Fear for your lives next summer

It could be awesome.

I'm going to see how many I can ride from useful places like central to Ealing. :)

Places like central? pffft. Speaka de ingleesh?

You know whats going to happen. Those piss heads who have missed the last tube home will think ahh fuck it lets get on one of these and cycle home for a laugh!

ahah the piss heads are going to have right laugh on those bikes on the wy home hahaa good luck borriss! haha

being a government run thing, i highly doubt they would let pissed people riding them, legality and all.

They had something like this in the Design Museum a while back, the bolt that held it to the post was absolutely nails.

being a government run thing, i highly doubt they would let pissed people riding them, legality and all.

how will they stop them?

I think it'll be ace. The (very few) times i'm in central london without a bike are a fucking nightmare. Be ace to be able to ride around from place to place without having to deal with public transport. And I reckon if theyve got your credit card details, you're gonna look after it.

Come on winston, keep up.
Each bike will have it's own warden, who will be employed to watch over the bike 24 hours a day.

how will they stop them?

You have to breath into a tube to release the bike.

Ok guys - the challenge.

On the day the scheme is launched, you have 24 hours to get one of the hire bikes the furthest you can from its point of origin using pedal power only. Evidence via photo at destination and GPS trace.

I expect to see one converted to fixed, sprayed baby blue, with pink grips for sale at £600

being a government run thing, i highly doubt they would let pissed people riding them, legality and all.

Ah, memories of Budapest...

I think these look great- I'd definately use these instead of the tube when I had to go to a clients for a meeting whilst wearing my suit.

I don't think theft is that bit a problem with these as no-one would buy them. Seriously. It's more likely that they'll get trashed. However i think it's well worth trying; they took a while to catch on in Paris but now they're really popular.

I did try one out in Paris back in Feb after the 6 Nations game. Sadly can't provide a review as I was off my tits at the time and can hardly remember it.

Sadly can't provide a review as I was off my tits at the time and can hardly remember it.

a common problem amongst LFGSS reviewers

Ok guys - the challenge.

On the day the scheme is launched, you have 24 hours to get one of the hire bikes the furthest you can from its point of origin using pedal power only. Evidence via photo at destination and GPS trace.

thats a sweet alley cat right there!

Mmmm i think those that use them will not ride around with the attitude that a lot of the "fixie skiders" do have so probably be more cautious.
They will be knicked by thieves but how sad is that? knicking a hire bike that is available all over london, at all times, and un-locked. kids today can't even do crime proper.. fking teenagers!

I can't wait, i am going to find the nearest park in full lycra and aero helmet, start limbering up then jump on one

Could be a positive thing in many ways. Could flop embarrassingly. Depends on how Boris & Co decide to launch it.

There was a company doing a similar thing, fugly hire bikes, from what I saw they seemed to be targeting UEL students. No idea how well it went, but I'm pretty sure that a particular bike I saw didn't move for about 6 months. So, probably badly.

Just to counter some of the negativity, if it does take off, and people who don't usually ride are on bikes, might spread some general love and understanding if more people see traffic from a cyclist's perspective. Or am I being naive? :P

It is difficult to predict exactly what will happen.

They may encourage peole to get off the tube and buses and on to bikes. LBSs may benefit as people decide that they enjoy cycling around London but want a better and dedicated vehicle. More bikes on the road, particularly ones prone to doing silly things, may make motorists more aware of cyclists and may discourage people from driving. Easy to nick government bikes may discourage theft of proper bikes.

These would all be positives. Fingers crossed.

Ok guys - the challenge.

On the day the scheme is launched, you have 24 hours to get one of the hire bikes the furthest you can from its point of origin using pedal power only. Evidence via photo at destination and GPS trace.

Fuck it, I'm in!

Heavy night?

They have something similar in Trondheim. Lived there around 10 years ago, and used to use them alot. Trouble was all the functional ones would collect at just a handful of popular destinations, as most people used them for oneway journeys.

Paris scheme gets round this byu offering incentives to people who move bike from popular drop-off points back to popular pick-upf points. I think you can actually be credited for riding a bike back up some hills

Of course this will never work. It's new. Nothing new ever works in England. Smoking ban? That'll never work. Seatbelts? People will ignore the law. Decimilisation? It'll be a disaster. Congestion Charge? Congestion charge?? That'll NEVER work.
Fuck the English.

Would also be nice for going for pootle around town with friends who have no bike to show them how quick and convenient cycling can be.

I'm all for this idea- seems a shame to divorce it from the Oyster card though, as if you could use that to check a bike out it would seem a natural extension of the capitals transport system.

I'll have 1lb of spuds and a pint of bitter thanks Will.