Dumfries Boris Bikes scheme flops.

[Brandane]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-24820459

It was never going to work in a place like Dumfries.
It doesn't have anything like the traffic problems of London, so no real need for people to get out of their cars.
There is nowhere in the town centre area that can't be accessed by foot in 10 minutes.
It rains a lot more in Dumfries than London!

There is some great cycling in the area, but not anything that would really appeal to the rental bike customer base as a rule. I would have thought that the vast majority of recreational cyclists would have their own bike.

 

[Sandra6]

I've seen the bikes when we've been in Dumfries, always parked up and looking rusty. I've never seen anybody riding one.
I have to agree I did question where anyone would go on them.
It's nice that they tried though.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

We are soon to get our own "Boris" bikes here in Glasgow, in time for the Common Wealth games.

 

[Brandane]

We are soon to get our own "Boris" bikes here in Glasgow, in time for the Common Wealth games.

Interesting. Are they going to be permanent, or just another expensive gimmick for the duration of the CW games? I hope I'm wrong, but I can see Glasgow being another Dumfries.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Interesting. Are they going to be permanent, or just another expensive gimmick for the duration of the CW games? I hope I'm wrong, but I can see Glasgow being another Dumfries.

Don't know details yet, hope they are staying after the games.

 

[ColinJ]

I spotted some red bikes with logos in a stand at Halifax railway station yesterday. It looks like they were Bike & Go bikes. We will be getting them here soon, and also at Todmorden station, 5 miles down the valley.

I don't think you would want to ride them up the local hills, but they might be nice for tourists to use on the Calder Valley Cycleway. Generally though, I agree with Brandane's feelings - keen cyclists would already have bikes. Non-cyclists will avoid the hills, not fancy the busy valley roads, and find the towns small enough to walk around.

 

[ColinJ]

I spotted some red bikes with logos in a stand at Halifax railway station yesterday. It looks like they were Bike & Go bikes. We will be getting them here soon, and also at Todmorden station, 5 miles down the valley.

I don't think you would want to ride them up the local hills, but they might be nice for tourists to use on the Calder Valley Cycleway. Generally though, I agree with Brandane's feelings - keen cyclists would already have bikes. Non-cyclists will avoid the hills, not fancy the busy valley roads, and find the towns small enough to walk around.

I just had a word with the man in the ticket office at Hebden Bridge station. Our scheme has been in operation for about a year and he reckons that 'only 5 or 6' bikes have been hired in that time!

He said that lots of people have arrived by train, spotted the bikes in front of the station building, then come back in to enquire about hiring them. They are told that they need to go online, set up an account, get a card, and book the bikes in advance. Clearly, people either do not like this scheme, or do not know anything about it. It completely kills impulse bookings. Bad idea!

I noticed that one panel of the cover over the bikes is missing and the frame is mangled. (The photograph was taken last summer.) I assumed it had been vandalised. Apparently not ... ticket guy said that he heard a loud BANG! in strong winds the other day and rushed out to see the wind tearing the top off the stand and blowing it down the path!

 

[Hardrock93]

It was never going to work in a place like Dumfries.
It doesn't have anything like the traffic problems of London, so no real need for people to get out of their cars.
There is nowhere in the town centre area that can't be accessed by foot in 10 minutes.
It rains a lot more in Dumfries than London!

Sadly, I fear the Nextbike scheme in Stirling is similary doomed. Since the launch last September, I've hardly ever seen any of the bikes in use and several of the rental terminals have never worked since day one.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

While the Glasgow Next Bikes seem to be quite successful.
Up until Christmas I could seem them getting used around town.
At the moment, of course, the weather has a big impact on the casual cyclist.
I think the Next Bike folks took some bikes (maybe 50%?) to storage, the stands are not as full as they used to be when the bikes were used a lot. A good idea, saves damage by vandals and the elements.

 

[classic33]

I just had a word with the man in the ticket office at Hebden Bridge station. Our scheme has been in operation for about a year and he reckons that 'only 5 or 6' bikes have been hired in that time!

View attachment 76895

He said that lots of people have arrived by train, spotted the bikes in front of the station building, then come back in to enquire about hiring them. They are told that they need to go online, set up an account, get a card, and book the bikes in advance. Clearly, people either do not like this scheme, or do not know anything about it. It completely kills impulse bookings. Bad idea!

I noticed that one panel of the cover over the bikes is missing and the frame is mangled. (The photograph was taken last summer.) I assumed it had been vandalised. Apparently not ... ticket guy said that he heard a loud BANG! in strong winds the other day and rushed out to see the wind tearing the top off the stand and blowing it down the path!

The Bike & Go bikes at the stations are owned by a seperate company. £10 to get the Card required, with a further payment to be made to get the bike. (Increased the beginning of this year.) Northern do not allow them on their services, and the bike must be returned to the same place.
They're heavy, brakes don't work that well and they're awkward in traffic.
Hire at this time of year and you can't place your own lights on them.

 

[srw]

Whereas the Brompton Docks have attractive bikes that are convenient to use and reasonably flexible hire terms. They are gradually being pushed out across the country, which indicates a measure of success.

http://www.bromptonbikehire.com

 

[ColinJ]

The Bike & Go bikes at the stations are owned by a seperate company. £10 to get the Card required, with a further payment to be made to get the bike. (Increased the beginning of this year.) Northern do not allow them on their services, and the bike must be returned to the same place.
They're heavy, brakes don't work that well and they're awkward in traffic.
Hire at this time of year and you can't place your own lights on them.

Apart from that, the scheme is wonderful!

It is almost a showcase for how not to do it!

Whereas the Brompton Docks have attractive bikes that are convenient to use and reasonably flexible hire terms. They are gradually being pushed out across the country, which indicates a measure of success.

http://www.bromptonbikehire.com

A friend of mine and her brother hired Bromptons from the scheme in Exeter and had a great day out. They are both typical non-cyclists. It shows that providing decent bikes at affordable prices in good locations is the way to go.

 

[John the Monkey]

Whereas the Brompton Docks have attractive bikes that are convenient to use and reasonably flexible hire terms. They are gradually being pushed out across the country, which indicates a measure of success.

http://www.bromptonbikehire.com

I think that scheme operates at Stoke station. Whilst I could see it as a way to try a Brompton out, at the time I was looking, it was a lot cheaper, considering my use over a year, to just buy one.

Those Bike and Go bikes look like the ones at Wilmslow Station. The roads over that way aren't as hostile as some I've ridden in Greater Manchester, but you'd have to be a pretty confident type to want to take a heavy, slow bike out on them, especially given the local council's penchant for narrowing already pretty poor on road lanes of late.

 

[ColinJ]

I think that scheme operates at Stoke station. Whilst I could see it as a way to try a Brompton out, at the time I was looking, it was a lot cheaper, considering my use over a year, to just buy one.

The Brompton hire scheme certainly brought Bromptons to the attention of my friend, who had previously never heard of them. She said that she would buy one if she had the spare cash.

Those Bike and Go bikes look like the ones at Wilmslow Station. The roads over that way aren't as hostile as some I've ridden in Greater Manchester, but you'd have to be a pretty confident type to want to take a heavy, slow bike out on them, especially given the local council's penchant for narrowing already pretty poor on road lanes of late.

I certainly would not want to ride one of those bikes up any of the climbs out of the local valley, but the railway station where our Bike & Go scheme is based is on the Calder Valley Greenway which is almost flat and goes to Sowerby Bridge about 5 miles in one direction, and Todmorden (4 miles), Littleborough (10 miles) and Hollingworth Lake (10.5 miles) in the other direction. It is offroad cycle path or tow path much of the way, and on fairly quiet roads for most of the rest. Ideal for non-cyclists or relatively unfit or nervous cyclists.