Derby City Council spend £6000 on three bike pumps

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snorri

Legendary Member
They're crap
You shock me:biggrin:.
 

John the Monkey

Frivolous Cyclist
Location
Crewe
Wot he said. Public bike pumps, at this type of cost, are a poorly thought through use of our money. Only of use if your tyre is soft and you have no pump or if you have a pump but want to get it up to full pressure.
Interventions that actually make any difference are pricey, and upset drivers though.

This is better than, say, repainting already inadequate on road lines narrower, which is what's happened on my route in Wilmslow. Or the bizarre "facility" on Manchester Road that involves crossing two lanes of 40 mph traffic, twice, in order to use it.

At least these obey a "First do no harm" principle. The ones I've seen are in locations lending themselves to "Well, I have five minutes, might as well top up the tyres" thoughts, but are not in Derby.
 

downfader

extimus uero philosophus
Location
'ampsheeeer
I can imagine the telephone conversation with the suppliers .........

Council: Good morning we would like to buy 3 large track pumps please
Supplier: Certainly sir that will be £300 can you give me your details
Council: Yes it is Derby City Council
Council: Ok in that case the total for your order will be £6000

:wacko:

I wont name the company but there is one who do the concrete- secured street pumps for £400 a time. Quite how a council ends up splurging £6k is anyones guess...
 

subaqua

What’s the point
Location
Leytonstone
I wont name the company but there is one who do the concrete- secured street pumps for £400 a time. Quite how a council ends up splurging £6k is anyones guess...

let me give you a break down

1) Survey work and ensuring not located over important utility services - a day or 2 work for at least 1 person - £800
2) Permits/licences to dig/ work on highway £1k
3) installation costs - which isnt just bolting it to a slab , it will need to be anchored properly so 2-3 days work for a crew in total for the 3 - £ £2k

it soon adds up .

look at a sound desk its only a few variable resistors and capacitors and a few other components - how can you justify £2k for one of them ? ;)
 

mr_cellophane

Legendary Member
Location
Essex
Looks like the one installed in Upminster
The money would have been better spent buying 2000 cheap light sets and giving them to all the ninja cyclist riding around Derby
 

nickyboy

Norven Mankey
let me give you a break down

1) Survey work and ensuring not located over important utility services - a day or 2 work for at least 1 person - £800
2) Permits/licences to dig/ work on highway £1k
3) installation costs - which isnt just bolting it to a slab , it will need to be anchored properly so 2-3 days work for a crew in total for the 3 - £ £2k

it soon adds up .

look at a sound desk its only a few variable resistors and capacitors and a few other components - how can you justify £2k for one of them ? ;)

Quite right. All the more reason to put a bit more thought into the decision per se. Seems the Derby councillors have got all excited about riding the cycling wave and forgotten about economics
 

Gravity Aided

Legendary Member
Location
Land of Lincoln
Looks like the one installed in Upminster
The money would have been better spent buying 2000 cheap light sets and giving them to all the ninja cyclist riding around Derby
They actually do that, in my town, bu it's done by a bike advocacy group and the local bus company. We do have a couple of bike repair stands and pumps as well, one at the confluence of two routes of the MUP, and another near the train station. Anarchists use the one near the train station to teach bicycle repairs. Some sort of free learning project they have going on.
 

subaqua

What’s the point
Location
Leytonstone
Quite right. All the more reason to put a bit more thought into the decision per se. Seems the Derby councillors have got all excited about riding the cycling wave and forgotten about economics


the best way to have done it was to have incorporated the installation of the pump into pavement/carriageway upgrades . Hackney did this with the one outside the town hall.

sadly as you say there are a lot of councils jumping on the cycling wave and not thinking.

LBWF need to realise painting a line and a cycle symbol does NOT make cycle friendly infrastructure if it tips you out onto a major road at just the wrong place. hopefully they wont go down the segregation routes either , but thast a whoooole new thread
 
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