Yet Another Cycling Forum

General Category => On The Road => Topic started by: Kim on 20 March, 2018, 02:32:39 pm

Title: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: Kim on 20 March, 2018, 02:32:39 pm
Bromptondock's been around for ages now, but that's no substitute for short-term hire schemes.  We had a car-based one in Birmingham for a while, which was a flop.  Looks like this might actually happen:

http://www.birminghamupdates.com/nextbike-has-been-revealed-as-west-midlands-bike-share-operator/

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/brums-version-boris-bikes-way-14434411

Not stopping at the local authority borders is likely to be important if it catches on, and integrating with the Swift card (a sort of Wet Midlands version of Oyster that doesn't work on the trains) is excellent.

Of course the main problem is that the West Midlands Conurbation makes That London look pleasant to cycle in, and that the easiest way to get around central Birmingham is as a pedestrian.
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 20 March, 2018, 02:51:11 pm
I think Nextbike operate in Bath, but all I can tell you is that they are grey and therefore far inferior to the Yobikes in Bristol, which are yellow.  :D
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: Kim on 20 March, 2018, 03:06:47 pm
Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 20 March, 2018, 02:51:11 pm
I think Nextbike operate in Bath, but all I can tell you is that they are grey and therefore far inferior to the Yobikes in Bristol, which are yellow.  :D

It's a bit rubbish, yes (though to be fair, grey does fit in with the general colourscheme of the West Midlands Conurbation).  We do have the best Bromptondock bike colour, thobut:

(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3872/14865540468_dafa10e1a6_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/oDBMgS)
Brompton Bike Hire comes to Birmingham (https://flic.kr/p/oDBMgS) by Birmingham City Council (https://www.flickr.com/photos/birminghamnewsroom/), on Flickr
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: rower40 on 20 March, 2018, 03:38:29 pm
Note to self: Brompton + Birmingham => Purple lurgi and the kind of facelessness that suggests a Dr. Who villian is in operation.
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: Kim on 08 February, 2021, 09:37:05 pm
An email advertising this popped into my inbox this morning:  https://www.wmcyclehire.co.uk/

I note they cunningly chose Sutton Coldfield for the initial deployment.  This is evidence of Brummie joined-up thinking, as they just removed the pop-up cycle infra from Sutton Coldfield in order to fit more cars in.  It's still vapourwear until they have double-digit bikes and more than one dock.

The Beryl app seems to be a national thing.  Good name.

Prices are disappointing, especially compared to the Voi Scooters (currently £1 to unlock, 20p/min)
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 08 February, 2021, 10:22:14 pm
Quote
It costs £1 to unlock a bike and then just 5p per minute of cycling.
Wow. The Yo bikes in Bristol cost £1 per hour.
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: Kim on 08 February, 2021, 10:25:52 pm
Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 08 February, 2021, 10:22:14 pm
Quote
It costs £1 to unlock a bike and then just 5p per minute of cycling.
Wow. The Yo bikes in Bristol cost £1 per hour.

Yeah, a bit of a change from the "free for the first 30 minutes" and "£30/year" originally announced.  Also 1500 bikes rather than the original 5000.  At least you won't need a driving licence?
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 08 February, 2021, 10:28:55 pm
Not sure how many Yos there used to be or how many survive. I reckon most are in the docks by now, and I note Birmingham's got far more miles of canals then Bristol has river.
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: Kim on 08 February, 2021, 10:37:25 pm
Hopefully being a no-the-other-kind-of-dock-based scheme should help with that.

Surprisingly few Vois have ended up in the canals so far, but enough for them to want to improve the waterproofing.
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: andrewc on 08 February, 2021, 11:18:39 pm
I've let my Liverpool bike hire subscription lapse.  There are very few actual bikes anymore,  they've mostly been replaced by E-bikes & significantly fewer of them.    The Voi scooters are very popular though.  Yet to try them.



Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: Kim on 08 March, 2021, 01:34:45 pm
And it's launched: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-56320798

I'm hoping they installed some mudguards and pedals on the bikes first.
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: andrewc on 08 March, 2021, 02:12:29 pm
The West Midlands bikes have been produced by Pashley Cycles in Stratford-upon Avon, Warwickshire, with other parts made elsewhere in the region.
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: Jakob W on 08 March, 2021, 03:05:00 pm
They're the same as the Sadiq Cycles in that there London, aren't they?
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: graculus on 08 March, 2021, 03:50:25 pm
Quote from: Kim on 08 March, 2021, 01:34:45 pm
And it's launched: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-56320798

I'm hoping they installed some mudguards and pedals on the bikes first.
Looks like it, although the front one doesn't seem to come very far forward:
https://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/news/west-midlands-cycle-hire-launched-wolverhampton (https://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/news/west-midlands-cycle-hire-launched-wolverhampton)
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 08 March, 2021, 04:03:05 pm
Quote from: andrewc on 08 March, 2021, 02:12:29 pm
The West Midlands bikes have been produced by Pashley Cycles in Stratford-upon Avon, Warwickshire, with other parts made elsewhere in the region.
Imagines if Bristol's Yo bikes were made at Right Argos...
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: Gattopardo on 08 March, 2021, 04:34:51 pm
Serco are involved.
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: Kim on 09 March, 2021, 06:14:56 pm
Serco involvement is a perennial tragedy of modern-life-is-rubbishness, unfortunately.

Meanwhile, your intrepid Middle Earth correspondent has crossed the Aston Gap, battled her way through the Mad Max dystopia of Erdington, and climbed the bastard hill on the A5127 to reach the Royal Town Of I Can't Believe It's Not Birmingham, in search of...

(click to show/hide)

So yeah.  Hopefully they'll make it as far as Birmingham.

Starting the deployment in Sutton Coldfield makes sense in as much as they seem to be getting good use by people going for a pootle in Sutton Park, without needing a vast number of docks.  The woman in my first photo hadn't cycled since she was 6, so there's that.
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 09 March, 2021, 06:38:42 pm
Sounds mostly good then?
Quote
Unlike the London bikes, the dock is completely passive, with the electronics in the bike.  Which should make deployment of the docks a lot cheaper.
But presumably makes the bikes more expensive. And nobody ever threw a dock in the, er, dock.

Quote
The woman in my first photo hadn't cycled since she was 6, so there's that.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Now that I'm six, I'm as clever as clever,
I think I'll stay six for ever and ever.
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: Kim on 09 March, 2021, 07:39:21 pm
I should add that since the lock mechanism is part of the bike, these have the bonus feature that you can lock (with the yellow lever) and unlock them (with the app) in arbitrary locations, keeping your hire period running.  Useful if you're popping to the post office or something.

It also means they could be operated docklessly in future, which I'm less keen about.
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: grams on 09 March, 2021, 07:46:54 pm
Excellent write up.

Quote from: Kim on 09 March, 2021, 06:14:56 pm
To unlock, you use the Beryl app, either by NFC or by entering a 6-digit bike number.  As if by magic, something goes *CLUNK* on the bike and it can be released.  No getting a code from the Boris Computer on a little slip of paper, no crappy memberane switches.

And no oik shoulder surfacing the large print number and nicking a bike on your credit card.

Quote
The seatpost clamp design seems improved on the Boris Bike design, and has a long lever for plenty of clamping force.

The same design is used on the Pashley Boris Bikes.

Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 09 March, 2021, 06:38:42 pm
But presumably makes the bikes more expensive. And nobody ever threw a dock in the, er, dock.

Boris Bike stations require ludicrous amounts of labour (https://www.mackinltd.com/case-studies/tfl-cycle-hire-scheme). The bikes would have to be hugely more expensive for this not to be a big net saving. And presumably they have GPS and can phone home after being dumped by the aforementioned oiks (anywhere but underwater), which I'm not sure the London ones can.
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 26 March, 2021, 01:51:55 pm
Yo Bikes are pulling out of Bristol, or perhaps closing down totally. I'm not sure if they'll actually collect all their bikes or maybe they'll be abandoned to the mercies of the streets. It would be nice if they donated them to something like the Bike Project (https://thebristolbikeproject.org) or the scheme for prisoners.
https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/news/yobikes-no-longer-available-for-hire-in-bristol/
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: Kim on 20 May, 2021, 03:17:46 pm
A several of bike docks have sprung up around the University and along the A38.  Presumably in town too.

Bikes are apparently coming on the 24th.
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: robgul on 20 May, 2021, 07:04:28 pm
Quote from: Kim on 20 May, 2021, 03:17:46 pm
A several of bike docks have sprung up around the University and along the A38.  Presumably in town too.

Bikes are apparently coming on the 24th.

Reports have reached me of sightings of actual bikes in docking stations in Knowle/Solihull
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: nobby on 20 May, 2021, 08:14:53 pm
We've got bike hire in Wolvo all set up.
Second attempt I think.
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: graculus on 20 May, 2021, 08:39:33 pm
Yes, it's the second attempt (The first one failed after the supplier pulled out I think). The docks are almost all within the ring road, I've not actually seen a bike in use yet but that may be because I'm usually in and out of town by 9 a.m. Sheena says she has seen some in use.
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: nobby on 21 May, 2021, 07:48:07 am
My nearest dock is the other end of Lea Rd.
By the time I have walked to there I am half way to the centre so I just keep walking.
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: graculus on 21 May, 2021, 09:31:26 am
Seems I was wrong to say the docks are mostly within the ring rd in Wolverhampton:
https://www.wmcyclehire.co.uk/stations/ (https://www.wmcyclehire.co.uk/stations/)
I think your point is a good one, if you've had to walk (or cycle as I would probably) to get to your nearest docking station, why would you then transfer to a hire bike which might not be as good for carrying baggage.
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: Kim on 21 May, 2021, 12:52:33 pm
Quote from: graculus on 21 May, 2021, 09:31:26 am
Seems I was wrong to say the docks are mostly within the ring rd in Wolverhampton:
https://www.wmcyclehire.co.uk/stations/ (https://www.wmcyclehire.co.uk/stations/)
I think your point is a good one, if you've had to walk (or cycle as I would probably) to get to your nearest docking station, why would you then transfer to a hire bike which might not be as good for carrying baggage.

Transferring from bike to hire bike seems unlikely, unless you're reviewing the hire bikes.
From walking?  Well, bike is quicker and easier, even if it's only part of the journey.  See also: Buses (maybe not the quicker part).

But ultimately, the utility comes down to the proliferation of bikes and docking stations.
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: nobby on 21 May, 2021, 01:36:39 pm
The walk from my house to the nearest bike dock between me and town is three quarters of a mile. It is downhill. From the dock it is the same distance to the centre - Queens Square - all uphill. If I stop at my first usual point - Oxfam - it is only half a mile from my nearest dock.
It doesn't make sense paying to use the bike for the uphill stretch.
Diane round the corner cycles to town several times a week to shop on her Pendleton. She isn't going to walk to the dock.
If the docks come further out into the suburbs I can see a case for hiring a bike, but I wonder if they are being kept very close to the centre because that is where the useful bike infrastructure is being built. The car/bike interface outside of Wolverhampton ring road still requires an aggressive taking of space by the cyclist.
I think an expansion outwards would be best but, early days yet, and may be it will work anyway.
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: nobby on 21 May, 2021, 01:40:52 pm
Quote from: graculus on 21 May, 2021, 09:31:26 am
Seems I was wrong to say the docks are mostly within the ring rd in Wolverhampton:
https://www.wmcyclehire.co.uk/stations/ (https://www.wmcyclehire.co.uk/stations/)
I think your point is a good one, if you've had to walk (or cycle as I would probably) to get to your nearest docking station, why would you then transfer to a hire bike which might not be as good for carrying baggage.

Looking at that map I think those docking points are on 'good' cycle routes into the city centre
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: Kim on 21 May, 2021, 02:10:55 pm
Quote from: nobby on 21 May, 2021, 01:36:39 pm
If the docks come further out into the suburbs I can see a case for hiring a bike, but I wonder if they are being kept very close to the centre because that is where the useful bike infrastructure is being built.

They're being kept close to the city centre because it's the best way to use a limited number of docks/bikes.  Remember the scheme was downsized from 5000 bikes to 1500.  They can always expand outwards if they prove to be popular (as the Voi scooters have, greatly increasing their utility).


Quote
The car/bike interface outside of Wolverhampton ring road still requires an aggressive taking of space by the cyclist.

It really does  :hand:
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: nobby on 21 May, 2021, 03:12:53 pm
Quote from: Kim on 21 May, 2021, 02:10:55 pm
They're being kept close to the city centre because it's the best way to use a limited number of docks/bikes.  Remember the scheme was downsized from 5000 bikes to 1500.  They can always expand outwards if they prove to be popular (as the Voi scooters have, greatly increasing their utility).

Ah, I didn't know that.
It will be good if it does work
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: graculus on 21 May, 2021, 03:45:16 pm
I, too, would be happy to see it work in Wolverhampton but I think that a potential weakness is that anyone who feels confident and competent to cycle on the roads as they currently are probably already owns their own bike. Members of Wolverhampton's Cycle Forum did come up with counterexamples:

-Need to get to the station for a train journey but don't fancy leaving your own bike parked there overnight
-You live in (rented) accommodation that prohibits the storage of bikes indoors.

There are plans afoot for improvements, but whether those come before the hire company loses patience who knows.
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: Kim on 21 May, 2021, 03:48:52 pm
Quote from: graculus on 21 May, 2021, 03:45:16 pm
-Need to get to the station for a train journey but don't fancy leaving your own bike parked there overnight

This is the sort of scenario where I'm most likely to use them.  Indeed, I've used the London hire bikes on several occasions because it's less hassle than bringing my own bike.

The lack of sensible/secure/permitted cycle storage thing is I'm sure a significant factor in the popularity of e-scooters (both hired and privately owned).  They tend to be easier to carry and store than all but the most expensive folding bikes.
Title: Re: West Midlands finally gets a bike hire scheme
Post by: Si on 31 July, 2021, 05:21:52 pm
Have seen quite a few people wobbling around Sutton park on them over the last few weeks.  The wobbling suggests that they are attracting lapsed riders.  Also a fair few being pushed up hills.

Alas, the segregated cycle paths that linked the town centre to suttnn park was taken out before it was properly opened thanks to the media-hungry local councillors.

Also, alas, this hire scheme replaces the free hire scheme that got canned when the Sutton and erdngton leisure centres were changed from community facilities to  businesses.  Main advantage that these have over the old scheme is visibility - you can just grab one out of the stand rather than having to go into the liesure centre and get a member of staff to get one out the store for you.

One step forward, two steps back?