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Edinburgh Cycle Hire Scheme

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Started 7 years ago by Harts Cyclery
Latest reply from bakky

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davecykl
Member

St Andrew Square is (or should be) a really convenient interchange point between tram or bus and bike (eg, if you'd rather not slog up Leith Walk on a heavy hire bike), and handy for the eastern part of Princes St, George St and St James, so it's not surprising that it is very popular = often has no bikes available.

I have suggested to them that they should add docks on every corner of St Andrew Sq in recognition of this fact, but, as usual, have been ignored. They ask for people to suggest hire points, but then rarely seem to actually act on them, it's very frustrating.

Here's the hire point suggestion form again (which is hard enough to find a link to in the first place), if anyone is so minded:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSft70Zbl-4Z5-gszn9BReuPcxxTl2NQCDkoNU5UjvCxRzupaA/viewform

Posted 4 years ago #
chrisfl
Member

Bike share map - https://bikesharemap.com/edinburgh/#/14.425319246418969/-3.2034/55.9529/ does a nice graph of 24 hour availability at each dock - this time (13:00) yesterday there were 8 bikes by 18:00 there were 2 left and these were all taken by 2am, apart from 1 bike being returned and then immediately taken out it's still the case of no bikes here.

Posted 4 years ago #
Stickman
Member

https://medium.com/@justeatcycles/edinburghs-rentable-e-bikes-to-be-available-from-2-march-and-cost-10p-per-minute-c4cefcdab6a5

168 e-bikes will be phased into the current scheme and use the same Just Eat Cycles app. They will be available to hire and drop off at the existing 90 hire points which are already home to over 500 pedal bikes.

Made in Britain by Pashley, the e-bikes are similar to the existing pedal models but have a slightly different frame and a new colour scheme.

The average trip length on the scheme’s existing pedal bikes is 16 minutes. Serco anticipate that e-bike journeys will be far shorter given the greater distances which can be covered in the same time.

The rentable e-bikes will be unlockable for £1.50 — the same price as a single journey on the existing pedal bikes — but will come with an additional per minute charge of 10p. Users with an Annual, Uni or 24 hour subscription can unlock e-bikes for no charge other than the 10p per minute tariff. Per minute charges will begin at the start of each minute an e-bike is in use.
As part of an introductory offer, there will be no additional per minute charge for the first hour of e-bike hire. The offer will last for two weeks, starting on 2 March and ending after 16 March meaning there will be no cost difference between the pedal and e-bikes for a fortnight.

Posted 4 years ago #
Snowy
Member

The average trip length on the scheme’s existing pedal bikes is 16 minutes. Serco anticipate that e-bike journeys will be far shorter given the greater distances which can be covered in the same time.

I'm having to deal today with someone who uses this kind of written logic. Is it the weekend yet?

Posted 4 years ago #
steveo
Member

Bike go fast, no take as long

Posted 4 years ago #
Snowy
Member

Much better :-)

If bikes use same locks, go even faster!

Posted 4 years ago #
ianfieldhouse
Member

I'd noticed the announcement of e-Bikes last week and I'm very disappointed about the extra cost involved in hiring one.

My main use case is to commute when the weather is rubbish as an alternative to taking the bus. This journey takes approx. 15 minutes and so is going to set me back an additional £1-£1.50 per journey on top of my membership. When a journey cost is getting that close to the price of hopping on the bus then the bus is going to win every time.

In reality I'll just stick to the normal bikes and never use the e-Bikes. Seems like a bit of an own goal to me. I'm not averse to paying a bit extra for an e-Bike hire but it needs to be significantly cheaper than the public transport option.

Posted 4 years ago #
CycleAlex
Member

Found it amusing that an hour of hiring an e-bike is more expensive than hiring an electric car for an hour through the car club.

The hireable e-bikes in London that I used were even more expensive (£1 + 15p/min) however.

Posted 4 years ago #
Try Cycle
Member

When a journey cost is getting that close to the price of hopping on the bus then the bus is going to win every time.

This was my reaction too.

Hopefully there'll no reduction of numbers in the mechanical bikes. It might be seen as an "easy" to generate more revenue

Posted 4 years ago #
I were right about that saddle
Member

Pricing of these things will remain insane as long as private motorists don't pay the full cost for equivalent journeys.

Posted 4 years ago #
gkgk
Member

Great, glad I read this thread. Two weeks of free ebike fun (for current members) starts 2nd March!

Posted 4 years ago #
Morningsider
Member

I see the app has been updated to cater for e-bikes. Seemed to have more trouble than usual recognising I was stood next to a docking station - when I had a train to catch, of course. Made it in time though.

Posted 4 years ago #
ianfieldhouse
Member

I noticed that the new app on iOS has the pause functionality so you can now nip into the shops.

Posted 4 years ago #
CycleAlex
Member

Ebike day! There's no additional charge for the first two weeks so it's a good time to try them.

~~Can't see any on the app just yet.~~ There's 11 at City Chambers right now!

https://twitter.com/cyclehire_edi/status/1234427437901139974?s=20

Posted 4 years ago #
gkgk
Member

I wonder what the battery range might be. I'd have a wee run out to the Forth maybe, as the first hour's free.

Posted 4 years ago #
Morningsider
Member

Nipped up to the City Chambers and took an e-bike for a spin (was the last one there!). Very nippy from the off, although the assist is quite discreet when you are moving. I did wonder "Is this really making any difference?", but then I sailed past a guy in full lycra on the ascent up Arthur's Seat. Handles pretty much like a regular hire bike, although a possibly slightly less upright riding position. It deals with cobbles nicely - ate St Mary's street no bother. I really liked it - although I'm not sure I would pay the extra myself.

Posted 4 years ago #
CycleAlex
Member

Gave them a quick shot, really good fun! Definitely come to their own in low gearing. Feels like a nice push.

Staff member said they've also got a new control system and lock which make them far harder to steal. Doing a fairly slow roll out to check for issues, 30 this week, 30 next and 40 the week after.

Posted 4 years ago #
Morningsider
Member

CycleAlex - nice to know about the improved security. I actually returned my e-bike to the City Chambers and jumped on a normal bike to finish my trip, as I didn't want to leave it anywhere it might be trashed.

Posted 4 years ago #
gkgk
Member

I liked it too but 2 minor negatives : Bit confusing, having them named after areas - you worry you're unlocking a bike in Sighthill, rather than a bike called Sighthill. And the saddle was a much bigger thing than the normal ones. Maybe that was just mine. But brilliant otherwise. Still not sure on the max range.

Posted 4 years ago #
kenny
Member

I cycled a legacy bike to Lauriston Place where the phone app indicated an e-bike was waiting for me. Indeed, it was and I took it for a spin down to Crammond. Great fun!

The bike certainly made up hills and headwinds disappear. Flew up Scotland and Dublin Streets and even The Mound, all in second gear - no need for first. Grinning all the way, apart from the Drummond Place uneven setts almost throwing me off the bucking bike. I knew it was a poor surface, but never cycled at that speed over it.

It's nice that there are no additional controls to worry about - or I didn't see any - so easy for people new to electric bikes. I doubt I will (often) pay the extra charge for one, though.

Posted 4 years ago #
Try Cycle
Member

Gave them a spin yesterday and today. First time on an electric bike and liked it a lot. Bit weird when you stop at a junction and then take off and turn left - the acceleration into the corner takes a bit of getting used to!

Doubt I'd use them too often due to cost.

Bus home: £1.80 & 45 mins
Non-elec bike: No extra cost 28mins
Elec bike: £2.20 22mins (average based on 2 trips)

Probably would use an electric bike over a bus. I don't think paying £2.20 to save 6 mins commuting time is worth compared to a normal bike.

Posted 4 years ago #
Frenchy
Member

Had to get into town to pick up my bike from The Cycle Service today, so went to the takeaway dock and realised there was an electric one there. I also has a free hour's pass from filling in a survey at some point.

Since I had it for an hour, I decided to take it round Arthur's Seat for fun. It was a lot of fun.

An extra 5-10mph on the limit would really make a difference though. Perhaps we need to get a load of MSPs and MPs to give them a shot...

Posted 4 years ago #
Frenchy
Member

Also, thanks to the person driving the Range Rover through Holyrood Park who allowed me to properly test the brakes on the bike by turning right out of a side road without checking that it was clear.

Posted 4 years ago #
Stickman
Member

Took an ebike out for a spin at lunchtime. The bike is really good but as others have said the pricing structure isn’t. A flat 50p extra would be fine but 10p a minute just seems too much.

Posted 4 years ago #
CycleAlex
Member

They're also a really easy way to give someone a feel of an e-bike - took two friends out last night and now one hasn't stopped going on about wanting one!

The pricing structure is a shame since it'll discourage me from making the longer journeys that it makes easier. Although, at the end of the day the bike is more expensive and requires greater staff cost to swap batteries. Cost seems comparable with other ebike schemes.

Posted 4 years ago #
ianfieldhouse
Member

I've been using the new eBikes at every opportunity since the launch. First time on an eBike and like others have said they are great fun but I doubt I'll use them when I need to pay for them.

They make going home at lunch a viable option for me and also open up the possibility of nipping to Porty or up Arthur's Seat at lunchtime in summer when the weather is nice. They've got me seriously considering investing in my own eBike.

Posted 4 years ago #
toomanybikes
Member

Ebikes are 100% addictive.

My friend borrowed mine when he was up. Has gone from not having cycled in 3 years to using one for every journey he makes in London now. (he got an electric vanmoof- I'm now the jealous one)

Posted 4 years ago #
Try Cycle
Member

eBikes have got me cycling to work this week as well as cycling home.

No ebikes at my nearest dock so went old school with the intention of swapping over at the nearest dock with an ebike. App said there was 2 on Duke St so headed there only to find no eBikes and 2 smashed docks :(

Was still quicker than the bus seeing there's a load of road works out our way but was considerably sweatier than I had planned for.

Summary so far:
7 trips
5 uneventful and successful
1 ebike with a non-working motor (still cyclable)
1 dock with 2 stolen ebikes

In addition to a few trips where no ebikes available and took the original analogue bikes instead

Posted 4 years ago #
Rosie
Member

The cost does seem to be putting people off. Could there be a monthly pass/annual rental?

Posted 4 years ago #
CycleAlex
Member

no eBikes and 2 smashed docks
Boooooooo. I guess if they've made the locks better, they'll just start ripping the docks out rather than the bike. Hopefully the bike is still unsuable so it gets recovered.

Speaking of which, the ebike pricing model could present an interesting model for people that help out. e.g. if you recover a stolen/dumped bike or take a bike against the flow, you could earn £0.XX of e-bike credit

Might be a nice way to engage frequent users who will likely already have some sort of subscription.

Posted 4 years ago #

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