Barclays/TFL cycle hire scheme in London
- Thread starter se5
- Start date
In what way? Too low? I like low gears
It's really really low, so if you accidentally slip into it your legs start spinning round like roadrunner.
London_Calling
Pleasant and unpatronising
Is the 'basket' actually a *basket*, iyswim? Would it hold, say, a bag of shopping from Tesco?
Crispy
The following psytrance is baṉned: All
No, it's quite small - to prevent people sitting in it apparently. Any handbag will fit though. It has a built-in bungie cord for strapping things in
kyser_soze
Hawking's Angry Eyebrow
Boris Bike has sex with your wife's bike
Tee hee hee
London_Calling
Pleasant and unpatronising
Cheers Crispy.
On the lunchtime news, Johnson said Barclays paid £25 million for the privilege - did I read it's a five-year contract, I'm unsure?
The twat of an interviewer was going on about calling them 'Boris bikes', like he had anything to do with the idea. Fucking BBC idiot reporters again.
On the lunchtime news, Johnson said Barclays paid £25 million for the privilege - did I read it's a five-year contract, I'm unsure?
The twat of an interviewer was going on about calling them 'Boris bikes', like he had anything to do with the idea. Fucking BBC idiot reporters again.
ferrelhadley
There is no love between us anymore.
So how many will be on critical mass tonight?
toblerone3
Grrrrr
Just had a quick spin from Kings Cross to Oxford Street and back 17 minutes each way at a very easy pace. Bike is pretty heavy. Agree about the first gear being almost useless. I wonder where in the central area of London there is a hill steep enough to warrant its use. But the gear might me useful for less fit and elderly people to use. To me the bike feels sturdy like a postal bike. In this spirit I feel strongly it should be painted red. Used a key but the first three bikes didn't work. Just went to orange but not to green.
Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
will many people other than tourists be using these? i fear their safety. i've hired bikes in berlin, but that's a very different place for bikes than london. when i first started riding here, it was well scary and it was a bit wobbly. there's gonna be lots of wobbly tourists skittering under lorries!
teuchter
je suis teuchter
I think so.
But safety is certainly an issue, more so in London than other cities I reckon.
kyser_soze
Hawking's Angry Eyebrow
This can only work to the good tho. It means either:
1. Safer road conditions for cyclists in central London
2. Less tourists
ferrelhadley
There is no love between us anymore.
So many new cyclists
((((((((urbanblues sanity))))))))))
((((((((urbanblues sanity))))))))))
snowy_again
Slush
Yup, there's dynohubs built in, and lights on both sides of the rear stays. A bit low down mind, but they're there and keep going for 15 seconds once you've stopped.
Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
how?
Myself and a mate decided to have a bit of a ride about tonight with these. Few beers, few pubs etc and with a stroke of luck ended up coming across Critical Mass. So yes, there were at least 2 of them on it!
After we left critical mass we went cruising around Shoreditch, Liverpool Street, South Bank, Soho etc and were asked our opinions on the bikes at least 10-15 times in the space of an hour or two actually riding them (general public after CM). People were literally stopping us on the streets. And all positive reactions too (even 2 black cab drivers wanted to chat at the lights!). Seems to have caught the imagination. Hopefully that momentum won't be lost by the fact it's a bit of a pain to actually get the key to use the bikes. Such a shame they couldn't have used the oyster card system but I'm sure there's good reasons for that.
Didn't have any problems with the 5 bikes I used, my friend had a bit of trouble docking one of them but that was about it.
Also found the bungee cords on the front will strap a can of beer in quite snugly. You'd want to drink half of it first to avoid spillage and allow for deformation though.
19sixtysix
Life as viewed from a Gay Gorbals Garret
I will. For me it is the perfect lunchtime pleasure and useful for trips to bank etc. I can now scoot much further a field than a half hours walk.
I hope my key arrives soon.
Just realised I could be classed as a lunchtime tourist
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
My key arrived this morning, was keen to activate and was not near a puter, so called the customer line...English clearly not the first language. We didn't get past my first name before I gave up. Looking forward to Monday and seeing how the commute goes...
Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
london residents - wouldn't it be cheaper and easier just to buy a bike?
I'm not so sure. 12 months membership of this is £45...so £90 for 2 years or £135 for 3. Thats right at the bottom of the new bike market. Ok you could get a decent second hand bike for that price, but you've still got to add lights and a decent lock if you're to have even a half-chance of it not getting nicked.
So at best, it's the same price, not cheaper.
Easier? Well only if you've got room at home to store a bike without humping it up stairs or through the house to the back garden. And if you live outside zone 1 and don't fancy riding all the way into town, you can forget taking your bike on the tube or bus.
19sixtysix
Life as viewed from a Gay Gorbals Garret
Quite impressed. Registered yesterday and key arrived today. Just arrived at work for nights so will go for a ride on my lunch tonight.
Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
you can get a second hand bike for about 50 quid and by the looks of it, you might have a better quality bike. it seems a lot of bother to hire one. surely owning one and being able to take it anywhere is much better value than hiring one?
i live in a tiny flat and there's a corridor for two bikes and room at the foot of my bed for the other - there's room for one bike even in a studio flat!
19sixtysix
Life as viewed from a Gay Gorbals Garret
I don't think its actualy about the cost. I have a bike but if I'm in town by train I now have a supply of bikes I can use whenever I like to go from a to b quicker than the bus or tube. Its perfect as I can use them when and if I want even for a one way journey.
Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
fair enough - finding it difficult, being a twat and as a bike owner, to imagine why hiring one is better than owning one. glad to be enlightened!
Open Sauce
Active Member
Costs a bit more to employ a man to ride your bike to wherever you want it, then ride it home when you get pissed
Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
??? 
what do you mean?
what do you mean?
Open Sauce
Active Member
???
what do you mean?
Friday, I leave work, get a hire bike to the pub, get the tube home. As I own a bike, I'd have to pay a man to cycle my bike home from the pub to get the same benefit. That would cost me more that £45 a year.
Sometimes, I don't want to cycle into zone 1, but could use a bike to cross zone 1, again, I'd have to employ a man to cycle my bike in, be available in case, one a whim, I felt like cycling for 15 mins across z1, surely not cost effective.
I've yet to get the £45 key, but, in the last 2 days would have used one 3 or times.
It's not a replacement for my commute obviously, but it could well be good for those zone 1 trips - make sense?
