board for a major bank on the back. So much for Boris's claim that we'll have the "Rolls-Royce of bicycles" on London's streets. The Paris ones look relatively cooler in comparison.

 

[snowy_again]

Wouldn't coolness lead to more theft? I imagine the ugliest bike possible is a theft deterrent.

 

[skyscraper101]

Who would be your prefered sponsor??

Preferably nobody, like in Paris.

But if absolutely have to have a sponsor seeing as Johnson has created such a massive black hole in the transport budget - then it could at least be something a lot cooler than a bank like Barclays.

 

[Crispy]

The Paris scheme is sponsored by the advertising giant JCDeceaux, who take all the profit from the advertising hoardings on the docking stations.

 

[teuchter]

Nor should they, IMO - commuting would shove all the zone 2 bikes into the center in the morning (leaving racks empty, or making the resupply vans shuttle back and forth), and then back out again in the evening, leaving the center empty.

This scheme is intended (in part) to replace the last leg of your public transport journey - ie. the last bus or tube that you'd catch after getting off a mainline train. It's also for making quick cross-center trips during a working/shopping/out-and-about day.

I don't see that there's necessarily a problem with more bikes being in the centre during the day - after all, that's when most people wanting bikes will be in the centre too.

In any case, if people use them to get from mainline rail stations to work, won't the same problem apply (loads of bikes outside stations overnight, and then a shortage in the day)?

I reckon that in any case, people wanting to regularly commute from Z2 or further out would get their own bike on account of the clunky design of the velib ones.

Either way - I'll be pleased if the scheme does eventually extend to Brixton and other places... I can see it being pretty useful for me if it does.

 

[teuchter]

The London docking stations are nicer than the Paris ones I reckon.

 

[London_Calling]

I detest the advertising. Mind you, if I had my way I'd ban it from bus shelters, those god awful billboards, black cabs, busses and, actually, pretty much everywhere. If they want to impress with their product, use the money saved from advertising and reduce prices. Thank you. Merry Christmas.

 

[skyscraper101]

I don't mind so much having sponsorship on the docking facilities like Paris but why should we all be turned into mobile advertising boards for Barclays bank while peddling round central London? They look really crap IMHO.

 

[London_Calling]

They look like they might come off easily enough . . .

 

[skyscraper101]

. . .an ad buster target if ever I saw one

 

[ddraig]

the Oy bikes in Cardiff have ads on them as well
only noticed ones from the council about the bikes themselves on them so far!

 

[flash]

Preferably nobody, like in Paris.

But if absolutely have to have a sponsor seeing as Johnson has created such a massive black hole in the transport budget - then it could at least be something a lot cooler than a bank like Barclays.

Mmmm like a bank that has to get taxpayers to bail it out (RBS or Lloyds)? Odds on Barclays will write the £25 million off as a business expense to lower their tax bill or something like that, whilst getting loads of free advertising.

Look forward to them standing by it though when the first person looks the wrong way and goes straight through a buses windscreen, with an awkward photo ending up on the front page of the Standard. Odds on at least a couple of serious hospital admissions within August especially with the Super Highways being unveiled shortly.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Mmmm like a bank that has to get taxpayers to bail it out (RBS or Lloyds)? Odds on Barclays will write the £25 million off as a business expense to lower their tax bill or something like that, whilst getting loads of free advertising.

Look forward to them standing by it though when the first person looks the wrong way and goes straight through a buses windscreen, with an awkward photo ending up on the front page of the Standard. Odds on at least a couple of serious hospital admissions within August especially with the Super Highways being unveiled shortly.

For all his many faults, I think Boris will be able to brush that off pretty easily when it (inevitably as you say) happens.

 

[teuchter]

Have just been reading in the Lambeth propaganda circular about the "Barclays cycle superhighway". I can just about cope with advertising being stuck onto the bikes themselves but not when it is attached to nouns

 

[flash]

For all his many faults, I think Boris will be able to brush that off pretty easily when it (inevitably as you say) happens.

It will happen - it hate to be a pessimist but it's inevitable - throwing potentially new cyclists in to the middle of zone 1 without a crash helmet - like that's not going to cause problems. Anyone want to take a spread on the number of first month casualties? I think there is going to be some pretty negative media on this one (the amount of schemes that have been shelved to effectively fund this is interesting, certain pots of money are suddenly empty apparently.....). Does have a touch of a vanity project about it, the fact that he tried to get a dock in his road in Islington (that was refused planning permission) says it all. Hope it goes well for him though.

 

[flash]

Have just been reading in the Lambeth propaganda circular about the "Barclays cycle superhighway". I can just about cope with advertising being stuck onto the bikes themselves but not when it is attached to nouns

Well they couldn't stick it on the carriageway or on any of the signs without getting planning permission so they had to stick it somewhere (as it's effectively advertising - I've had to get planning permission for moving a public notice board before given the size of the posters on it - planning laws are beyond belief)

 

[Open Sauce]

I was reading up about this the other day, and for me, the biggest deterrent to using this would be the lack of guarantee of being able to get hold of another bike to get back to where I started.

Mine would be the lack of guarantee of an empty bay to park it - but we shall see.

 

[Crispy]

Bikes will outnumber docks by 2:1

 

[Open Sauce]

It will happen - it hate to be a pessimist but it's inevitable - throwing potentially new cyclists in to the middle of zone 1 without a crash helmet - like that's not going to cause problems. Anyone want to take a spread on the number of first month casualties? I think there is going to be some pretty negative media on this one (the amount of schemes that have been shelved to effectively fund this is interesting, certain pots of money are suddenly empty apparently.....)

Links / details? Sorry, but you do sound like a typical negative person.

Does have a touch of a vanity project about it, the fact that he tried to get a dock in his road in Islington (that was refused planning permission) says it all. Hope it goes well for him though.

More likely to prevent being called a hypocrite when encouraging others to accept them in their street

 

[Miss-Shelf]

I'd love the scheme to replace the first bit of a comute - say the cycle down Tulse Hill (when the buses go by full ) to the tube or the bus down through Victoria Park to the tube

these parts of the commute can be slow and frustrating to all concerned and only 5 mins by bike compared to 25 potentially waiting for and getting the bus

 

[teuchter]

Bikes will outnumber docks by 2:1

Do you mean the other way around?

 

[teuchter]

Personally I am looking forward to the first youtube films of people doing stunts on the bikes.