Jump to content

Barclays Cycle Hire


Mick Mac

Recommended Posts

Has anyone on the Lounge been using this?


Took a bike from Victoria to Pall Mall and could not find anywhere to dock it, had to take it into the office and check the website and cycle away from the office 5mins to find a space, then walk back.


Great.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The screen at the full docking station had an option to tell you where the nearest one with space is although no guarantees it will still have space when you get there. It also adds extra free time onto your account to help you get there.


Or did you mean you couldn't find any docking station? I checked before I left if there was one nearby. There ate also apps available for a variety of smartphones and a map you can print out on the tfl site


What did you think of the bike though?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bike was great, very comfortable and easy to ride - My first time, so thanks for the tip on locating the free spaces and I did think an app would be a good idea. I have a nokia so not sure I can get it, but will look.


In general there are too many bikes and not enough spaces at popular work destinations and there should be a redistribution mechanism during early morning busy periods to get them back to their original spots as lots of people cycling round trying to offload their bikes!


Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thought it might end up like this, I think when they started it in paris they had a lot of similar issues as well as problems like lots of bikes parked in the dock stations at the bottom of hills and none at the top! I guess like you say a redistribution service would be a good idea, load them all into a truck and drop them off back where they started
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last week I took a walk around Westminister, Soho, Oxford Street area.


There were many of these cycle hire ranks.


I only saw 1 empty docking station.


All the bikes parked up. So not being used.


?50.00 for 24 hours.


Bus and Tube pass ?7.00 ish for the day.


Why risk you life on a bicycle

Link to comment
Share on other sites

50 quid for 24 hours does seem a bit steep, guess they're more intended for short journeys but even so.


Also I see your point about the bus and tube pass, but I think the idea is to get people on a bit of a health kick whilst travelling around and also during the summer I'd much rather be outside on a bike than cooped up in a hot stuffy bus.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mick Mac Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I paid ?44 for a year. Journeys up to 30mins are

> free.


Ah that doesn't sound so bad, does 44 get you a certain number of hours use for a year or is it a flat rate for as much time as you want?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They do move bikes around. I saw a crew this morning around 8.25 emptying some out of the racks near Victoria. Assume they were taking back down to Vauxhall.


Dulwichfox, you're missing the point. The scheme is designed for short usage hence free for 30 minutes which you could pretty much cycle across the zone in if you put some welly into it. If you work within the 30m slots, it is ?1 or less a day. And cycling, even ad a relatively recent surprise convert, is a lot more fun and pleasant than Tubes and buses.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mick Mac Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Can anyone post a link to the Cycle Hire Widget

> available within Android Market etc or tell me

> where i can actually download it from - can't find

> it anywhere on the android market site. thanks.


It's available on Android Market only within the UK - if you're outside the UK it won't appear. Are you outside the UK, or using a non-British SIM card? If you need further help please contact us via our website at www.littlefluffytoys.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mick Mac Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Has anyone on the Lounge been using this?

>

> Took a bike from Victoria to Pall Mall and could

> not find anywhere to dock it, had to take it into

> the office and check the website and cycle away

> from the office 5mins to find a space, then walk

> back.

>

> Great.


This is of course exactly the problem that Cycle Hire Widget for Android solves ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

?45 for the year allows you as many 30 min trips per day, every day that you like, allowing for a 10 min cooling off between return of a bike and taking of another.


The "members only" scheme this month is meant to enable TfL to better model the pattern of usage so that the redistribution cars can move the bikes appropriately. There will of course be 2 large user groups to satisfy; commuters at start and end of day; tourists/non-workers throughout the day.


The point of the bikes is precisely for short trips. The escalating rates are specifically to deter people from retaining them for hours at a time. As is the absence of a lock to attach it to street furniture.


If you are observing any piling up or dearth of bikes at particular places and times then let the Bike Scheme know.


Many bikes in one area may not mean that they're not being used at all. The redistribution might actually be working.


There are only 6000 cycles across 400 sites intended so shortages at travel hubs will be unavoidable.


ADVICE re: registering for membership

Only order one access key per application, especially if you only go for the day-by-day or weekly schemes. If you order more then anytime one of them is used it triggers the start of an access period for all the keys registered and so racks up the charge regardless of the key being used. A cock-up which will hopefully be fixed.


Enjoy and ride safe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LittleFluffyToys Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Mick Mac Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Has anyone on the Lounge been using this?

> >

> > Took a bike from Victoria to Pall Mall and

> could

> > not find anywhere to dock it, had to take it

> into

> > the office and check the website and cycle away

> > from the office 5mins to find a space, then

> walk

> > back.

> >

> > Great.

>

> This is of course exactly the problem that Cycle

> Hire Widget for Android solves ;)



The one of yours on the Market you mean? It works well, I use it every day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I still cant find the download for this app.


I can find endless information about the app but not the download.


The android market does not seem to have a search facility - anyone who can post the link to the download, Id be grateful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can't (yet) search Android Market from a browser. You have to search and install it from the Market app on your Android phone. If you don't have the Market app on your Android phone, you have a pretty weird Android installation :)


Alternatively, if you have Barcode Scanner by ZXing installed, go here and scan the QR code (that odd 2D barcode thing):


http://uk.androlib.com/android.application.com-littlefluffytoys-cyclehire-jnmEj.aspx

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have decided I have a symbian phone, not an android phone. Hence all the problems I have been having trying to download android ????


Since our Head of IT told me this morning it was an android phone, I'll blame him.



That will be why I dont have a built in android market app.


thanks anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's early days for the bike scheme. Plently of improvements to be made. But it's a step in the right direction. Even if it costs. Less cars in central london the better. More people should be cycling, great way to keep in shape and enjoy the city.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's amazing the misconception of "A London bike costs ?50 a day to hire!"


At 20p per 21.1 seconds or ?34 per hour for sitting around going nowhere...


"A London taxi costs ?550 a day to hire!"


It's just as ludicrous. You wouldn't hire a taxi for a day. You take it from A to B, then let it go. When you want to go from B to A, you get another one, then let it go.


Exactly the same with the bike scheme. It's free if you use it to go from A to B in under half an hour. Don't keep it running on the meter - let it go, let someone else have it, and get another one when you're ready for your next journey.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Please post a number for humble taxpayers to speak to a real person, if you have one.  Emails go unanswered and phone calls via the switchboard likewise. 
    • The physio wasn't physically based at The Gardens, just attached to the surgery rather than my having to be referred to a hospital physio department.
    • Hi There Today we lost a small black leather backpack in the vicinity of Dulwich picture gallery / Dulwich park / Eynella Road.    Morning of 28/3/24.    If found, please drop me a message and I can confirm details of contents and arrange to retrieve it.    Thanks. 
    • Hello!  I wanted to share The Dulwich Cake Co with you all. The Instagram link is below where you can follow along my baking journey, see all my cakes, and enquire / order via message. i make cakes for all occasions but particularly love custom children’s birthday cakes..: Next up is an Frozen themed cake for next weekend! It’s a relatively new page, but keen to find more local followers and get everyone trying my cakes! Birthday cakes, christenings, any celebrations, as well as mini Bento message cakes. Have a very Happy Easter! 🐣  https://www.instagram.com/thedulwichcakeco?igsh=MXZid29vYWIyOGtyZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr  
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...