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I have to spend next week in London, and i won't have a bike! 5days no riding!!!
I usually get narky after about 2.
So in an effort to do some exercise remembered these Boris bike things. Curious how heavy, how adjustable, whats the gearing like, do they come with lights?
They are designed for pedalling around town without particularly breaking a sweat.
They are chuffing heavy but do have lights IIRC.
Going for a proper ride on one would not be on my agenda and also the charges ramp up quite quick (or at least they used to) after about an hour as they're designed for short trips not a leisurely day ride.
Very heavy, saddle adjusts up/down. 3 gears from comedy spinning to making good progress. LED lights included (new "frickin sharks with lasers" lights appearing now....).
GREAT FUN 🙂
Wikkid skidz in the wet, too!
London is pretty flat to be fair, so the weight isn't probably that big of a deal once you've some momentum built up and you're just pottering about.
Wikkid skidz aside, they're a lovely way to potter around the city, or the City , depending on where you're going to be.
Ride to a museum. Pootle around the museum. Then ride to a gallery. Meander around the gallery. Ride to a pub for lunch. Continue.....
What CFH says ^^.
Don't even consider sprinting one of them, you will fall off in a sweaty heap after 200m and you will also have been overtaken in that 200m by kids on BMXs, grannies on shopping bikes and businessmen on Bromptons, all of whom will have ripped the piss out of you while doing it.
Remember to dock it again before the 30 minutes is up. Walk to next docking station, take out another. I think my record in a day was 9 hires, the longest of which was 29 minutes, the shortest about 3!
They are great to use exactly as CFH says.
Commuted on one for 18 months. Quite a workout, heavy as F 🙂 Well worth getting out and about on them, explore quiter streets and parks etc. Its faster if you setup an account and get tye token/stick which costs a few quid, possibly no time for that now.
They are great. The ride down the embankment is nice. Around Paddington and the parks is also nice. Go past buck palace and the big money houses plus down Whitehall and Big Ben is a buzz.
I like them, not fast but they 'cruise' rather well, if you've never riden one, definitely give it a go for novelty if nothing else, maybe hire a brompton too for the full London cycling experience.
Yeah they have dyno operated front and rear lights, more led markers though than lights, don't expect to have the road illuminated at night. Gears you get are 3 a low one for setting off, a middle one for most riding, a high one for when you hit hyperspeed...