CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

Edinburgh Cycle Hire Scheme

(1601 posts)
  • Started 7 years ago by Harts Cyclery
  • Latest reply from chdot

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  1. Klaxon
    Member

    It does, it’s something I was told when I met them, which has been the major sticky point for getting it live.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  2. PS
    Member

    It doesn't really come across as a laid-back, stress-free and enjoyable experience!

    That's not my experience, @TFL. I've enjoyed using them so far. Relatively easy once you know how to navigate the app, and very pleasant to scoot down the Bridges/Leith Street.

    On a separate point, I saw a couple of young guys riding Takeaway bikes on the pavement and ped islands at Tollcross last night, but the lights weren't on. Don't know whether this indicated flat batteries or something more nefarious.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  3. chdot
    Admin

    It is also the first place in the world where Mobike, the Chinese cycle-sharing operator, withdrew because of antisocial behaviour.

    https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2019/jan/13/chris-boardman-cycle-road-plan-manchester

    Posted 5 years ago #
  4. ARobComp
    Member

    I tried out the Lime electric bike offering in London recently. Hoping that the people designing the pashley's electric bike will give them a go and take note

    Pros:
    - Dockless
    - App experience seemless
    - Unlocking super easy
    - Electric motor had a decent boost to get away from lights

    Cons
    - Delivered all power in one go - immediately, as you touched the pedals. This meant that carefully cruising through traffic was a risky business best done with one hand on the brakes.
    - Power topped out at a very slow speed, just a bit slower (with me on board at 100+kg) than your average punter on a bike. This was annoying because you accelerated to top speed faster than them, but them drifted back over time.
    - Solid tyres made the ride inordinately uncomfortable
    - Solid tyres meant that you slipped off any sight bump in the road and it felt very squirrely
    - Whole bike felt cheep
    - By the end of a 25min ride across london the motor was struggling to accellerate me at the same rate, it seemed to be having a hard time.
    - The low speed plus the gearing made it easy to try harder and actually work up a sweat - not ideal .
    - Actually really expensive. It would have been prettty much £5 to cycle 25 mins across London on the ebike without my intro discounts (I would have been faster but sweatier on a boris bike at £2)

    Overall the app experience was great, the ride experience on a longer ride was terrible and certainly nowhere near as good as a boris bike (although less sweaty and dock anywhere)

    Always interesting to try these things out and see what the experience is like.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  5. Frenchy
    Member

    Is that £5/day or £5/journey?

    Posted 5 years ago #
  6. ARobComp
    Member

    £5 a journey!

    It would have been £1 unlock fee, then £0.15 a minute. Pretty steep, although with a FAR better bike I'd consider it at say rush hour etc.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  7. Frenchy
    Member

    Ooof, that is incredibly steep. Although I suppose tackling steep things is the point of an electric bike.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  8. Trixie
    Member

    There have been consistently 0 bikes at the Infirmary every time I've looked for days.

    Last week the app said there were 4 but on inspection in real life there were 0. Luckily I was on a bus and not hoping to hire.

    I don't know if they're incredibly popular or getting nicked/broken.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  9. Frenchy
    Member

    I deposited one there on Thursday evening, and it certainly wasn't the only one there at the time.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  10. Klaxon
    Member

    Unique rider numbers (as opposed to hire numbers) up over 100 every evening I’ve looked this week

    Means there’s been some healthy steady growth

    Posted 5 years ago #
  11. Snowy
    Member

    Great for getting downhill to the pub.

    Homeward, not so much...

    Posted 5 years ago #
  12. Klaxon
    Member

    A friend and I turned up at the overly-tiny Stockbridge dock this afternoon. I docked in the one remaining spot, he was able to pause with his android app as we weren't staying long

    It irks me that pause has been out on Android for some time now, unannounced, but the iOS app hasn't been updated since early December.

    Every other ride was successful and still no problems to report with the new seat clamps

    Posted 5 years ago #
  13. Trixie
    Member

    I've kept an eye on the app over the past few days and the ERI dock has been empty every time. This morning there is just one lonely broken bike there.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  14. toomanybikes
    Member

    more docks in the ERI, Portobello, KB triangle might help, more local journeys, less variance (/increase) in bike supply

    Posted 5 years ago #
  15. wingpig
    Member

    There was small cloud of youth-holes loafing around on the bit between the Kirkgate and Tollbooth Wynd, most of them on hacked rental-cycles, some without seatposts and all unlit.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  16. stiltskin
    Member

    2 abandoned bikes on the NEPN west of fiveways & two youths riding another pair, same area. Doesn't look like a good prognosis for the future. The neds obviously now know how to hack them :(

    Posted 5 years ago #
  17. Klaxon
    Member

    Let them know by twitter or phone, every unrecovered bike is one they don’t know how to make more secure and costs a couple bob

    Posted 5 years ago #
  18. gembo
    Member

    Spotted the van on Friday when leaving the pub Raging Bull.(chap brought his own crisps to his leaving do, which I thought very classy). My bike was chained round corner and van was taking bikes away from docking station at Riego Street student ghetto where goldbergs used to be.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  19. Stickman
    Member

  20. Morningsider
    Member

    Disappointing...but hardly surprising. The stands are puny compared to the London scheme and the wheel lock/front light seems in danger of bouncing off as you cycle around. Probably fine in Oslo (where they were developed) but possibly not the UK.

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

    wheel lock/front light seems in danger of bouncing off as you cycle around

    The front unit is incredibly heavy, so not surprised it goes walkabout as you glide over the flawless Edinburgh cycle network.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  22. Snowy
    Member

    Does the bike have GPS and 'phone home' capability, or does it rely on the smartphone of the valid rider?

    If they don't have some way of identifying and locating bikes removed without authorisation, and similarly vandalism taking place on racks, the scheme will become uneconomic really, really fast.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  23. steveo
    Member

    Seen one sans saddle abandoned at Drylaw this morning and another being ridden down the Granton access by a kid in school uniform which is a little suspicious...

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

    Does the bike have GPS and 'phone home' capability

    It does.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  25. neddie
    Member

    4 jakeoids on 2 takeaway bikes on NEPN around 5pm today, between red bridge & Craigleith

    Seems the bikes flash red & blue “police” lights on the front when stolen. The rear is not lit.

    Hire bikes the new motorbikes as jakeoids joyride of choice?

    Posted 5 years ago #
  26. Klaxon
    Member

    I really don't know what to say. Needs a copper sat there in an unmarked car for a few days to nab the idiots before they ruin it for everyone

    Posted 5 years ago #
  27. neddie
    Member

    Imagine if they had coppers on bikes on the NEPN

    Posted 5 years ago #
  28. Klaxon
    Member

    On a happier note a friend and I had a great ride on these bikes today, out via the coast to Joppa and back via the Innocent. 2.5 hours riding total over three hires and he’s over the moon- two months ago he’d never ridden a bike

    Posted 5 years ago #
  29. steveo
    Member

    Seems the bikes flash red & blue “police” lights on the front when stolen. The rear is not lit.

    I was out at the Infirmary this evening and seen a couple of lads on these one was flashing like that.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  30. stiltskin
    Member

    I get the impression that they have just worked something out about how to nick them. It just seems to be the last few weeks that significant numbers are in the hands of the thieves. It’s such a shame because if that is the case then so think the whole thing is doomed to fail.

    Posted 5 years ago #

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