In message akaUn.10530$NM4.4173@hurricane, at 22:56:22 on Tue, 22 Jun
2010, " remarked:
The Mayor's new cycle hire station at the east end of Southwark Street
looks complete, if anyone's interested.

And TfL leaflets about the hire scheme have started to appear in tube
station leaflet racks. I picked one up this morning.

They have/had something like that in Copenhagen, which I saw. The
bicycles were not in a good way, I might note.

Didn't they have a scheme like that in Paris, and the bicycles simply
disappeared?

I saw one in Lausanne recently, where a chap was assiduously filling up
empty racks from a trailer (I did wonder what the carbon efficiency of
that was in the event he drives a few miles to deliver just one bike...
but no doubt over time it works out.

Here in Brussels they have a scheme, this is a rather jolly advert for
them (I presume):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/46604657@N00/270337240

But I did note a rack outside the Central Station was completely empty
yesterday.
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry wrote:
I saw one in Lausanne recently, where a chap was assiduously filling up
empty racks from a trailer (I did wonder what the carbon efficiency of
that was in the event he drives a few miles to deliver just one bike...
but no doubt over time it works out.

Lausanne is built on a rather large hill. I imagine all the bikes drift to
the bottom, so some kind of rebalancing is required. I imagine that isn't
so much a problem in London or Paris, though perhaps they will end up
congregating at other places?

Cardiff has the beginnings of a similar scheme:
http://www.oybike.com

Theo
(who notes that the Lausanne metro has a special section for bikes, which
might help with the hill problem)

On 24/06/2010 11:07, Theo Markettos wrote:
Roland wrote:
I saw one in Lausanne recently, where a chap was assiduously filling up
empty racks from a trailer (I did wonder what the carbon efficiency of
that was in the event he drives a few miles to deliver just one bike...
but no doubt over time it works out.

Lausanne is built on a rather large hill. I imagine all the bikes drift to
the bottom, so some kind of rebalancing is required. I imagine that isn't
so much a problem in London or Paris, though perhaps they will end up
congregating at other places?

Cardiff has the beginnings of a similar scheme:
http://www.oybike.com

Theo
(who notes that the Lausanne metro has a special section for bikes, which
might help with the hill problem)

Especially if they give a small discount for people with rented bikes.

Basil Jet wrote:
Especially if they give a small discount for people with rented bikes.

If you stay in any hotel (even the youth hostel) in Lausanne you get a free
travel pass for the duration, so that generally isn't a problem for the
tourist

Theo

On 25/06/2010 23:13, Theo Markettos wrote:
Basil wrote:
Especially if they give a small discount for people with rented bikes.

If you stay in any hotel (even the youth hostel) in Lausanne you get a free
travel pass for the duration, so that generally isn't a problem for the
tourist

It's some years since I went, but IIRC it was Lausanne where the Youth
Hostel was about one or two stops outside the zone where the ticket was
valid!

--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

In message , at 11:07:28 on Thu,
24 Jun 2010, Theo Markettos
remarked:
I saw one in Lausanne recently, where a chap was assiduously filling up
empty racks from a trailer (I did wonder what the carbon efficiency of
that was in the event he drives a few miles to deliver just one bike...
but no doubt over time it works out.

Lausanne is built on a rather large hill.

And the metro stations are sloping. I tried to take a picture but it's
very difficult to capture the angles properly.

I imagine all the bikes drift to
the bottom, so some kind of rebalancing is required.

Theo
(who notes that the Lausanne metro has a special section for bikes, which
might help with the hill problem)

The man I saw was filling the racks just outside the Metro station at
the bottom of the hill (by the harbour)! Of course, they have such good
public transport, it makes you wonder why they also need a bike scheme.
--
Roland Perry

Theo Markettos wrote on 24 June 2010
11:07:28 ...
Roland wrote:
I saw one in Lausanne recently, where a chap was assiduously filling up
empty racks from a trailer (I did wonder what the carbon efficiency of
that was in the event he drives a few miles to deliver just one bike...
but no doubt over time it works out.

Lausanne is built on a rather large hill. I imagine all the bikes drift to
the bottom, so some kind of rebalancing is required. I imagine that isn't
so much a problem in London or Paris ...

In Paris it's certainly a problem at Montmartre, where bikes have to be
taken by truck back to the top of the hill.
--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)

I don't know, but I have been to Arran, and it's very hilly!

My ex boyfriend's auntie lives on Arran, and she drives a Landrover because she needs one. Having been there, I think she's one of the only people within the British Isles who has one and does need it!

On 24/06/2010 11:07, Theo Markettos wrote:
Roland wrote:
I saw one in Lausanne recently, where a chap was assiduously filling up
empty racks from a trailer (I did wonder what the carbon efficiency of
that was in the event he drives a few miles to deliver just one bike...
but no doubt over time it works out.

Lausanne is built on a rather large hill. I imagine all the bikes drift to
the bottom, so some kind of rebalancing is required. I imagine that isn't
so much a problem in London or Paris, though perhaps they will end up
congregating at other places?

Somewhere in Norway has a clever uphill-o-matic thing for cyclists to
use. There are videos online.

There is also a Paris style bike hire scheme in Caen - I looked at using
it the other day, but there wasn't a "station" near where I was going.
--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK