Look whats coming to Milton Keynes

[toffee]

These have just been installed near me. Go live 17th June.

https://santandercyclesmk.co.uk

Derek

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Live No Waiting cones. Wow.

 

[mjr]

£1 for each 30 mins or £10 for 5-24hours. OK. Shame there's no docks in Stony, Wolverton or Bletchley at launch.

 

[Drago]

Just like the scheme in nearby Northampton. Except these bikes are red, and the picture shows Benson Button astride one, which is more people than have ridden the Northampton fleet.

 

[hatless]

I live in Northampton, and the hire bikes are very little used. Not enough stations, and the price is too high. They do at least remind people that cycling is an option. I haven't ridden one of the bikes, but I expect they are heavy, and Northampton is fairly hilly. Milton Keynes does have a huge network of cycle routes.

 

[ColinJ]

I saw similar bikes at Hebden Bridge station and asked about rental. Pre-registration was required, thus killing spur of the moment rentals. The man at the ticket office said that bikes had only been rented 2 or 3 times in a year!

Admittedly, it is a very hilly area, but the flat Calder Valley Cycleway passes right in front of the bike stand.

There was no effort made to inspire bike rental, and no mention of the Cycleway. I think people were supposed to just spot the bikes and decide to go for a ride. They don't!

They need to be available without pre-registration and in Hebden Bridge's case the existence of the Cycleway pointed out.

 

[mjr]

Just like the scheme in nearby Northampton. Except these bikes are red, and the picture shows Benson Button astride one, which is more people than have ridden the Northampton fleet.

Not really. Northampton is the registration-required max-two-bikes low-dock-density hourbike system: 10 docks and at most 80 bikes. I think hourbike crashed and burned in Bristol, where they tried launching with 12 bikes and 4 docks! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/8702011.stm - www.hourbike.com says they're in Lincoln (100 bikes and 19 docks) so I might try them at some point, if I remember to register before a visit.

I feel that hourbike falls between two systems: not usually high enough dock density to deliver London-style short-hop service and not easy-to-store enough or in enough places to deliver Brompton Dock daytrip rental services.

MK is a Nextbike systems and they are at least launching with 300 bikes and 40 docks, even if there are noticeable gaps (almost nothing North of H3). The scheme website makes it seem like you can get a release code immediately after registration.

 

[biggs682]

I live in Northampton, and the hire bikes are very little used. Not enough stations, and the price is too high. They do at least remind people that cycling is an option. I haven't ridden one of the bikes, but I expect they are heavy, and Northampton is fairly hilly. Milton Keynes does have a huge network of cycle routes.

i am near to Northampton and again never tried one or seen anybody riding one , but i like the idea of them not sure how much use they get

MK has a lot more cycleways for sure and i should think some are quite nice to pootle around so lets hope it works out

 

[toffee]

Not sure who is going g to use them. If you cycle in MK at the moment then you already have a bike. It will be hard to get any where within half an hour( for £1) due to the round about ways of the redways.

You will be able to use them immediately after registration. However I think it would be better if the first 30 mins were free, without the yearly subscription, but them I would think they wouldn't make any money.

Derek

 

[Drago]

Not really. Northampton is the registration-required max-two-bikes low-dock-density hourbike system: 10 docks and at most 80 bikes. I think hourbike crashed and burned in Bristol, where they tried launching with 12 bikes and 4 docks! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/8702011.stm - www.hourbike.com says they're in Lincoln (100 bikes and 19 docks) so I might try them at some point, if I remember to register before a visit.

I feel that hourbike falls between two systems: not usually high enough dock density to deliver London-style short-hop service and not easy-to-store enough or in enough places to deliver Brompton Dock daytrip rental services.

MK is a Nextbike systems and they are at least launching with 300 bikes and 40 docks, even if there are noticeable gaps (almost nothing North of H3). The scheme website makes it seem like you can get a release code immediately after registration.

Yes, just like at Northampton, but painted red.

 

[toffee]

I think part of the problem will be the distance between places that people want to go to. For instance most potential customers of the racks in the photo will not get to the City Centre within 30 mins. OK that is still cheaper than the bus but is still more expensive than the parking at 50p an hour if you are a family.

Derek

 

[uphillstruggler]

Hello toffee

I'm in mk, where is that? I can't quite make it out.

It could work here although I think more docking stations and more bikes would be the only way. I live In new Bradwell and I would use it if the train I'm on only stop at Cmk. I sometimes walk home from there rather than hang around for an onward train or cab.

It would also be handy for the after work drinks (although not when hammered obviously)

As people rightly say, there's a good network of safe cycle paths here, although the short sharp hills in a heavy bike may catch some out.

I may register today .

 

[Drago]

It's in CMK, opposite the Network Rail HQ.

 

[NorthernDave]

I saw similar bikes at Hebden Bridge station and asked about rental. Pre-registration was required, thus killing spur of the moment rentals. The man at the ticket office said that bikes had only been rented 2 or 3 times in a year!

Admittedly, it is a very hilly area, but the flat Calder Valley Cycleway passes right in front of the bike stand.

There was no effort made to inspire bike rental, and no mention of the Cycleway. I think people were supposed to just spot the bikes and decide to go for a ride. They don't!

They need to be available without pre-registration and in Hebden Bridge's case the existence of the Cycleway pointed out.

Ditto the ones at Halifax station - from where pretty much everything in Halifax is uphill...and proper Yorkshire hills at that

 

[toffee]

Hello toffee

I'm in mk, where is that? I can't quite make it out.

It could work here although I think more docking stations and more bikes would be the only way. I live In new Bradwell and I would use it if the train I'm on only stop at Cmk. I sometimes walk home from there rather than hang around for an onward train or cab.

It would also be handy for the after work drinks (although not when hammered obviously)

As people rightly say, there's a good network of safe cycle paths here, although the short sharp hills in a heavy bike may catch some out.

I may register today .

The photo is outside the Clock Tower pub Emerson Valley.

Derek