First go on a Boris Bike

[lozcs]

Had to get from Euston to Oxford Circus yesterday, thought I'd have a go on a Boris Bike.

Quite impressed! Yes they are a bit heavy and could do with a higher gear as was spinning out in third but the brakes were great.

Weird not having a crossbar though, stood at lights where normally I'd let my bike lean on my thigh and it just fell.. :-)

Also saw @TrafficDroid cycling the other way down Oxford Street - how many cameras?!!

Only £2 as well - will use again I feel...

 

[RhythMick]

Thanks for that. Was thinking of giving it a go next time I'm there.

 

[glenn forger]

Only £2 as well - will use again I feel...

Costs taxpayers £11m a year, Barclays only pay a sixth of the costs.

 

[albion]

Barclay's like many give a hell of a lot of money to the Tory party.
It was a great sponsorship deal for Barclays.

Even more worryingly, those multinationals who avoid UK taxes are still getting away with it thus encouraging anyone and everyone to scam the UK. Last I read the Tories get 50% of funding from the city.

 

[mrBishboshed]

Loved the Boris bikes when i went from the Natural History Museum to the Tower of London earlier this summer. Just had a slow plod as not to get sweaty, it was much nicer and cooler than the tube.

 

[Misusawa]

Costs taxpayers £11m a year, Barclays only pay a sixth of the costs.

Thats some good visibility for 1.8M a year

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Costs taxpayers £11m a year, Barclays only pay a sixth of the costs.

Fair do's though - on a someone-has-to-do-it basis Londoners deserve some support for living there.

 

[biggs682]

must admit if i wnt to London on my own then i think i would give them a go

 

[Bromptonaut]

Had to get from Euston to Oxford Circus yesterday, thought I'd have a go on a Boris Bike.

Quite impressed! Yes they are a bit heavy and could do with a higher gear as was spinning out in third but the brakes were great.

You were lucky with the brakes - some of them are awful.

 

[Dave the Smeghead]

I have used the Boris bikes for sometime and my findings are that most of the bikes are ok, some are good and some are very bad.
Those that are bad are usually those with gear problems. It seems that the maintenance guys don't know hub gears that well.
Also if you find a bay that is full up (i.e. no spaces available to put yours back in) then you actually have to cycle a distance to find an empty bay as the local ones also seem to be full, sometimes as much as a 15 minute walk back. They don't seem to shift the bikes around quickly enough especially at peak times.
Overall it is a good scheme, and so much better than using the tube which I comprehensively detest.

 

[glenn forger]

They've just announced another 2000 bikes for south London.

 

[jugglingphil]

Had my 1st Boris bike experience over the weekend.
Like the OP I was quite impressed with the ride (but would have used an extra gear). For £2 they make a lot of sense. Cycling in London was OK, only had the 1 taxi cut us up by undertaking us. My wife felt naked without her helmet.
The main problem we had was finding an empty docking station. Now I expect my experienced users have maps and know the location of docking stations around them, but we seemed to be going round in circles every time we wanted to stop!
Definitely use again.

 

[Archie_tect]

If I knew where I was in relation to where I wanted to be without having to stop to look at a map all the time I would use them but don't have a clue where things physically are, as I only have time to use the underground to get around when I'm there.

 

[Kies]

If I knew where I was in relation to where I wanted to be without having to stop to look at a map all the time I would use them but don't have a clue where things physically are, as I only have time to use the underground to get around when I'm there.

When I started working in London (circa 1989), I took the tube everywhere. After a year I started taking the buses for the short journeys ( as recommended by colleagues). It was only then I realised how small Central London is and how a bike is the ideal transport system.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

i had a go once, and i quite enjoyed it, even if the road bike brigade (of which i'm usually one, when not in london) had to make a point of getting past at all costs...