Sara_H
Guru
I went to pick up my cycle boost bike yesterday. Feeling a bit of a fraud as an already comitted cyclist, but my reasoning was that I've bought a series of unsuitable bikes and the scheme will give me a chance to try (and buy) a suitable bike.
I picked up a Dawes Mojave step through and an accessory pack containing pannier bag, helmet
, hi viz tabbard , lock and lights. I tried to refuse the helmet and hi viz but apparently I had to take them as part of the scheme.
A very nice fella the checked I had the basics like looking over my shoulder and emergency stop. Then I was allowed to ride off into the sunset.
In four weeks time, I can either take the bike back or buy it for the princely sum of £100. All the accessories are also available at a reduced rate, none of which I'll be buying as I already have all the accessories I need, except the kickstand which has been added so I pay an extra £5 for that.
When I applied for the scheme I presumed it would be just me and a few other hippies. I was amazed when I turned up, there must have been about a hundred bikes waiting to be collected. All those collecting were ordinary people, from early twenties to sixties, women were over represented.
I'm not entirely sure how the scheme is funded, but its fantastic.
On the way home I rode past a big car dealership and gave a wry smile.
If people in a place like Sheffield are taking to bikes to get around in reasonable numbers, then the car manufacturers may need to start worrying in the near future.
Going back to do Level 2 bikeability today ( a condition of keeping the bike at the end of the four weeks)
I picked up a Dawes Mojave step through and an accessory pack containing pannier bag, helmet
, hi viz tabbard , lock and lights. I tried to refuse the helmet and hi viz but apparently I had to take them as part of the scheme.A very nice fella the checked I had the basics like looking over my shoulder and emergency stop. Then I was allowed to ride off into the sunset.
In four weeks time, I can either take the bike back or buy it for the princely sum of £100. All the accessories are also available at a reduced rate, none of which I'll be buying as I already have all the accessories I need, except the kickstand which has been added so I pay an extra £5 for that.
When I applied for the scheme I presumed it would be just me and a few other hippies. I was amazed when I turned up, there must have been about a hundred bikes waiting to be collected. All those collecting were ordinary people, from early twenties to sixties, women were over represented.
I'm not entirely sure how the scheme is funded, but its fantastic.
On the way home I rode past a big car dealership and gave a wry smile.
If people in a place like Sheffield are taking to bikes to get around in reasonable numbers, then the car manufacturers may need to start worrying in the near future.
Going back to do Level 2 bikeability today ( a condition of keeping the bike at the end of the four weeks)
