Three years of Boris Bikes: How do people use them? | Net Of The Woods

2013-08-20 00:47:20

wombler
Joined: 2013-07-29 17:02:56
Posts: 31

To be honest the major shock for me is that we haven't had a lot of accidents. They're kind of encouraging people that don't generally ride much to ride central london lacking a helmet.

Riding a cycle in stop-start traffic is, I would contend, a lot safer than biking round a country path or less hectic street

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2013-08-20 02:02:20

jezzzzz
Joined: 2013-08-02 16:36:55
Posts: 10

To be honest the major shock for me is that we haven't had a lot of accidents. They're kind of encouraging people that don't generally ride much to ride central london lacking a helmet.

Wearing a helmet doesn't stop accidents -- just makes them marginally more survivable.

Is it just me, or are bicycle helmets made out of some vaguely stronger form of polystyrene? All I can see them doing is making my ride a little less comfortable.

Wouldn't like to put it throughout the same test that moterbiker did on /r/wtf...

Helmet comfort genuinely is a function of price. The more you pay out the lighter and better ventilated a helmet will be, whilst retaining its protection factor. The heaviness I find is in particular noticeable. As long as you're ok with costs >£40 you should find a extremely comfortable helmet.

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2013-08-20 05:51:20

wombler
Joined: 2013-07-29 17:02:56
Posts: 31

By me, not a lot :angry: regardless of having had a key for 2 years, I forget I've got it now. Until I can bike home on it, it's often the last choice I'd consider. Which is a shame, as the travel is both near-enough free AND frequently the fastest choice other than motorbike. And that includes the tube.

Still can't get my mates to try it, for some reason they're frightened of cycling in London when it is in fact enormously straightforward. A lot of Londoners can't drive though, perhaps that has a bit to do with it.

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2013-08-20 09:17:20

thatTheyLook456
Joined: 2013-07-30 01:31:22
Posts: 23

I feel like they regularly get used by tourists, and haven't in truth grow to be a routine transport option for most Londoners on journeys.

Maybe if they were on Oyster it would help. Also if they were more prevalent in zones 2 and 3, so people may possibly use them for local journeys in the region of where they live. If I'm in zone 1, I've perhaps had to get the bus or tube to where I was going anyway.

> I feel like they mostly get used by tourists, and haven't in truth become a routine transport option for most Londoners on journeys.

Oddly, I would say the literal opposite.

They are a bit of a pest for casual users -- markedly working out how to use the access codes if you are not comfortable with them.

But for standard users with an yearly pass they are brilliant for short hops round the place where you might have once used a bus or the tube.

Just take a look in the rush hour to see floods of commuters looking for one to end the mile of their journey connecting train station and office.

They were brilliant until they doubled the price.

What rating would you give a bit that was brilliant at £45 per year, now that it costs £90?

Average, crap, hideous?

so so.

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2013-08-20 12:26:20

bolo
Joined: 2013-08-06 13:12:25
Posts: 13

To be honest the major shock for me is that we haven't had a lot of accidents. They're kind of encouraging people that don't generally ride much to ride central london lacking a helmet.

Wearing a helmet doesn't stop accidents -- just makes them marginally more survivable.

Is it just me, or are bicycle helmets made out of some vaguely stronger form of polystyrene? All I can see them doing is making my ride a little less comfortable.

Wouldn't like to put it throughout the same test that moterbiker did on /r/wtf...

It's easier to cycle in central London than anyplace else. mainly people driving in central London are black cabs and delivery vans. They are used to cyclists being everywhere.

The bikes are also large and clunky and not easy to miss.

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2013-08-20 16:28:20

mopa1
Joined: 2013-07-27 21:22:02
Posts: 38

To be honest the major shock for me is that we haven't had a lot of accidents. They're kind of encouraging people that don't generally ride much to ride central london lacking a helmet.

Wearing a helmet doesn't stop accidents -- just makes them marginally more survivable.

Is it just me, or are bicycle helmets made out of some vaguely stronger form of polystyrene? All I can see them doing is making my ride a little less comfortable.

Wouldn't like to put it throughout the same test that moterbiker did on /r/wtf...

It's easier to cycle in central London than anyplace else. mainly people driving in central London are black cabs and delivery vans. They are used to cyclists being everywhere.

The bikes are also large and clunky and not easy to miss.

Completely agree. I think Central London is a sanctuary for bikes. It's getting agreed that inner ring highway that's a death trap. I used to commute from Putney and watching those bikers at Elephant and Castle... It was like watching penguins dive into a sea of Orca's. shocked I never saw anybody die.

And those Bike highways are hardly ever larger than a normal cycle lane and packed with bus stops... Not much help.

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2013-08-20 17:43:20

wombler
Joined: 2013-07-29 17:02:56
Posts: 31

I feel like they regularly get used by tourists, and haven't in truth grow to be a routine transport option for most Londoners on journeys.

Maybe if they were on Oyster it would help. Also if they were more prevalent in zones 2 and 3, so people may possibly use them for local journeys in the region of where they live. If I'm in zone 1, I've perhaps had to get the bus or tube to where I was going anyway.

> If I'm in zone 1, I've probably had to get the bus or tube to where I was going anyway.

That's a good way of putting it. I simply use it when I'm already in Z1 and want to go someplace immediately (and it's a sunny day)

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2013-08-20 22:10:20

rawr5
Joined: 2013-08-12 19:01:26
Posts: 15

I feel like they regularly get used by tourists, and haven't in truth grow to be a routine transport option for most Londoners on journeys.

Maybe if they were on Oyster it would help. Also if they were more prevalent in zones 2 and 3, so people may possibly use them for local journeys in the region of where they live. If I'm in zone 1, I've perhaps had to get the bus or tube to where I was going anyway.

> I feel like they mostly get used by tourists, and haven't in truth become a routine transport option for most Londoners on journeys.

Oddly, I would say the literal opposite.

They are a bit of a pest for casual users -- markedly working out how to use the access codes if you are not comfortable with them.

But for standard users with an yearly pass they are brilliant for short hops round the place where you might have once used a bus or the tube.

Just take a look in the rush hour to see floods of commuters looking for one to end the mile of their journey connecting train station and office.

They were brilliant until they doubled the price.

What rating would you give a bit that was brilliant at £45 per year, now that it costs £90?

Average, crap, hideous?

Almost practical.

Quote/Reply

2013-08-21 00:25:20

mopa1
Joined: 2013-07-27 21:22:02
Posts: 38

To be honest the major shock for me is that we haven't had a lot of accidents. They're kind of encouraging people that don't generally ride much to ride central london lacking a helmet.

Wearing a helmet doesn't stop accidents -- just makes them marginally more survivable.

Is it just me, or are bicycle helmets made out of some vaguely stronger form of polystyrene? All I can see them doing is making my ride a little less comfortable.

Wouldn't like to put it throughout the same test that moterbiker did on /r/wtf...

Helmet comfort genuinely is a function of price. The more you pay out the lighter and better ventilated a helmet will be, whilst retaining its protection factor. The heaviness I find is in particular noticeable. As long as you're ok with costs >£40 you should find a extremely comfortable helmet.

Are there valid stats on how they boost safety though? I've never seen any, not comparable with seat belts or motorbike helmets.

Quote/Reply

2013-08-21 01:48:20

wombler
Joined: 2013-07-29 17:02:56
Posts: 31

I feel like they regularly get used by tourists, and haven't in truth grow to be a routine transport option for most Londoners on journeys.

Maybe if they were on Oyster it would help. Also if they were more prevalent in zones 2 and 3, so people may possibly use them for local journeys in the region of where they live. If I'm in zone 1, I've perhaps had to get the bus or tube to where I was going anyway.

> I feel like they mostly get used by tourists, and haven't in truth become a routine transport option for most Londoners on journeys.

Oddly, I would say the literal opposite.

They are a bit of a pest for casual users -- markedly working out how to use the access codes if you are not comfortable with them.

But for standard users with an yearly pass they are brilliant for short hops round the place where you might have once used a bus or the tube.

Just take a look in the rush hour to see floods of commuters looking for one to end the mile of their journey connecting train station and office.

They were brilliant until they doubled the price.

What rating would you give a bit that was brilliant at £45 per year, now that it costs £90?

Average, crap, hideous?

It sounds like a lot. except sub-30 minute journeys are still free. So for those commuters who used to perform 2 trips a day on it, it's nothing. The more you make use of it, the cheaper it gets. There are 250 odd working days in a year before you take leave into account!

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