Boris Bikes, Good? Bad? Ugly?

Since their introduction to London in July 2010, has this nifty bicycle-sharing scheme helped burn weekend calories, helped remove some of our capital’s infamous congestion and offered graduates a viable and cheap way of commuting?

A Boris Bike’s real name is actually Barclays Cycle Hire; I bet you didn’t know that! The system works by having a number of docking stations dotted in and around London, to which people can rent and return bikes, free for the first 30mins, then you pay more the longer you keep the bike.

With Britain’s fabulous performance during the Olympics, cycling has certainly gaining popularity. In fact the Olympics saw the record for the number of Boris Bikes hired; 47,105 hires in one day, which may have been the cherry on the cake and confirmed that the Barclays Cycle Hire scheme was fantastic.

However, although it may feel like the start line for the Olympics triathlon at traffic lights across the City, as bikes, motorized and human powered, expensive and rusty, jostle for position, the Olympics have actually finished and the prices for bike rental have increased.

So on a rainy Tuesday morning, do people actually want to commute using these bikes? Its design is not the most sophisticated but at least that means no one would steal one. You do see plenty of people on Boris Bikes, but you see more tourists than suits making their complete journey to work, especially in the morning. Plus, it is a real pain if you arrive at a docking station and there is nowhere to dock your bike, you have to traipse to the next docking station. It can add uncertainty to your commute. Plus riding bikes make you sweat, which can play havoc with your new Super 100 Merino wool suit.

They do prove a handy and cheap way to travel a few blocks to a meeting, when there are no cabs and the walk to a tube doesn’t make sense. They are cheap, many people wouldn’t ride for longer than 30mins and therefore their journey is free, something which rarely happens in London! They are also handy if you trek into town on an overground train and just need to travel a few minutes to your office. Moreover, there is no doubt that cycling burns calories, poke your head around the door of your local Fitness First and you will see lines of bikes with people, who take the tube, pedaling frantically trying to burn off the weekend indulgences.

Nevertheless, on balance I don’t think Boris Bikes really kill two birds with one stone. Instead they make a decent stab at wounding both birds, but I doubt if either would die. In short there are better ways to exercise and more straightforward ways to commute.

Who wants to cycle in this weather?

Boris Bikes are perfect for those odd journeys you need to make whether at work, or visiting London. They let you see more of what is a very pretty city, something the tube doesn’t allow, whilst it is undeniably good exercise. There are a good addition to London's public transport, however, overall I don’t think many graduates will be using these bikes to make their daily commute!