boris's stupid bike scheme

Woebot

Well-known member
i saw this rank of square metal inserts on the pavement near me and also near russell square and i was thinking:

"what the hell are they for"

- then today the ones round the corner from me had this locking rig attached on top of them- and i twigged -

"oh no - it's boris's stupid bike scheme!"

whereby members can lock their special boris bikes up, kind of like a paranoid version of amsterdam's free bike scheme.

this must have cost millions and millions to implement.

BUT

who are these people who can't afford a bike and their own bike lock! a bike will cost you, what ten pounds. a free car scheme i can understand! it's a total bloody joke - a sickening waste of money - you'd think he was a labour politician by the way this has run.
 
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droid

Guest
There was a bike scheme brought in here along the lines of the one in Paris. Its been phenomenally successful. Bikes and facilities paid for by advertising. You register with a credit/debit card. Costs a few quid everytime depending on how long you take them for.

http://www.dublinbikes.ie/

Pretty certain the paid model is the most widely used in Europe. If it works here it'll work anywhere, and more bikes = safer to cycle.
 
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droid

Guest
:)

(PS: I was one of many grumpy old gits who said they'd all end up in a canal... 1 theft so far out of tens of thousands of journeys AFAIK.)
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
A bike that costs a tenner is probably not a bike that's going to last very long or be very safe to ride in busy streets and I think a lot of people are put off buying a decent bike by the threat of having it nicked. This scheme sidesteps that by providing rideable (I assume), practically un-nickable bikes.
 
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Slothrop

Tight but Polite
Also, when you have 'get more people to do X' schemes, you have to bear in mind that people don't act rationally. Hence tram systems are often useful even though you could have an absolutely ridiculous bus service covering the same route for a fraction of the cost - because a lot of people will ride a tram who wouldn't even think of getting on a bus.

Would still have preferred to see more and better bike routes, though - more useful signs, more direct routes etc.
 

jenks

thread death
Surprised at the hate here for the London version of Velib. The french love it, it works, pays for itself and has both residents and tourists using a very simple system that works out cheaper than public transport.Much of the financing is covered via advertising and I believe that Barclays are stumping up a wedge for the London system.

London is ideal cycling territory and if this gets more people cycling in the city that is a good thing. Maybe people don't ride in London cos they are always getting their bikes nicked - if you can hire one, park it up without worry then that changes things as well.

I don't like Boris, in fact he is a buffoon, however he is following Montreal, Dublin and Paris on what is essentially a good thing - 'sickening waste of money' - I don't think so.
 
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droid

Guest
There is one minor negative - loads of people who use them here haven't been on a bike for years and could care less for the ROTR. My first encounter with them was when 10 Spanish students cycled down the pavement of one of the busiest shopping streets of the city... See also, mobiles whilst cycling, dangerous maneuvering and ignoring red lights to an insane degree.
 

Woebot

Well-known member
massively outvoted here. i just don't get the appeal. been riding the same shitty bike for ten years.
 
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droid

Guest
Personally I dont see the appeal either TBH, but I can see how it could appeal to a lot of people, and as I mentioned, anything that gets more cyclists out there is good for all cyclists.

EDIT: Actually there's a station beside my bus stop and another beside my studio. I could save myself a 20 minute walk on the days I dont bring my own bike in - for free!
 
I'm all for it too, for two reasons. As mentioned already, more bikes on the road means greater safety for all cyclists (as motorists become used to driving with cyclists around) and once people who would not otherwise cycle realise what a slog it is getting round London on a normal bike, they'll be minded to buy one of my electrically assisted beauties.

Mwahaahaa, etc.
 
Looking at the charging structure - - - the per hour charging appears to be another rip-off.

Access fee

24-hour access - £1
Seven-day access - £5
Annual access - £45 (members only)
Usage charges

Up to 30 minutes Free
Then
Up to 1 hour £1
Up to 1 hour and 30 minutes £4
Up to 2 hours £6
Up to 2 hours and 30 minutes £10
Up to 3 hours £15
Up to 6 hours £35
Up to 24 hours (maximum usage fee) £50
Other charges
Late return charge £150
Damage charge Up to £300
Non-return charge £300

From here http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/12444.aspx
 

bobbin

What
Montreal, Dublin and Paris

hmm years ago when i lived near cambridge they tried a similar scheme there. the stock of bikes lasted a matter of weeks as i remember before they all got trashed, abandoned or lost and the council gave up.

i fear us english people might just be dicks at the end of the day. then again maybe having to register with a bank card will sort it out to some extent.

There is one minor negative - loads of people who use them here haven't been on a bike for years and could care less for the ROTR. My first encounter with them was when 10 Spanish students cycled down the pavement of one of the busiest shopping streets of the city... See also, mobiles whilst cycling, dangerous maneuvering and ignoring red lights to an insane degree.

i saw a bloke yesterday running all the reds on the lea bridge roundabout and not even at the right times. he was kind of trackstanding on various spots between four raging, circular lanes of traffic, waiting for moments to nip through. playing frogger basically. whilst on his phone.

i think he was just a wanker though. no offence to the non-driving massive, but i feel the worst cyclists who i know are the ones who don't have a licence and haven't developed much road sense.

the thing i hate boris for is allowing motorbikes and scooters into the bus lanes. why are pushbikes allowed in? it's public policy to promote their use presumably. why motorbikes? no publicly justifiable reason as far as i can see. and it can only have a negative effect on cycling. bikers can get fucked, i really don't care if they want to nip through the traffic on their mid-life crisis machines.
 

Lichen

Well-known member
I can certainly see the appeal for tourists.

But I doubt a chubby 50 year old Iowan is a match for West End traffic
 

crackerjack

Well-known member
hmm years ago when i lived near cambridge they tried a similar scheme there. the stock of bikes lasted a matter of weeks as i remember before they all got trashed, abandoned or lost and the council gave up.

bloody students

the thing i hate boris for is allowing motorbikes and scooters into the bus lanes. why are pushbikes allowed in? it's public policy to promote their use presumably. why motorbikes? no publicly justifiable reason as far as i can see. and it can only have a negative effect on cycling. bikers can get fucked, i really don't care if they want to nip through the traffic on their mid-life crisis machines.

presumably because push bikes would slow down traffic in the bus lanes. incidentally, what's the penalty, or the likelihood of being caught? the only reason drivers avoid bus lanes is cos the cameras will snap their numberplate
 

bobbin

What
bloody students

ha yeah maybe a point.

presumably because push bikes would slow down traffic in the bus lanes. incidentally, what's the penalty, or the likelihood of being caught? the only reason drivers avoid bus lanes is cos the cameras will snap their numberplate

er i meant i was in favour of pushbikes in bus lanes, makes total sense to me :) and they are very much allowed. what i don't like is the men on big motorbikes and the crazy teenagers on mopeds buzzing me when i'm cycling. that's been allowed much more recently. sorry wasn't being clear.
 

massrock

Well-known member
and once people who would not otherwise cycle realise what a slog it is getting round London on a normal bike, they'll be minded to buy one of my electrically assisted beauties.

Does this mean they zap motorists who get too close? Send out an EM pulse? Sounds like a good idea, where do I get one?
 
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