Barclays Cycle Hire

I hate traveling because I miss my bike. But after learning how to run the payment machine (it was easy and you need a chip enabled card) I was off and pedaling to my hearts content.
I was all over the place. That also means it was interesting riding on the left side of the road. You have to keep focused, because when I dodged an other vehicle I kept wanting to get to the right side. Don’t!
Renting a bike was the best choice I made during my 3 days in London. I saw so much with cheap costs. Faster than many taxis and far more enjoyable.
Though the bikes weigh a ton they are comfortable, easy to use and well maintained. I always checked the tires before choosing a bike.
Just so you know, I’m 56, 6 feet tall and weight to much. I am an experienced cyclist, but it didn’t matter. Renting and riding in London was a pleasure and easy since the traffic is slow on most streets. If you like bikes you will enjoy renting one of these.

Unilocal ist nicht mehr auf dem Laufenden: Seit April 2015 heißen die Leihräder nicht mehr Barclays, sondern nach ihrem neuen Sponsor Santander Cycles. (Ich habe schon um Korrektur gebeten.)
Es gibt sie seit 2010, und das Prinzip ist fast noch simpler als das der deutschen Bahnräder (CallBikes): Man sucht einen der überall in Zentral-​London vorhandenen Docking-​Station-​Terminals (kann man z. B. per Smartphone-​App finden), folgt den Anweisungen auf dem Bildschirm, zahlt per Kredit– oder EC-​Karte mit Chip 2 Pfund Registrierungsgebühr für 24 Stunden, gibt am auszuleihenden Bike den am Terminal ausgedruckten fünfstelligen Zahlencode ein und fährt los.
Die erste halbe Stunde ist umsonst, jede weitere halbe Stunde kostet 2 Pfund. Man kann das Rad aber vor Ablauf der ersten 30 Minuten an einer Station abgeben, muss fünf Minuten warten und kann dann mit dem nächsten Rad wieder bis zu einer halben Stunde lang kostenlos fahren. Wer diese Zeit nicht überschreitet, kann also einen ganzen Tag lang für 2 Pfund radeln.
Bei der Planung ist zu berücksichtigen, dass ein Rad am Terminal einen freien Abstellplatz braucht. Wenn alle Plätze vollgestellt sind, wählt man am Terminal-​Bildschirm die Option «No docking point free», erhält weitere 15 Freiminuten und lässt sich dann per Option «Status of nearest docking station» zur nächsten freien Station geleiten.
Bei meinem vorletzten Trip nach London vor drei Wochen klappte die Ausleihe leider nicht — der Terminal nahm keine meiner Karten an. Anderen Bewertern zufolge können solche technischen Pannen häufiger passieren. Es ist auch von Fehlabbuchungen die Rede, man sollte also seine Kontoauszüge im Blick behalten.
Vorgestern funktionierte der Terminal meiner Wahl aber reibungslos, und ich konnte London endlich einmal per Drahtesel durchqueren.
Man kann sich bei Santander Cycles auch dauerhaft registrieren, braucht dafür aber laut Website eine britische Postadresse, die mit der Rechnungsadresse der Kreditkarte übereinstimmt.

These are just too awesome! The sooner other cities roll them out, the better.
For someone like me, who enjoys wandering round London, but possesses an innate hatred of both the tube and all who frequent it, these make the perfect means to get round the city.
Very cheap, comfy and easy to use, and stations are located all over the place — scooting about London has never been easier, or more fun. There’s even a far better cycle lane network than I was expecting, so all nice and safe too.
They’re particularly good for whizzing through Hyde Park, and past the Queen’s house. Though people do look at you quite oddly if you fly past singing to yourself…
Btw, I will never refer to them as anything but a Boris Bike.

For those scared to ride a bike in a massive metropolis but still want the experience, here’s the hint. DO IT ON A SUNDAY!
After a bit of touristy sightseeing around Westminster up Whitehall, we walked to Craven and The Strand to pick up a set of «Boris Bikes». Common in most larger cities, they are by-​the-​hour bike rentals that can be picked up at one location and dropped at the next. You just need a credit card to run through the machine, and it only cost us a few pounds each to rent them for two hours. In 2012 they were sponsored by Barclays and were blue, and now they are sponsored by Santander and are red. (This is why Londoners just call them «Boris Bikes», as they were initially brought in by Mayor Boris Johnson).
We walked them across to Trafalgar Square and had a look around at the fountains and statues, and then across the street toward the beautiful Admiralty Arch, which leads to The Mall. The Mall is the world-​famous road that runs between Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace which is adorned with the Union Flag during royal events and state visits.
Normally I’d be insane to think about renting a bicycle in a traffic-​crazy city like London, but here’s the secret. On Sundays and public holidays, The Mall is closed to vehicular traffic. It’s likely a bit busier in the summer, but on a Sunday in mid-​November, there was only a smattering of people, cyclists, small dogs and prams to contend with.
We spent some time gawking at Lizzie’s pad with the rest of the tourists — can’t say I’m a massive royalist but it’s really something to see whether you are a monarchist or not. I’m much more interested in British history, and the Royals are definitely a part of it, like it or not. After that we turned around back down The Mall and turned left on Marlborough Road, which reveals the hidden St James Palace. Built between 1531 and 1536, it was the palace of the Tudors — it is technically the official residence of the Sovereign, although every King/​Queen since Victoria has lived around the corner at Buckingham Palace. Currently Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York live at St James, and Prince Charles lives at Clarence House, the white building adjacent which can only be viewed from a large black gate off The Mall.
After getting our royal architecture geek on, we rode down Pall Mall. There’s a bit of traffic here, but it’s only a couple of blocks until you can turn left on St James Square and drop your bikes off at the docking station on the east side of the park. This positioned us perfectly for a walk up Regent Street to Piccadilly Circus.

Visiting London? Rent these. Trust me.
Tip: When you swipe your card, it will keep it on file for 24 hours. So, after you get your first code voucher from the machine… use it, but then trash it as soon as you have your bike. Later when you get another bike (within your 24 window), just swipe your card and the machine will say, «Oh, you still have 18 hours remaining. Want to print a new code?» Super easy!
We checked many bikes and rode many. All of the tires were full, breaks were very well adjusted, adjusting seat was super easy.
Don’t half step. Remember, unless you purchase or bring a lock, you can’t stop at just any place. You have to locate a bike stand.

I am writing a review because I am 1. Happy I am still alive and 2. There is a slight learning curve to your first check out (at least it was for us).
So your first time renting there are actually two steps to the process if you don’t hit «release bikes now» quick enough during the first transaction. So that actually caused you to «book» time with a credit card. Once that is done a receipt is printed with a code. Then you go back into the machine and enter the code to get a bike released. The second receipt gives you the bike release code.
My next recommendation is that all of those who are not avid cyclists should avoid renting at terminals that would throw you out into peak traffic lanes (as my husband did!) go to Hyde or Green park first. Ride around the bike lanes out of traffic so all the people on the road aren’t yelling at you to stay to the left. Then, and only then, once you are comfortable riding, venture out.

London’s 500-​year-​old-​plus windy streets and grid patterns were made for things as fast a horse and carriage.
A horse and carriage can go about 5 miles per hour.
The Barclays Bicycle can go about 5 miles per hour.
Given that a road bike can usually go up to 30 miles per hour, with the average ride being around 10 miles per hour, who needs something with lightning speed when you can savor a ride on one of their fat and slow bicycles along one of the double-​decker bus lanes? You can usually adjust the seat when they’re not jammed. Sometimes it takes a bit of oomph! But usually you can just find an unused with a raised seat if you’re taller than the average Brit, like I am.
Nobody is rushing you, usually.
And that fat, heavy and bulky bicycle body will probably run something or someone down rather than deflect it, so at least you probably won’t end up in the trenches!
I was born in place not close to Britain or the EU, but I have a chip and pin card because that’s how I roll. So I can use these bicycles. If your credit cards only have magnetic strips, you can’t use these rentals. It costs about £2 for a ride from Camden to Bloomsbury and back. I believe the bicycle use is £2 for an hour’s worth of riding per 24 hours.
The two major issues are 1. lack of bicycles, particularly in South London and paradoxically, 2. an overabundance of bicycles, hence not finding parking. However, there is an iPhone app that tracks available parking, which can be up to a half a mile away from the full parking lot.
I hope you have better luck riding a bicycle on a roundabout than I did!

With the help of Julia D I have now joined the Boris Bike revolution. It is a fantastic scheme with a £1 access fee for a 24 hour period, the first 30 minutes of hire are free with increasing charges thereafter.
We mostly pedaled around Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens which was an enjoyable experience without cars but I don’t think I would be that confident on the roads as the bikes are fairly heavy and slow. Having said that I hope that they come down to Clapham Junction in the near future.

Boris Bikes: I lurrrve you!
Dont judge me, but I couldnt ride a bike until…2 months ago. In my defence I didnt have one as a kid, something about all the local youths being on bikes and my parents not wanting me to get with a bad crowd yadda yadda.
Anyway, so when I found out Tower Hamlets Council did free cycle lessons using Boris Bikes, I signed up for the year membership, and have been riding away every Sunday!
The idea is awesome, and since I signed up for the year I dont have to pay the hire fee, just the time used.
The bikes are quite hardy though that means that they are a littel heavy (according to my wife who frequently gets squashed when she stacks it).
It’s sometimes a little annoying when you get to a docking station and there arent any free spaces left, especially when you are a joker like me, and waited until you had 1 minute left to return it until the next pay bracket! BUT there is an app for that which will tell you the closest station and how many spaces are left.
NOTE the app also has a timer on it.
Definitely worth looking into if you have a short commute as the first 30mins per journey is free :)
Boris — you rock!

Boris bikes, je t’aime. I greet you with Joey-​style ‘How you doin’? salutations. I practice ‘we’re not worthy’ gestures when you come my way. I have to restrain myself from exchanging high-​fives with passing riders.
I’m a cycling-​vangelist. I believe in the bike, generally and as the best means of getting around London-​town. So bear with me as I blub a little to say: It’s been. so. well. implemented. A cycle hire scheme that has been well thought out, well-​priced and makes cycling so accessible for all without the two of main downsides: maintenance and security.
Let’s start with the prices. You pay an ‘access fee’ giving you access to the bike for periods of varying length — £2 for 24 hours, £10 for 7 days, £90 for a year — and then the bike is free for the first 30 minutes of usage. The next 30 minutes is £1 and then the costs start to escalate disproportionately — TfL want bikes to be used for short journeys. However, these costs can be avoided by docking your bike before your 30 minutes is up, waiting 5 minutes and then cycling off on another one. The prices and ease of use are worth reflecting on. This is a transport option that is accessible 24 hours a day, with a maximum cost for this whole 24 period of £2 if you swap out every 30 minutes (which let’s face it, you can cover a good distance in). Compared to a 4 zone travelcard at £8, that’s excellent value. And the annual option presents even better value: a possible 25p a day for the same benefits, compared to £3.90 a day for a zones 1 – 3 annual travelcard. When you factor in the often quicker journey times by bike it’s just. stunning value.
Docking and undocking is fairly simple: enter your code or key into the docking station, wait five seconds and pull. The five seconds are important as the bike doesn’t release immediately: too soon and you can find yourself looking like a hopeful trying in vain to withdraw the sword from the stone.
And the bikes themselves. Well-​designed. Hard as nails, with everything shielded from the weather and clad in the toughest tyres on the market. Dynamo-​powered lights, an open-​sided basket with bungee for carrying stuff that works surprisingly well. An adjustable seat that allows a wide range of different people to use them.
It’s a great facility with so many possible applications. I’ve used them as a back-​up bike when mine’s being repaired. Other times I’ve used one to cut out a walk between a bus stop and my destination. They’re also wonderful ways to introduce non-​cyclists to two wheels in a relatively costless manner, or enabling someone to join you on a bike when pedalling across London.
In short: mwah!

I’ve used the Boris Bikes a few times recently since my own bike got stolen.
It’s a fantastic system. £1 access fee secures you 24 hours of use. Just make sure you return a bike to one of the many many stands around the city within 30 minutes of each hire otherwise it will charge you £1 for an hour and then increasing rates above that… but you can use as many bikes as you want in a 24 hour period as long as each hire is 30 minutes all for a total of £1. After a few turns I realised just how great this is. Heading to a particular shop or eating place? Just locate the nearest drop off point and head there. When you’ve finished, pick up another bike and on to the next place. No locks to fiddle with or worry if your bike will still be there.
The mobile App is great too and shows in real time how many bikes and spaces are free at every one of the stands. It will also map out your route using the best cycle routes. The bikes themselves are sturdy and not as cumbersome as some people make out.
The only downsides:
— Some incompetent people who haven’t ridden a bike in years and tourists who are probably jet lagged, don’t know which side of the road they are on and have no road sense, learning to stay balanced, weaving around in the middle of the road while a double decker bus with 80 passengers patiently sits behind them following at walking pace.
— Why are they extending the system east to Canary Wharf (good luck cycling along the traffic arteries there) and to West London but not North? (hmm, I’m thinking it’s political reasons). My closest pick up point is currently a good 10 minutes walk away.
But these are minor gripes and on the whole the system seems to be a huge success and it’s a great service and great value too.

Me and my sister had planned to ride these before we left. They are virtually ALL over the city. I am not a cyclist normally, but we said we HAD to ride across the London bridge.
Overall, like most of the other reviewers have mentioned its super convenient, super fun, and super cheap! Here are my only problems with the service:
–I dont know if it was jsut me, but using an international credit card/​debit card was super difficult, between the three of us we tried two different cards before one was accepted, after it was accepted, it took FOREVER to get our three codes out!
–BOOOO for double charging my card after all the fuss, again I am sure it is just an international thing
–I was not clear if we could return the bikes to different locations throughout the city? Or if we had to return it to the same location… it would have been cool to know
Overall much fun! I would definitely use again next time I’m in London: D :D

I’ve been eyeballing these bikes for a while now. I once halfheartedly looked into them but didn’t get past the ‘Access Fee’. I don’t like fees. Give me a price and I’ll pay it but for some reason ‘fee’ makes me walk away. But, this nice weather has had me rethinking my commuting ways. Buses get hot and I won’t go anywhere near a tube station. Walking is a possibility for the nearly 3 miles but not every day and probably not both ways. Thus, I gave the Boris bikes another shot at my love.
I went to their website and watched the video. The access fee is negligible, only £1 for 24 hours and your first 30 minutes is free. If you happen to pass the 30 minute mark you only incur an additional £1 charge for the next 30 minutes. If you’re still on it after an hour you’re doing something wrong.
I’ve ridden the bikes now 6 times over three days. I’ve had to call the help line twice and each time have been greeted by super customer service and almost no wait time. There are a few kinks in the system but nothing that can’t be overlooked. It’s a great service!

I’m a cyclist.
Day in, day out — I’m on my bicycle undertaking cars and shouting at pedestrians.
One sunny day, though, I thought to myself, «A walk might be nice.»
I left my flat and walked for about two miles in a straight line. Took some pictures of pigeons.
But then I realised: I don’t like walking. Not only were my feet hurting, but my hip was hurting. My body was hurting from this godforsaken «walking» notion. WHAT WAS I THINKING?
So I got a Boris bike and cycled home.
Fab.

I’d like to add my two cents (or tuppence) to the Barclays Bike Scheme: I love it! Or rather, I’ve come to love it… as it took me quite a while to personalise it for my needs.
Let me share some tips with you:
— I recommend buying the £45 all-​year pass — you will get this handy fob that you can attach to your key-​chain and it’s super easy to rent a bike with that.
— Download the App called «London Cycle» so that you’re always up-​to-​date on where the next station is and how many bikes are available.
— If you use the bikes for commuting purposes, try to memorise multiple stations around your work and home… that way, you won’t get too frustrated if one happens to be empty/​full.
I totally can see how many people find the Barclays Bike Scheme frustrating and idiotic… precisely because it does take some getting used to! But I’m a firm believer in this scheme and I’m gonna support it by riding their bikes frequently!

Oh what joy, and who would have thought it!
Having bumped into my sister unexpectedly after church in Knightsbridge, we exchanged greetings I ask her up she was up to. Not having any concrete plans, I invited her to join me on my Easter Egg Hunt! Well, not quite a hunt because all the giant Fabergè eggs had been moved to Covent Garden.
«Lets hop on a bike!»
«Okay why not!»
«No we can’t I’m scared.»
«Well we don’t have to.»
«Arrhh, let’s do it!»
So we started the convoluted ordeal of hiring ourselves a Boris Bike. For a newbie the process is not at all user friendly. I had to stick my card in and out about three times and go through seemingly the same screens displays twice. After much ado, I received a print out with a code. I then selected a bike, secured my bag and yanked the bike… nothing. Thankfully a lovely gent to my left explained that I needed to punch the code at the top of the printout into the knackered buttons, at which point we realised that my sister didn’t have the printout receipt with a code. So we had to go back over to the kiosk and stick her card back in. Thank goodness access to the bikes lasted 24 hours!
Now that we both had our codes and bags were secure, it was time put the six digit access code in (which in turn releases the bike) and hit the road. If only it were that simple. The buttons were unrecognisable! It’s just a good job that that nice man had explain what it should read! Pushed the knacked keypad numbers we did, but of course it didn’t work. We had to get a pen out and use the base of it to give each number a firm prod! My sister got hers working pretty easily, but mine took a few goes before we had lift off.
Now, I’m not a wimpy girl and I know my arms are possibly the weakest muscle in my body, but, notwithstanding, I had to fight to get that bike out. Another kind gentleman advised that it was more of a «lift and out motion» which I tried, but when you’re not particularly tall, «lift and out» doesn’t really work when you’re starting point is waist height.
I’m sure that you have noticed, dispite all the cafufful and my bellyaching, I have still given it four stars. Why? The reason is simple, we had a perfect afternoon. The sun was shining and at 13 or so degrees the conditions were perfect for a fantastic time riding through Hyde Park, across Park Line, down to Oxford Street, Russell Square, Bloomsbury, Holborn and then to Covent Garden.
Finally, now that I know what to expect and how it all works, I’ll do it again in a heart beat. If you’re a newbie like I was, do make sure you check out my «Boris Bike Check List Quick Tips» when you arrive at your bike collection point, it might just save you 20 minutes of farting around!

#524 How could I not give Barclays Cycle Hire 5 stars? Seriously. This past Thursday saw my first experience with any city-​sponsored cycle hire and I could see myself getting addicted to its convenience if I lived in the city. It’s too bad it’s mainly focused in Central London, though, because the number of bikes at stations decreases as you get further out, making it difficult to catch a full bank once you wander out. Regardless, 1gbp for 24-​hour access? 2gbp if you go past 30 minutes? It’s just too shockingly affordable! Much better than catching a taxi or getting on the Tube. Plus, it’s great for tourists like me who want to see as much of London as possible.
I will say, navigating car traffic can get a bit tricky, but I acclimated after 15 minutes on the road. There’s also a basket in the front to hook your belongings onto and the bikes are hefty. Just make sure you print out multiple access codes if you’re getting more than one bike. Oh, and if you’re looking to check out a bike after you’ve just returned one, just make sure you wait the 10 minutes in between so you don’t get charged with any fees. I definitely plan on using the Cycle Hire again once I’m back in London — there’s nothing better!

So much better than riding the Tube and unless you get sideswiped by a taxi drive, so much healthier! And you can’t beat the price. £1 for 24 hours, though you can only use the bike for 30 minutes at a time with 15 minutes in between. Great for seeing parts of the city you wouldn’t otherwise see. And for someone like me, who tends to get a tad lost, you get to see even MORE of the city.
I picked up one bike near Hyde Park Corner and rode it to South Kensington. Then a second from South Ken to Sloane Square. And a third from Sloane Square to Victoria.
The downsides:
— You must have a «chip & pin» card to rent. American «swipe & sign» cards are not accepted.
— It’s quite frustrating when you do finally manage to find a cycle rack to return your cycle and all the slots are full. While you can add another 15 minutes of riding time for free, you’re not where you want to be.
— The three bikes I’ve rented had an annoying tendency of shifting gears at the most inopportune times. I nearly banged my chin with my knee when it slipped one time. Also, the bell didn’t work on any.
— The fenders are great, but you will still want to lift your feet when you go through a puddle.
The upsides:
— Price!
— Convenience!
— Health!
— Very easy to operate. Slide the seat to the right level and off you go.
Would I rent again? Yeah, I think so.
Tips:
— You really should get a bike helmet. No, they’re not stylish. But then, a fractured skull won’t win you Project Runway.
— Set a count down timer on your phone for 20 minutes so that you know when it’s time to start looking for a cycle rack.
It would be really great if there was a decent iPhone app for this!

BEGIN RANT:
After the House of Detention Unilocal event, my +1 needed a bike to accompany us for dinner. «Don’t worry» I said, «we’ll get you a boris bike and we’ll be munching chilango burritos in no time».
I whip out my magical key and inserted it into bike slot number one on St John’s street and awaited the LED green light to tell me to take my bike. But no, it went orange then red.
«Oh, this happens sometimes», I say, «never fear, I have another key for such occasions, we’ll try a different bike»… orange…, RED. My face is now matching the colour of the glowing LED on the flippin docking station.
«Oh well, Islington is not that far to walk» I say, so off we trot. 5 mins later we come across another docking station. «Shall we have another go? When I’ve had this problem before the call centre have told me to wait 5 minutes» (At this point we are only minutes away from burrito heaven anyway on foot but I’m determined to get a boris bike).This time? Orange… red :-(
Stuff it. We’ll walk. And we did.
Now today, I’m browsing through my online bank statement and what do I see? Yep, £2 to Barclays bicycle hire. I called up to complain and received some guff about ‘open journey’, ‘previous passenger’ blah blah blah but it’s all OK because if I’d have waited TEN MINS I could have tried again but not to worry a refund will automatically get paid back to me within a month.
It’s a good job I don’t use these to commute to work, I’d be late every other day.
And the icing on the barclays cake? They encourage you to give them a call if the bikes are not working on an 0845 which you will naturally be calling from a mobile with its inflated tariffs for such numbers. I’m not usually a conspiracy theorist but I reckon this is how the scheme makes its money, not through people actually cycling.
RANT OVER.

Boris’s bikes have got to be one of the best things to happen to London in a long time.
On a Friday I went on an adventure at lunch. I picked up a bike at the back of Smithfield Market and rode it to Covent Garden. The journey was quicker that it would have been on foot and far more pleasant then taking the Tube.
On a Saturday I borrowed a bike on Clerkenwell Road and rode it to Spitalfields.
On a Sunday I hired another and went to St Paul’s and over to the Southbank.
All of these are journeys I otherwise would not have taken, or at the very least would not have been nearly as enjoyable as they were on a bike. I find myself now waking up at the weekend thinking about where I’m gonna ride.
With more than 300 hire points located throughout central London and 5,000 bikes in total, I have high hopes that it will help London become a kinder, gentler place.
The bikes feel a bit better than the Paris Vélib’ and the front basket with its elastic cord held my purse snugly.
They’re still ironing out the wrinkles in the scheme but with the exception of one small snag, I’ve ridden these bikes at least ten times without incident and enjoyed the experience tremendously.

I think I could have been best described as skeptical when I first heard about this scheme where there are public transport bicycles. Today it launched and I have had a go. At present you need membership to ride one of the 6,000 cycles from 400 docking stations located around Zone 1 of the Underground map in central London. The first 30 minutes are free and you pay £1 for 30 minutes to 1 hour and then charges rise further — but today in summer I faced a trip from Oxford Circus to Covent Garden. It took 13 minutes on the bike which has a tiny bit of storage space on the handbars. Just enough for my sandwich!
Using a electronic member key to unlock the bike from their station you should adjust the seat, test the brakes and then, safely, get on the road. Remembering the highway code and indicating I did wonder considering the number of CCTV int he city and the unique number on the side fo the bike if I could get in trouble for any road offences, but in fact it was stopping at red lights that annoyed me the most. This is because you really move on a bike in Central London and red lights are plentiful.
I would suggest taking a map of the docking stations with you as locking the bike up is easy (you just push it into an empty gap in a docking station) but finding them is a bit troublesome if you don’t know the area. Each docking station has information where another one is if it is full and if you put your key into the slot at a full station you get 15 minutes extra to find a space elsewhere.
For the moment it is good in summer, but it will be interesting to see how many bikes get broken, vandalised and stolen as they did in Paris. I also want to see if they get busy in rush hour in the next few weeks, then if Londoners use them when you can get a ride on a credit card without membership or even better with an Oystercard, even in the harshest of winters, then my little bike scheme you will become a man my son.