London Cycle Hire Scheme

[xerxes]

Anyone used it yet?

http://www.google.co.uk/#q=London+c...B4GNOLPw9IQK&start=0&sa=N&fp=c89ee14ab212ea09

I think I could have come up with a better design, for example a rear rack might have been more useful than the strange arangement they have on the handlebars.

The charges actually seem pretty steep too, at £45 a year and then a £1 per hour after the first half an hour - I recently bought a cheap runnabout for £30 and spent £6 on brake and gear cables to put it back on the road.

 

[tintin40]

I think it's a pointless scheme. Boris being Mr popular. Plus Barclays is connected to it. Hate that bank

 

[highlandsflyer]

The bike bays make comfy seats for the taller person.

 

[tintin40]

still having problem :roll:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-10938333

 

[uktyler]

I was in Copenhagen a few years back, and the cycle scheme there was a hell of a lot better.

Collect a bike from one of the racks, just using a coin like a shopping trolley in the UK. Ride to your destination, park up in the rack, and get your coin back. All funded by adverts on the bikes.

Leave it somewhere else and you don't get your money back, and someone was bound to ride off on it.

Compared to the London scheme that must cost a fortune to run, it was a perfect idea.

Not sure how it would work in London, I'm sure lots would get nicked, even if they are designed so no components fit other bikes.

 

[one-eyed_jim]

I think I could have come up with a better design, for example a rear rack might have been more useful than the strange arangement they have on the handlebars.

I think the lack of a rear rack is deliberate - at least, that's the conclusion I reached about the Paris Vélib' bikes. If you have a rear rack, people are going to give their friends rides on it. That's going to be a maintenance headache. A small and flimsy front rack isn't going to be a temptation for passenger carrying, and at least it lets you keep an eye on your hand luggage.

The charges actually seem pretty steep too, at £45 a year and then a £1 per hour after the first half an hour.

In Paris I find you can avoid paying charges for additional time if you plan your trips with a little care. The fare structure seems to be designed to encourage shorter trips. A pound a day looks pretty reasonable for a day's errand running in the town centre, and if it's something you do regularly, a year's pass will save you money. It's certainly not as convenient as having your own bike, but then it saves you worrying about maintenance, storage, and theft.

 

[The Ken]

I was kind of hoping they would be for tourists and the like but a £45 upfront fee sounds a bit steep for that.

 

[one-eyed_jim]

I was kind of hoping they would be for tourists and the like but a £45 upfront fee sounds a bit steep for that.

The pay-as-you-go option isn't online yet, but it's planned for the near future, apparently:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/15023.aspx

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/14811.aspx

That's how it works in Paris. You don't need to be a member to take a bike for a euro a day, but membership gets you access to the discounted rates.

 

[dyna-ti]

I was kind of hoping they would be for tourists and the like but a £45 upfront fee sounds a bit steep for that.

Or replace them after they all get nicked