London shall change the face of cycling in the UK

[dellzeqq]

a lot of hire bikes in motion. I saw 14 between Kennington and Islington and back to Kennington. Riders in all shapes and sizes and of all ages and ethnicities.

One young man was clearly freaked out by the entire experience and was cycling down the footpath in Islington, unaware that the police take a dim view of that kind of thing, but most seemed to be making steady progress.

I can't recall seeing a helmet on any of them, which is interesting.

The bikes are clearly pigs to ride, but the young man looking after the docking station in Kennington Road told me that a woman had claimed a twenty minute journey time from Kings Cross, which is pretty swift.

 

[BigSteev]

The bikes are clearly pigs to ride,

That depends on your basis of comparison. Sure, compared to your magnificent piece of Italian engineering it would be, and true, I wouldn't consider one for a FNRTTC, but for their intended purpose, they're actually perfectly fine to ride.

 

[dellzeqq]

That depends on your basis of comparison. Sure, compared to your magnificent piece of Italian engineering it would be, and true, I wouldn't consider one for a FNRTTC, but for their intended purpose, they're actually perfectly fine to ride.

fair enough, but I'd also compare them unfavourably with a cheap hybrid.

 

[chap]

fair enough, but I'd also compare them unfavourably with a cheap hybrid.

A tad harsh there Dell boy. I have used the Boris Bikes quite a bit now, and whilst I was initially exhausted due to the high cadence from a particular model (one exception to the rest methinks) I think they are actually rather good: sturdy, smooth, with swift handling - an alliteration of praise.

And it appears to have had its effect, many-a-times since the launch have I heard an 'unlikely' candidate proclaim that they would never have thought that London was so beautiful by bike, so cyclable, or the experience liberating, convenient, etc; all thanks to a swift introduction from the Boris Bike.

It just shows that despite the tabloid scaremongering and slander, people still respect and look to the government and councils for advice and direction; therefore if the council implies that cycling is bad/dangerous, parading a wide assortment of sub-par facilities to prove it, then that remains the publics perception, and becomes a deep-seated opinion amongst the citizenry.

However, when the idea of cycling ( as green scalable transport ) is embraced and facilities provided (even with issues as the Barclays™ scheme has plenty of) then people will naturally gravitate to what is more convenient. This is bound to result in more people purchasing bikes (as is the case in Paris.)

Then again, the scheme (whilst brilliant) does need the following:

1. Convenient locations for docking stations - eg. outside major stations, landmarks, and also in Westminster
2. Better signage - to docking stations from major locations (e.g. Victoria Station) and across the city to other landmarks
3. Better distribution - when a docking station is empty, that's a problem, when the Serco van completely fills a locations docking stations, it's a costly problem

Of course, more bikes and docking stations wouldn't go amiss - especially around Fulham, Chelsea, and Lambeth

 

[chap]

I must add that, in spite of increasing numbers, I have noticed the number of casually-dressed women cyclists escalate. Compare that to those miserable commutes where the main people, one saw, on bikes were miserable looking middle-aged blokes atop racing bikes with garish branded lycra suits.

When there are more women, younger, and elder people cycling, then this proves that the activity is not just a sport, nor a dangerous one at that, but a safe and viable means of transport plus a fun and liberating experience.

So now with London leading the way, lets hope that the rest of the country emulates. I'm certain that London shall change the face of cycling in the UK

 

[dellzeqq]

I must add that, in spite of increasing numbers, I have noticed the number of casually-dressed women cyclists escalate. Compare that to those miserable commutes where the main people, one saw, on bikes were miserable looking middle-aged blokes atop racing bikes with garish branded lycra suits.

When there are more women, younger, and elder people cycling, then this proves that the activity is not just a sport, nor a dangerous one at that, but a safe and viable means of transport plus a fun and liberating experience.

So now with London leading the way, lets hope that the rest of the country emulates. I'm certain that London shall change the face of cycling in the UK

Ahem! (Not all the time, though)

You're right of course. The spread of people has changed dramatically, and it's now far more representative of the population as a whole.

I took note of three docking stands today - the first, in Amwell Street, was completely empty. The second, in Farringdon Road, was 100% full. The third, just north of Blackfriars was also 100% full.

It must be the devil's own job to balance all these up. The electric tractor/trailer thingy must never, ever rest.