London Cycle Hire

Been reading the Evening Standard?

Who is going to be the first to get one on the track at HH?

Good luck getting the brakes off!

I didn't mean use it in a race. I meant a quick spin when no one is looking :)

Enter the Ride of the Falling Leaves. Weather permitting that starts with a lap of HH.

when's the first bike scheme polo match?

Good idea ^

Don't get me wrong I'd *like *to see one in a race...

Barclays bikes?

Pfft, stop being so sensible VV!

The setup seems really patchy - one I hired this morning had a rubbing front tyre, another had the hub gear out of adjustment, and the brake setup on some has been great and on others not so great.

did you highlight it as needing maintenance?

Man arrested for vandalising one.

http://www.dissexpress.co.uk/news/national/man_arrested_over_attack_on_london_bicycle_1_712896

Can the barclays sticker be peeled off?

Yes. Very easily!

They will probably have to fork out again for some better stickers (with stronger adhesive) soon I imagine.

Perfect.

Once I hire one, I just peel it off and ride away.

Although the bikes themselves are kinda distinctive Ed!

Asked a random for a go today while they held my bike. The back wheel barely moves. Its like pushing twice your weight and your not allowed to coast.

Sounds like you found one of the ones with over-tightened brakes. Seems a batch of over-zealous Serco peeps went buckwild with their spanners.

I just bought a week key. Exciting.

Might be worth noting this was initialised by Ken, who mightn't have emblazoned half the city with advertising in the process. Boris is talking ALL the credit.

Not sure about the advertising, but Ken is the one who initialised it;

London’s cycle hire scheme officially opened today, almost three years after then Mayor of London Ken Livingstone asked transport bosses in the capital to investigate the feasibility of such a scheme after being impressed by Paris’s Velib service

The barclays shite is due to Boris.

I know it was Boris' doing, but who to says that Ken wouldn't have done it?

I do, and I said "mightn't" not "wouldn't"

he fucking would have had to got some branding.
don't be so idealistically naive.
Paris is branding free because they offered a monopoly to JCDecaux of all ad hoardings in the city....
maybe less obtrusive, but no less involvement.

don't be so idealistically naive.

I find it helps. Anyway, it's one thing having sponsored private events and stuff, but this is street furniture. They are our streets, not barclays to put their name on. It's not the end of the world, but when Tescos start building schools, don't complain.

Can we think of a better name than bloody BorisBikes?

Raleigh Runabouts ?

"Do consider wearing a cycle helmet". Ok then, perhaps I'd better wear one, i'll just ride to the nearest cycle helmet hire point... oh.

Some people come prepared - I saw a woman undocking one at Chapel Pl./Vere St. W1 and she had a helmet. If you're a helmet wearing type, you just bring one with you, non? It's not like the majority of riders are going to grab a BorisBike on the spur of the moment, most of them are likely to have included a ride in their travel plan.