Borisesque Bikes at Wilmslow Railway Station.

[Hacienda71]

Coming back on the train from Manchester this morning I was met by a pile of red and white bikes at Wilmslow Railway Station. At first I thought it was a posties convention, then I noticed the hire signs. Don't get me wrong I love my cycling and in the right environment hire bikes at railway stations make a lot of sense, but Wilmlsow? If I was in London I would use a Boris Bike to get across town and drop it off at another docking station, but this looks more like it is targeting using a bike for a day or two and then returning it to where it came from.
We are not the most metropolitan of towns and I reckon you could walk fron one side of Wilmslow to the other in 20 to 25 minutes. I can't see them being used enough to justify their existence there. I will be happy to be proved wrong though. I suppose you could have a day out on the Cheshire plain on one, but if you were that keen to cycle would you not bring your own bike?

Would you use one, or think of using one? I would at a holiday destination, but Wilmslow

http://www.bikeandgo.co.uk/

 

[MartinQ]

http://www.bikeandgo.co.uk/locations.php
Its spreading ...

 

[annedonnelly]

Hmm, looks like it could be quite handy. If you travel somewhere by train and then usually transfer to a bus... You can't get far on a bus for £3.80 so you'd only have to make a few trips to cover the annual cost. If you were going to college in a nearby town or travel occasionally somewhere for work I think it would be useful.

I'm going to be staying near Ormskirk in September. I planned to take the Brompton, but maybe this would be just as good.

 

[Crackle]

We've got them in our local station. Not sure the scheme is fully up and running yet but I like it.

 

[Pale Rider]

Looks like you need to register in advance to get a card through the post before you can hire a bike.

Sensible security precautions, but lots of prospective customers will step off the train, see a bike, and want to use one.

 

[400bhp]

They appear to have them in Knutsford too.

A fair few of you are quoting large towns or cities. Wilmslow is neither.

 

[sackville d]

Got `em here in Oddmorden and also Halifax

 

[annedonnelly]

[QUOTE 2964531, member: 45"]We have Brommies for hire in Bristol.[/quote]
If I'm ever in Bristol...

 

[G3CWI]

Looks like a good scheme. I agree that some of the locations seem odd but hey, they have probably done their market research. The bikes don't look like being great for long distances but with 7 gears maybe they are better than they look?

...the website is very well done and I note that's it an initiative by some train operators.

 

[wiggydiggy]

They don't get it do they: "Your rental period will only stop when the ticket office re-opens and keys are collected"

So I return the bike at a minute past closing, but am charged until the next morning?

Idiots, Boris Bike hire works as its all automatic, dropping my key into a post box and hoping the staff check it in the morning isnt very good.

 

[annedonnelly]

They don't get it do they: "Your rental period will only stop when the ticket office re-opens and keys are collected"

So I return the bike at a minute past closing, but am charged until the next morning?

Not sure that it makes much difference. The rental fee is for a 24 hour period so unless you collected very early one morning the next morning's opening time is probably still within the 24 hours.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Not sure that it makes much difference. The rental fee is for a 24 hour period so unless you collected very early one morning the next morning's opening time is probably still within the 24 hours.

It doesn't your right - I exchanged a few emails with them today and the 24 hrs starts when you take the bike. As it has to be open to be taken it means even if its shut when you return theres only a small chance that your key wouldn't then be collected before 24hrs is up.

Going to register and try one of these I think.

 

[annedonnelly]

It doesn't your right - I exchanged a few emails with them today and the 24 hrs starts when you take the bike. As it has to be open to be taken it means even if its shut when you return theres only a small chance that your key wouldn't then be collected before 24hrs is up.

Going to register and try one of these I think.

Great - let us know how you get on!

I was thinking about it this morning. Our station is unmanned so there's no way to collect keys. I was wondering if the key could be collected on the train but it starts to get complicated...

 

[wiggydiggy]

Great - let us know how you get on!

I was thinking about it this morning. Our station is unmanned so there's no way to collect keys. I was wondering if the key could be collected on the train but it starts to get complicated...

Hang on unmanned lol How do you hire the bike if there is no one there?

 

[annedonnelly]

Hang on unmanned lol How do you hire the bike if there is no one there?

That's what I mean. We'll never get hire bikes because the station is unmanned

We're lucky though - there's a shelter big enough for about 8 people for when it rains!