Brompton Hire Scheme

rjsterry

Now I wasn't really paying attention, but on the local BBC News, I'm sure there was an item last night or this morning about a scheme to hire out Bromptons in a similar way to Borisbikes. Brompton were involved (obviously) and so were Pearson. The bikes are to be stored in double decker lockers (80 to a parking bay apparently). Sounds a lot more fun than heaving one of Barclays' two-wheeled advertising hoardings around, but given the slightly unusual handling of a Brompton (not to mention the challenge of folding them properly) and the general level of daftness of the population as a whole, I have a certain amount of trepidation at this idea.

Anyone else know anything about it? I can't find anything on t'internet except a South West Trains scheme for season ticket holders, which is not what the same thing.

Headhuunter

Now they would definitely get nicked! At least the Boris Bikes are immediately identifiable.... Also are Bromptons built to withstand the general kicking they would get day in/day out from the general populace? Boris bikes are built like tanks

cambs

Looks like its not launched yet

http://www.bromptondock.co.uk/

rjsterry

Yes, they're hardly ideal for a general public hire scheme. I've checked the Brompton webpage and there's nothing there, nor on the BBC London page. I'm beginning to wonder whether I imagined the whole thing.

EDIT: Phew, good spot cambs.

tgotb

I read about a similar scheme which will be run out of the back of a truck (literally) at East Putney.

What I don't understand, is why would you want to hire a Brompton at a railway station? When I commute by Brompton, I ride from home to the station, take it on the train, and then ride it from the station to the office. In the evening I do the same thing in the opposite order. For this to work, I'd have to drive/bus to Guildford station (assuming I lived in Guildford), hire a bike, take it to London on the train, and ride it to the office. I still have to get to the station in the morning, in which case I might aswell take the train without a bike and hire a Boris bike at the other end.

The only way this would be useful to me would be if there was a hire point either outside my house or outside my office.

To me, this seems to be something of a publicity stunt. Although I love my Brompton bike, I've gone right off the company; they seem more interested in the "cult of Brompton" than in the bike itself. A sort of Apple of the bike world (as opposed to being a Google)...

Obie

Apparently you will be able to hire them up to 3 months at a time. So in fact you will be able to take them home. I think it is aimed at the ride from home to the station or vice versa.

cambs

I think the scheme is to allow a hire for up to three months so location isn't so critical. IIRC (from last night's report) they are beginning with Guildford stn and rolling on out to 30 locations.

tgotb

Obie wrote:

Apparently you will be able to hire them up to 3 months at a time.

That make more sense, but in that case, why provide lockers?

Obie

TGOTB wrote:

Obie wrote:

Apparently you will be able to hire them up to 3 months at a time.

That make more sense, but in that case, why provide lockers?

I presume the ground rates for lockers are far less than for a shop in every location.