Public Bikes

[Artemisia[_2_]]

Here's a link to an article in the Herald Tribune about an imminent
plan to supply Paris with 10,000 public bikes and 1000 bike stations,
financed not by taxpayers but by advertizing. A similar system has
already been a success in Lyons, and many other Continental towns are
starting to run public municipal bike schemes.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/05/30/business/bgbike.php

I remember being impressed with the advertizing bikes when I last
visited Geneva. You paid security of I think 90 Euros, but apart from
that the bike was free to use between 9am and 9pm. But I prefer the
French system since you don't have to return the bike to the same
station you took it from and you can have it round the clock as needed
without it turning into a pumpkin.

Cheers all.

EFR
Ile de France

[Simon Bennett]

"Artemisia" > wrote in message
oups.com...

> I remember being impressed with the advertizing bikes when I last
> visited Geneva. You paid security of I think 90 Euros, but apart from
> that the bike was free to use between 9am and 9pm. But I prefer the
> French system since you don't have to return the bike to the same
> station you took it from and you can have it round the clock as needed
> without it turning into a pumpkin.

It's certainly working very well in Lyon. We were there last week and the
take up is enormous. ISTR someone posting about it here a year or so ago,
wondering whether it would be a success. This seems to be the case.

Very sturdy bikes they are, too.

[Dane Buson]

In rec.bicycles.misc Simon Bennett > wrote:
>
> "Artemisia" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>
>> I remember being impressed with the advertizing bikes when I last
>> visited Geneva. You paid security of I think 90 Euros, but apart from
>> that the bike was free to use between 9am and 9pm. But I prefer the
>> French system since you don't have to return the bike to the same
>> station you took it from and you can have it round the clock as needed
>> without it turning into a pumpkin.
>
> It's certainly working very well in Lyon. We were there last week and the
> take up is enormous. ISTR someone posting about it here a year or so ago,
> wondering whether it would be a success. This seems to be the case.

That's good to hear. So often we'll see an article in the news, but
there is rarely any follow up to the transportation stories.

> Very sturdy bikes they are, too.

I googled around a bit for them, and they look fairly nice.

http://www.camcycle.org.uk/newsletters/63/article14.html

It looks like it's equipped with a three speed internal gear hubs, a
nice basket, skirtguard, lights and a lock. The step-through frame
seems very sensible.

I wish I could find a bit more detail on how this part is done though:

"A microchip in the bike registers when it's taken from a rack, and when
it's returned. Every time a bike is parked in a rack, its tire pressure
, lights, brakes and gears are tested. Malfunctioning cycles are
blocked from being rented."

--
Dane Buson -
If A = B and B = C, then A = C, except where void or prohibited by law.
-- Roy Santoro

[Elisa Francesca Roselli]

Simon Bennett wrote:

> It's certainly working very well in Lyon. We were there last week and the
> take up is enormous. ISTR someone posting about it here a year or so ago,
> wondering whether it would be a success. This seems to be the case.

But I was saddened to hear from a collegue who teleworks from Lyons that
there is a huge amout of vandalism. Oiks enjoy slashing tyres and
generally busting anything they can access. Alas if it's bad in Lyons it
will be many times worse in cruddy Paris.

If I were dictator of the world, I'd bring back public whipping for
outrage à vélo. I'll go petition Sarko, I'm sure he'd be sympathetic.

EFR
Ile de France

[Simon Bennett]

"Elisa Francesca Roselli" > wrote in message
...

> But I was saddened to hear from a collegue who teleworks from Lyons that
> there is a huge amout of vandalism. Oiks enjoy slashing tyres and
> generally busting anything they can access. Alas if it's bad in Lyons it
> will be many times worse in cruddy Paris.

I didn't see much vandalism, most seemed to be in very good order. I did see
one with a sheared seatpost; but the rider had thoughtfully placed the
decapitated saddle in the front basket and neatly parked the bike in its
dock.

The interesting thing was the sheer number of them, rack after rack all the
way from St George's right up the Saone to the suburbs.