Hats off to Hackney!

[swee'pea99]

Hackney takes a lot of stick for being a bit right on & PC and all that, but their hearts are in the right place and they do get quite a lot of things right, as witness this flier, spotted at the swimming pool:

What a good way to give people a chance to give it a try without having to commit to hundreds of pounds on something that might not work out.

 

[Fnaar]

blimey... popular...
"...all handover sessions are now fully booked until February 2015"

Hope it works, and they get their bikes back too.

 

[wanda2010]

Similar set-up in Lambeth:

Try Before you Bike loan scheme

Borrow a bike for four weeks, use it how you like.
Try Before you Bike allows you to borrow your choice of bike and accessories for four weeks. Use it how you like in those weeks, cycle to work or the gym, bike rides with the kids at weekends, store it at home, pretend that it is yours!

Throughout the loan period you can take advantage of support such as cycle training, maintenance courses and an all hours phoneline. After the four weeks you will have the option to return the bike or buy it at a reasonable price.

Costs for this service
The service costs just £10 which also covers your liability insurance with the London Cycling Campaign.

 

[sight-pin]

I think it's a great idea - but it would have been better if, as part of the offer, the council included Bikeability training...

Looks like they are offering free training and route planning advice, also, the bikes are from Raleigh and Brompton and buy the bike cheaper after if you want.....What a good idea
http://www.cycleexperience.com/pdfs/Hackney participant guide.pdf

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Lederhosen off for Lewisham, who have been operating the same scheme - one month for £10 and the option of a reduced price purchase or return - for a while now. They also give free cycle training sessions though not the full bikeability stuff. From the council page, it's a free 2 hour lesson. (http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/transport/cycling/Pages/Cycle-loan-scheme.aspx)

 

[raleighnut]

I wonder how many will get 'stolen' during the loan period, or are they marked somehow (postcode stamped on frame)

 

[marknotgeorge]

What a good idea!

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

 

[Drago]

Fair play to them.