CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

Edinburgh Cycle Hire Scheme

(1576 posts)
  • Started 6 years ago by Harts Cyclery
  • Latest reply from boghall

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  1. Klaxon
    Member

    Assuming you will be able to make it public I am exited to see what you come up with

    Posted 5 years ago #
  2. acsimpson
    Member

    "#1 - person who rode from KB to Waverly Bridge and took 5.8 days to get there"

    Were they riding Roderick?

    Posted 5 years ago #
  3. jw
    Member

    I've had a stab at mapping the historical data that was released. Not surprisingly there's more journeys heading to the bottom of hills!

    Mapping cycle hire data

    Posted 5 years ago #
  4. Klaxon
    Member

    This is very cool

    Will it keep automatically updating or do you need to load the data in by hand?

    Posted 5 years ago #
  5. davecykl
    Member

    A tale of Goldilocks and the three bikes…

    The first bike had a seat post clamp too loose, and the saddle started to slip down almost immediately.

    The second bike had a seat post clamp too tight, and it was impossible to shut it fully, meaning that there was a risk the saddle would suddenly drop down at an inopportune moment.

    But the third bike released, well, it wasn't quite just right, but after having spent at least five minutes faffing around already, it was good enough to be able to at least start to cycle off, before having yet again that sinking feeling after a few minutes and needing to take a slight detour to a nearby docking station en route (at least lucky enough that there was one) to swap the bike for another one.

    At which point the situation repeated itself, grrr…

    They really need to find a way to sort this out properly.

    Does anyone know if there is such a thing as a screw-in seat post and seat tube, so that you can simply unscrew and screw it to (near enough) the right height, or some other better solution?

    (Actual hair colour may differ from illustration shown.)

    Posted 5 years ago #
  6. Frenchy
    Member

    Does anyone know if there is such a thing as a screw-in seat post and seat tube, so that you can simply unscrew and screw it to (near enough) the right height

    The London ones have a wee thumb screw thing to adjust the tightness of the quick release.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  7. le_soigneur
    Member

    The alternative is what the gym exercise bikes have, a seatpost with notches, and a seat pin that can be released from a notch and clamped back on a lower or higher notch. Also means the saddle is always centred.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  8. wingpig
    Member

    Children's pedal cart things at farm parks have those pin/hole systems too, but usually have a fair bit of wobble.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  9. Klaxon
    Member

    The ones at spinning have a pin that then screws in tight for no wobble. It's a big assembly, though.

    Here's the London seat post clamp (fitted to the same base model of Pashley) showing the microadjust thumbscrew and the much chunkier push-down lever

    Posted 5 years ago #
  10. Klaxon
    Member

    Here's a typical spin bike for anyone who has never had the joy of a class. To adjust the seatpost you unscrew the dial to a point and then it's loose to pull the pin out.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  11. davecykl
    Member

    @Klaxon, thanks, that London seat post clamp looks, umm, interesting/slightly bizarre. Do you know if it works well? I'm wondering why they went for a different design for Edinburgh (and one that unfortunately doesn't work particularly well).

    While we all know that a saddle even just 1 cm too low can make all the difference between a comfortable and a tiresome and somewhat painful ride, I wonder whether this all too frequent sinking feeling might actually mainly serve to really put off occasional cyclists from considering cycling more frequently, unfortunately.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  12. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    I'm wondering why they went for a different design for Edinburgh

    Price. Those London clamps cost a fortune.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  13. wingpig
    Member

    They look better for applying large forced to and are harder to mistake for a wingnut. Several Eatbikes have chamfered seat post clamps.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  14. Frenchy
    Member

    Price. Those London clamps cost a fortune.

    The older London design, with a normal quick release lever and an adjustable thumbscrew, can't have been that much more expensive though?

    Posted 5 years ago #
  15. PS
    Member

    Anecdotal, I know, but the only slippy seatpost I've experienced so far seemed to be excessively greased (to the extent that I was very careful to check that my coat wasn't anywhere near it for fear of the dry cleaning bills). Is that a consistent factor?

    TBH, I've been more often troubled by stiff seatpost clamps, the release of which have caused some hand discomfort.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  16. Morningsider
    Member

    davecykl - the new London seat post clamps work very well, in my experience. I also think the older London clamps are better than the ones on the Edinburgh bikes - which are difficult to open/close and potentially quite sore on your hands.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  17. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @Frenchy

    I know not the numbers but that is the reason.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  18. Klaxon
    Member

    Buy cheap buy twice

    Posted 5 years ago #
  19. Stickman
    Member

    https://twitter.com/cyclehire_edi/status/1060215801242882048

    More bikes delivered. Need lots of new hire stations to house them.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  20. MV
    Member

    I just noticed their new subscription offer:
    "Winter Warmer
    £15
    2 month pass for unlimited trips of up to 1 hour. Only available to buy in November & December"

    Posted 5 years ago #
  21. PS
    Member

    First significant issue encountered by me: at some point in the past few days my app (on both my work and my personal phones) decided that I no longer had an annual subscription and instead changed to tell me that I “do not have a valid subscription yet”. If I log in on my laptop everything’s cool, but that doesn’t help me get a bike. Reported this issue to the Just Eat Cycle folk via the app, it’s been acknowledged, but no solution as yet.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  22. Klaxon
    Member

    I have this bug but it doesn’t stop me from withdrawing a bike

    Posted 5 years ago #
  23. PS
    Member

    Ah, thanks Klaxon, I’ll see if I can get a bike this evening.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  24. Stickman
    Member

    Half-price annual subscription (£45) available 23rd-25th November:

    https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/best-in-edinburgh/shopping/black-friday-2018-just-eat-15409004

    Posted 5 years ago #
  25. paulmilne
    Member

    I'll probably be hiring one of these for the first time today, either from Waverley or Waverley Bridge.

    I've got the app on my phone, can I buy a ticket and put in my payment details in advance (like now) and activate it when I get to a docking station? I don't see anywhere outside of buying a journey where you can create an account with payment details.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  26. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Half-price annual subscription (£45) available 23rd-25th November:

    To those with smartphones and data plans.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  27. toomanybikes
    Member

    To those with smartphones and data plans.

    Based on London scheme usage and age demographics' smart phone ownership, that's currently 87% of their target audience, and growing each year. Assuming no correlation with smart phone ownership and desire to use hire bikes- (which there probably is, making the % higher).

    https://www.statista.com/statistics/271851/smartphone-owners-in-the-united-kingdom-uk-by-age/

    and page 83 http://content.tfl.gov.uk/santander-cycles-members.pdf

    Also, I'm pretty sure the one ride passes don't expire, so you can buy it long before you ride, yeah.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  28. paulmilne
    Member

    @toomanybikes, thanks, I found that out after using the chat facility on the website.

    Bikes are so heavy but easy to ride. I had no problems checking one out and checking it back into a virtual dock behind the Waitrose on Comely Bank Road (closest to the WGH).

    I know some here have complained about the high gear not being very high, but I wonder if there was something wrong with mine, the high gear felt like a middle gear. I was going one way, mostly downhill, so didn't really need the lower gear at all. On the flat pedalling on the highest gear felt a little embarassing I was pootling along so slowly.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  29. miak
    Member

    Ive got the £15 2 month special and had no problems yet apart from some fairly stiff seat adjusters. The high gears dont seem to give too much power but i guess one isn't meant to go too fast on them.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  30. neddie
    Member

    Just hired one for the first time this morning.

    It suffered from the seat slipping down which made riding very uncomfortable and dangerous (as the seat would waggle, then suddenly drop down). The seat post was covered in grease and the seat clamp very very difficult to close fully - so difficult, that it left me with a sore hand.

    I had to stop about 5 or 6 times to try to put the seat up again, but it would only stay up for a few seconds. It added a good 10 mins to the journey time.

    I arrived at work with my hands covered in grease, one of them sore and my whole self feeling cross.

    Not a good first experience.

    Posted 5 years ago #

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