Strange reasons to oppose dockless bikes

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100%JR
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Joined: 31 May 2016, 10:47pm
Location: High Green,Sheffield.

Re: Strange reasons to oppose dockless bikes

Post by 100%JR »

mjr wrote:
ibbo68 wrote: [...] young scroats riding around North Sheffield on these things.The fact that the "locking mechanisms" has been smashed off would tell me no.They're usually painted black and the Police don't seem to care that there's about 7 or 8 of these bikes being ridden,by the same youths outside our local Co-op.Even though they've had a crude repaint it's obvious what they are :roll:

Sheffield Police seem to be refusing to cooperate with ofo, from reports I read elsewhere. And bluntly, I'd rather the scroats were nicking ofo's bikes than people's own bikes!

I agree but it's still theft and criminal damage!
brooksby
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Joined: 21 Aug 2014, 9:02am
Location: Bristol

Re: Strange reasons to oppose dockless bikes

Post by brooksby »

Bmblbzzz wrote:The thing I don't like about dockless hire bikes is that people leave them at bike stands even though they have their own built-in prop stand and locks. This is a bigger problem than abandoning a non-hire bike at a stand because there are more of them, they don't get moved (unlike other bikes which when left for a long time get either removed by LA or stolen), they are often wedged between stands regardless of bikes already being there, and they are much heavier, making them harder to move to access your own bike.


This. Isn't it another "tragedy of the commons" type thing? Council provides bike stands, private company realises too many of its "dockless" bikes are going missing or being left inappropriately so mandates that it's bikes have to be left at a bike stand which has been oh so conveniently made available.

I hate the way they seem to breed like paper clips, all tangled together.
jgurney
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Joined: 10 May 2009, 8:34am

Re: Strange reasons to oppose dockless bikes

Post by jgurney »

Cyril Haearn wrote:Any observations from the UK?


Visiting Bristol recently I observed one in an ornamental fountain and several parked where they obstructed footways.

I suspect losses due to vandals throwing them into rivers, etc, might make such schemes expensive to operate.
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gaz
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Re: Strange reasons to oppose dockless bikes

Post by gaz »

jgurney wrote:... and several parked where they obstructed footways. ...

Behaviour learned from dockless car owners :wink: .
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Cyril Haearn
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Re: Strange reasons to oppose dockless bikes

Post by Cyril Haearn »

gaz wrote:
jgurney wrote:... and several parked where they obstructed footways. ...

Behaviour learned from dockless car owners :wink: .

Time to dock cars and bring back Dixon of Dock Green
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awavey
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Re: Strange reasons to oppose dockless bikes

Post by awavey »

I do think in towns/cities where there isnt a great deal of cycling infrastructure and especially bike stands, to have several hundred dockless bikes just dumped on bike stands isnt really acceptable. a council wouldnt be happy if theyd built a free car park and 3/4qtrs of the spaces were then constantly being used by the local taxi firm to store their cars, so why do they let that situation develop for cycling.

I appreciate dockless bikes are easier than trying to build a load of boris bike stations everywhere, but I dont see why these companies cant be made to contribute to increasing the number of available bike stands if they are going to be using them.

as for the train scheme ones, I like riding my bike, its comfortable and its sized for me and its not a lump of cast iron, if Ive got a train to somewhere to ride a bike I want to ride something that is a compromise in size, is like riding something made of scaffolding poles and handles like a tank.

I have hired a bike once on holiday, and yeah it was ok to ride, the brakes were good, but I know Id have enjoyed the ride I did on my bike a helluva lot more
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The utility cyclist
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Re: Strange reasons to oppose dockless bikes

Post by The utility cyclist »

awavey wrote:I do think in towns/cities where there isnt a great deal of cycling infrastructure

And therein lies the problem, dockless bikes not only do not improve that huge problem they cause others besides.
As I said it reflects a failed system and causes yet more disorder.
First thing long before dockless/docked is getting people on their own bikes that live/work within towns and cities, create the infra whether built or a whole lane taken away from motors(latter my preference), get kids riding to school, and then a full sized train coach for bikes on all peak time services. Car and ride schemes for out of towners using their own bike, THEN maybe think about a bike hire scheme to see if one is needed at all.
Last edited by The utility cyclist on 16 Apr 2018, 1:49pm, edited 1 time in total.
Mike Sales
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Re: Strange reasons to oppose dockless bikes

Post by Mike Sales »

awavey wrote:
I have hired a bike once on holiday, and yeah it was ok to ride, the brakes were good, but I know Id have enjoyed the ride I did on my bike a helluva lot more


I once hired a bike on the Isle of Man. It was a Raleigh three speed. After I had driven home the loose cotter pin and adjusted the brakes and gears I rode it up to the top of Snaefell. The lack of low gears made this hard, but getting down with the steel calipers on steel rims was nearly as bad. After that I took my own bike.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
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