Forum Topic

Boris bikes

Surely as these are made more available it is just going to mean there are more people cycling on the roads whoa) will not have the appropriate head gearb) will also not have the road awareness that comes with being a regular cyclist?

Carol Burge ● 4688d9 Comments

"a) will not have the appropriate head gear"What is 'the appropriate head gear'?The biggest issue, which I'd like to hear anyone from the supposedly low tax anti subsidy council comment on, is that because the original business case was wildly over-optimistic and ridership is nowhere near what they expected, they're being subsidised well over a pound a ride, about eight times as much as the bus network. Why did LBHF council choose to divert £2m of residents' money into something with such poor economics?

Thomas Barry ● 4687d

A cycle hat!  With all the publicity surrounding the recent fatalities involving cyclists, my concern regarding these bikes is how easily available they are to hire by people who may never have ridden a bike on a main road and more than likely will not have a cycle hat with them!  Whether Boris bikes are a good idea or not I do not think enough consideration has been given to the safety element of the people using them.

Carol Burge ● 4687d

"A cycle hat!"A helmet?  Not much protection against an HGV, really.  I don't wear one.Cycle helmets are one of the classic examples of looking superficially like a good idea but not in fact doing a lot to help.  People on bikes die because lorries crush them, the answer is to stop people getting under the wheels of lorries, not wearing helmets.

Thomas Barry ● 4686d

Highway Code - rule 59 for cyclists Clothing. You should wear a cycle helmet which conforms to current regulations, is the correct size and securely fastened;appropriate clothes for cycling. Avoid clothes which may get tangled in the chain, or in a wheel or may obscure your lightslight-coloured or fluorescent clothing which helps other road users to see you in daylight and poor lightreflective clothing and/or accessories (belt, arm or ankle bands) in the dark.

Carol Burge ● 4686d

These bikes may be subsidised more than buses but they don't cause any pollution so it makes perfect sense for cycling to receive a larger subsidy than buses.

Karen Taylor ● 4668d

"These bikes may be subsidised more than buses but they don't cause any pollution so it makes perfect sense for cycling to receive a larger subsidy than buses."8 times more, though?  Really?  For a mode of transport fewer people are using this year than last?Buses are also usable by people under 14, the elderly and anyone who doesn't fancy mixing it with the lunatic traffic in London.  I don't understand why bus subsidy is being actively opposed and reduced as a matter of policy while ignoring the huge subsidy paid for a few people to gad about on hire bikes.  Mind you, I've been talking to Harry Phibbs, so forgive me if reality has become a little warped.

Thomas Barry ● 4667d

I'm not against bus subsidies but it has to be recognised that there are limitations to how much you can expand the bus fleet. If you keep increasing the number of buses on a route you get to the point where they slow the general flow of traffic along that route meaning that the buses themselves are less efficient. This seems to be happening on the E3 route at the moment - I use it regularly and value the service but the number of delays caused by bus vs bus conflicts when travelling does make it unpredictable.Boris Bikes may be seeing a decline in usage but how much of that is due to people experimenting with cycling in London by using them and realising that it is a good thing but it would be cheaper and easier to have their own bike. By serving as a gateway and encouragement to greater bike use Boris Bikes justify their subsidy and cycling does not have the capacity issues that buses do so it makes much more sense to encourage it.

Paul Corcoran ● 4617d

I'm now regularly seeing tourists cycling by the river at Barnes and Hammersmith on Boris Bikes. The Japanese version of Trip Advisor or Rough Guide must be recommending that they do this.

Ellen Kearney ● 4577d

Although the article on the front page of this site needs to be taken with a pinch of salt - based as it is on estate agent's 'research' - I was in the Hammersmith area over the weekend and did see fairly widespread use of these bikes.

Andy Jones ● 4534d