Barclays Bikes

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ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
Do they have a name which doesn't include the words 'Barclays' or 'Boris'? I loathe them both.


No one uses the name Barclays bike in London, but unfortunately the name Boris Bike has stuck and I can't seeing it going away anytime soon.
 

Norm

Guest
I've used, and thoroughly enjoyed, them in the past but I don't do much in London now so I haven't been on one in the past 12 months.
 

Beebo

Firm and Fruity
Location
Hexleybeef
the lack of cross bar threw me a bit. i stopped at a traffic light and nearly dropped the bike as i am used to to resting the top tube against my thigh.
 

gaz

Cycle Camera TV
Location
South Croydon
Not bad, best experience was when I got one to test from TFL before they had launched. So many people asking questions about what the hell I was on :laugh:

I rarely use them now though.
 

albion

Guru
Location
South Tyneside
It is getting close to 2 years since it started and I wonder how it is running.
Barclays paid £5 million per year(£25 million) of an expected cost of £28 million per year. (£140 million)

I imagine most other cycle hire businesses in London lost out big time but obviously the central hire system logically gets more punters.
 

Julesh

Guru
Different market guv. Boris bikes are £1 a day and rental free for up to 30mins. Rental price goes sky-high from there as the idea is hire, deposit at any other rental station within 30 mins, do whatever, rinse and repeat.

If you want the same bike all day or to go out of central London you'd hire one from a regular place and would have to take it back there at the end.
 

Julesh

Guru
[QUOTE 1893347, member: 45"]As an occasional (every one or two months) I've just ordered a key.

Help me out here -I've registered for the 24-hour period and am not sure about what the site is saying. If I select the auto renew option does this mean that the first time I use one it starts a 24-hour period (for a pound), then on the next visit it starts another 24hr period and charges me a pound at the end of this one?[/quote]

Yes, the first time in any 24 hour period that you insert the key you are charged a quid. This mean you can use the system as and when and only pay for the days you are using it for. It's only £45 for a year IIRC so if you are planning to use it 45 days or more it's cheaper to pay for that instead
 

Norm

Guest
[QUOTE 1893691, member: 45"]Which one? There are several, paid and free.[/quote]
As I said above, my experience is a year old but I've yet to find one which is accurate. But, then again, when I checked the hire scheme's own web site against the number of bikes / spaces available several times, if their data was not correct, then any app referencing that data would also be SNAFU.
 

Broadside

Guru
Location
Fleet, Hants
[QUOTE 1893691, member: 45"]Which one? There are several, paid and free.[/quote]

I use the iPhone app called "London Cycle", it was free when I downloaded it about a year ago. As Norm says it is only as good as the data being provided by the main service but since I've used it I no longer have to hunt for spaces. If you do get to a full docking station then you can also find the next nearest which has come in handy a few times if I am not fully familiar with the area especially if the dock is tucked down a side street.
 

AndyRM

XOXO
Location
North Shields
They have them in Toon now as well. I think they are pretty similar to the Barclays/Boris bikes ie. made of scaffolding, single speed. I've yet to try one but a friend has and he reckons they're pretty good. They get called Scratch Bikes up here. No idea why.

One of the stands they have is on the Quayside at the bottom of Dean Street, which is pretty much the steepest hill in the city centre. I might try and get up it on one for a challenge!
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
They have them in Toon now as well. I think they are pretty similar to the Barclays/Boris bikes ie. made of scaffolding, single speed. I've yet to try one but a friend has and he reckons they're pretty good. They get called Scratch Bikes up here. No idea why.

One of the stands they have is on the Quayside at the bottom of Dean Street, which is pretty much the steepest hill in the city centre. I might try and get up it on one for a challenge!


The Boris bikes are 3 speed.
Slow, Slower and slowest.
 

AndyRM

XOXO
Location
North Shields
The Boris bikes are 3 speed.
Slow, Slower and slowest.

Ouch. So pretty much in tandem with Boris' brain settings?!

That's maybe a bit harsh, I think he's a bit of a legend. Ever since he rugby tackled that German guy in a charity football match a few years back, he can do no wrong in my eyes.
 
It is getting close to 2 years since it started and I wonder how it is running.

Well over thirteen million journeys and 50 million km on them to date and also not a single serious injury (whereas on London general cycle accident statistics you would have expected about 25 serious injuries and one death by now)
 
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