Guildford station was the setting today for an innovative experiment in cycle-rail commuting – Britain's (and surely the world's) first self service Brompton bicycle rental scheme, the Brompton Bike Dock.
Fifty folding bikes are for hire at the station through a new membership scheme. Joining the scheme costs £50 for a year and that gets you a smartcard and access to the Bike Dock. To hire a bike from one of the Bike Dock's lockers simply swipe the card on a locker door, take the bike inside, and off you go.
The hire period can be for as short or long as you like, and hire prices go from £4 for a single day hire, to £2 per day for hires of seven days or more, dropping to £1.60 per day if you for hire periods of 23 days and up - which sounds like a bargain when set against the cost of actually buying a Brompton.
South West Trains have been working with Brompton for a few years now, the company pioneered Brompton hire at Waterloo station and already offer Brompton hire bikes to their season ticket holders. The new Brompton Bike Dock carries things a stage further. This latest move is says South West Trains part of the company's strategy to promote cycling "as an eco-friendly last-mile feeder link to and from the station."
Phil Dominey, Stakeholder Manager for South West Trains said: “Brompton bikes have already proved to be a success on our network. This is the first time in the UK that Brompton bikes will be available from a self-service dock and we believe this will make it easier for people to cycle to or from Guildford station. It is another step to encourage more passengers to think of alternatives to the car."
As you'd expect Brompton Bike Dock managing director, Mark Antwiss was equally enthusiastic about the new project:
“In the last 10 years, bike journeys have increased 10 fold (no pun intended we're sure - ed). This is the first Brompton dock in the country and we believe this will make bike journeys even more attractive and set people free by providing a ready to ride high quality Brompton bike to rent.”
The Bike Docks green credentials are boosted still further by being made from 95 per cent recycled materials in the UK and is entirely self-contained and solar powered. You can register to become a member of the Brompton Bike Dock scheme and to buy a smart card at http://pilot.bromptondock.co.uk/pilot.php
Folding bikes, especially Bromptons can be carried without restriction on all South West Train Services, but most be stowed as luggage.
Not really a cycle lane though, looks more like the area of the road you shouldn't cycle in, to be safe please cycle further out than this green patch
The basis of most discrimination but would have been easily fixed in this case by a big sign saying cyclists and pedestrians please use Click and...
Last time I went, I was so glad I camped uphill from the toilets. Sunday was interesting if you were downhill.
Louis Meintjes says hi..
Lock me up!
If you really want to make yourself weep go and take a gander at what 1200-1500 buys you on a MTB these days. 12 speed manual gears, brand name...
£1,730 is the price if you buy as a whole groupset at rrp: https://www.probikekit.co.uk/cycling-groupsets/shimano-105-di2-disc-12-s...
In fact I've just read there's a non-comfort version of the seatpost that actually saves a further 90 grams! Winner!
9 November 21
Clearly this story is nonsense, as no tory is ever hypocritical ever, ever, ever; unless there's a y in the day.