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! read more

Santander Cycle Hire - Boris Bikes at Hyde Park - Bike Rentals Near Me

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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. read more

Santander Cycle Hire - Bike Rentals Near Me

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This made my first day in London awesome!!!! Very fun!!!!!! I got a sense for the city I never could have on foot or by tube or bus. The weird black thing on the front is to hold your bag - ahhhhhhh. Wish I'd known that in the beginning. Just two things - a lot of bikes were broken or felt unsafe to ride, so you had to take the Trouble to ride back after a block or two and exchange it. Also....the seats.....were sooooo hard..... that I physically couldn't ride again the next day, and had to learn to use the bus. read more

Santander Cycle Hire - Lots of bikes by the British Museum; not so many in the Liverpool districts. - Bike Rentals Near Me

I've used these bikes and seen so much of London proper. It's 2£ for the 24 hr rental fee. First 30 minutes are free. Then the charges add up. The bike stations are everywhere so it's ideal to keep putting the bikes back in before 30 minutes to get the cheapest deal in town! A trick is to bounce the back wheel tire to easily get the bike out of the slot. Ensure you lock it up proper else you'll be charged 150£ Also make sure no one is around when you get your code. I've had my code stolen by little buggers! Thank goodness for good samaritans whom helped me catch the little thieves. read more

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. read more

Santander Cycle Hire - Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! - Bike Rentals Near Me

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! read more

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. read more

Santander Cycle Hire - Me with a bike. - Bike Rentals Near Me

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 read more

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. read more

Santander Cycle Hire - Bike Rentals Near Me

Came across a Santander bike dock while I was out for a walk in Hyde Park in London. What a great way to enjoy the sites of the city! Spent the afternoon biking around Parliament Square and Covenant Gardens. There are various bike docks located throuout the city, so you can dock your bike at any dock and either leave it, or just lock it up and unlock another bike if you want to continue your adventure! Brilliant concept!! read more

Santander Cycle Hire - Bike Rentals Near Me

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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! read more

One of the best ideas to hit London in a long time. I have my own bike but still joined up for this and has proved already definitely worth it.... I travel to work either by scooter or bike (basically avoiding the tube during rush hour at all costs!). Last Friday my scooter completely died about 5 min after leaving the office, so I had to leave it and was dreading a longer than normal commute home. Then someone passed me on a Barclays bike and I remembered I could use it to get most of the way home. A nice cycle down the Mall and into Hyde Park was much better than being packed on the tube and I got some exercise in, to boot! The system is easy to use and I have a handy iPhone app to show me where bikes are available (or alternatively where free spots are to dock a bike back in). Brilliant! Tourists--right now you have to sign up online and have a key fob sent out to you, so not ideal, but apparently a "pay as you go" scheme is coming soon... read more

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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! read more

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. read more

Central London's arteries needed this like a bad heart needs a pig valve... Hats off for the implementation (even if the idea was swiped from Paris's Velib!). Although I've yet to encounter too many major issues with bikes so far, it's clear that one year on the natural rate of atrition means it's increasingly likely you'll be fumbling over duff, broken-down docking stations and bikes each time you want to take one out. The ability to have up to four fobs on the same account is pretty genius though, allowing you and your friends/loved ones to create your own little peloton, gliding through the back streets of the West End! Brilliant. How the network grows in the next phase will define the scheme I think, but note to Boris - more bikes up towards Camden (and even a bit further north) please! As is though, the price is right (free for up to a half hour? Yessir...), the bikes are still shiny and holding up well enough, and the network is (just about) extensive enough. Get involved. read more

Now the scam is coming from their extremely misleading information: you must have seen that you can HIRE a cycle for 24hours for £2 and well, it's not really true hence people being charged over £90 for 24hours!!! So, if you want to hire a cycle for 24hrs for £2 (which is the minimum fee), you can but you need to check your watch as you will need to bring back your cycle to any station every 30min.... Example: ... If you fail to do so, Santander will charge you an extra £2 per extra half an hour or less. For instance, if you ride a cycle for 33min, then the extra 3min are falling into an extra half an hour so those 3min will cost you £2! As it cost £2 to access the bike on the 24hours scheme, then riding it 33min will cost you: 2£ (24hours scheme) + 2£ (extra 3min) = 4£. read more

Quite simply the time I tried to use it it didn't work. I paid £1 for my access code, but the docking station refused to accept it. I tried entering it over 5 times but to no avail. And somewhat cynically TfL have set the minimum amount they will pay a refund at....£1.01! (I guess they would be issuing a lot of refunds otherwise...?) read more

I find this whole idea really great, for me it is not only a life saver, it is a pure joy! I cannot have a bike of mine own since I have nowhere to keep it and also I have to take the tube to get to work but because of the bike rental I only need one line rather then 3 as I am able to use the bikes to get the rest of the way. It saves me time and money and I can enjoy the view rather then dark tunnel :) If only the car drivers were more careful........ read more

Beware! I used a bike for a couple hours on a visit to the UK and returned the bike into the rack with the green light that confirmed the return, yet my credit card has been billed over $1000.00 in a series of charges after I left the UK. Nearly daily charges have occurred since being in the states: $126, $549, $248 $69, $10.50 and so on for more than $1000 in fraudulent charges. read more

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! read more

When my friend and I hired these Santander Cycles, we understood that is was £2 for 24hrs. We understood that we had to stop the bikes for a minimum of 5 minutes EVERY 30 MINUTES, NOT DOCK THEM every 30 minutes. I believe that this should be stated at the point of sale and is deliberately misleading. This is how they are catching everyone out!!!! Once they have your credit card account details there is no message, receipt, email or anything letting you know that you are racking up extra charges!! Is this correct and just? The first I knew was my bank asking me if I was trying to pay TFL CYCLES £252 My friend was charged £362 (over £600 between the 2 of us, honestly we would have purchased cycles or better still stolen one. As one not being returned completely would cost £300) Why did they leave it so long before charging us the extra fees? I phoned them and was straight away threatened with the bailiffs. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND ANYONE TO USE THESE CYCLES, COMPLETE RIP OFF When they couldn't take the £252 from my account, they decided they would try £106 two days later. Are you allowed to take varying amounts from someone's account without notifying them? I'm guessing all this is in the small print of 34 pages, absolutely disgraceful way of tricking people. AVOID AT ALL COSTS, NOT WORTH THE MONEY OR THE TROUBLE read more

These bikes made my trip to London WAY more fun. It's sort of a skill to learn because the machines don't always work. You can buy a 24 hour pass for 1 pound and then use the bikes as much as you want for a scale of fees. Under 30 min: free. Under 1 hour: 1 pound. You can also get a week long pass for 5 pounds. Sometimes they don't let you take bikes from certain stations for unknown reasons--maybe regulating bike flow? This is kind of annoying. The bikes are a little slow and have 3 gears, but overall, they're super fun and easy and worth the small fee!! read more

Please be aware of this company !! I'm regular customer been using a bikes for at least 4 years! Recently as normal I have picked up the bike after shorts journey it's been return ( green light on etc). Next day I have noticed my credit card is not working while taking a bike same story next day ! Then after 3 days I have noticed I have been extra charged £94.00. Immediately i have called Santander bike call centre after short conversation and explaining the whole situation ( when pick up when drop off light green on) I been told the "street team" will have to check so I have to allowed them 48h. After number of calls and week later still no answers but new charges appeared of £206.00 after few calls again I have ask for manager call back. Apparently the bike is still missing and I have to pay for it event I returned bike properly but I can not prove as not confirmation on pay us up go customer. Also can cancel this translation of my credit card as I don't have confirmation of returning this bike! If they will find a bike they will refund me "if" £206.00. I have done noting wrong apart of given them my credit card details so they can do what they like and don't provide a proof It shocking situation, very annoying so that short journey cost me £302.00 After speaking with management they supplied me with email address to complain more time to waste. They just lost it regular customer ! Please avoid if you can don't use them. They will cost you heavenly eventually no support what so ever! Shame on you LONDON bike scheme!!!! I read more

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!! read more

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. read more

If you are in London and need to get about I would definitely give the Cycle Hire scheme a try. The system is easy to use, all you need is your bank card. The bikes are quite good, very solid, although lacking any shock absorption (watch out for holes in the road). There are quite a few bicycle banks... if you can find them. There are few ways you can go wrong with a cycle hire scheme and so its pretty much all good. 2 Things to note however. Having a data plan can help substantially as finding a bicycle bank can be hard without one and the helpful London info maps do not have the bike banks on them (yet). However you can assume that there is a bank near most major tube stations. 2nd thing, the distribution of bicycles can end up off balance throughout the day as everyone ends up emptying one bank and leaving their bikes in another. This can lead to you arriving somewhere and not having any place to stow. Another instance where having a data plan on your phone can help you. Give it a try. You might like it. read more

This is the best bike rental system I've ever seen. (Rome has something kind of like it, but it doesn't even compare.) We had zero problems with equipment or payment. The great part is, the bike stations are everywhere. Beware if you try to check out or return from really popular places (like Hyde Park) on the weekends- it can get a little crazy. read more

boris bikes are really great - the system isn't the most user friendly, especially for first time users - and it's fairly common to come across an entire docking station where most of the bikes have their red lights on (so frustrating! but depending on where you are, you most likely won't have to wait long for someone to come along and drop off their bike, which should be useable!) i'm building up my confidence on them and hope to one day be able to cycle on full blown proper roads (not just the quieter roads next to parks...) but for now i really do enjoy getting a bike and cycling around hyde park in the sunshine. i haven't really dabbled in cycling in a good few years, so i was delighted to remember how fun it can be, and i am really glad that i have boris bikes at my disposal to reignite my love for it! perfect for londoners who don't want to face the tube, and for tourists who are looking for a cheap, fun activity and a great way to see the city! read more

First time I was trying the bikes today. First of all, I couldn't figure out how to undock a bike and had to call them. When I got my code it took me a while to find a bike that was available (red lights all over). When cycling, I wasn't able to change the gear (I assume you press the button but nothing happened). When I was trying to get rid of the bike, the docking station was full so I had to call them again. I was told I could get a 15-min 'grace' to try and find a station that I could leave my bike at. Luckily someone was able to point me in the direction of another station. And there was one free slot left. I was only late for work for just under 15 mins (journey time an hour) - the longest it has taken me to get to work, normally my journey takes 40ish mins even if I need to walk a bit, and walking to work would have taken me 50-60 mins. Well, going home I thought I'll make the most of the 24h I had bought. The first docking station: no bikes available. Second station: one bike but it showed red light. Third station: One bike there but the seat was back to front and red light was on. Fourth station: hurrah, no red light so I get a code and try to use it - to no avail, there is nothing happening with the code pad, no red, yellow or green light despite several attempts. Fifth, sixth and seventh stations: several bikes available but none available (again, the blasted red light showing). Verdict: No way, Boris, I will vote with my feet which will be my trusted mode of transport over this useless scheme. read more

I tried the bikes for the first time last week. I entered my credit card details at the docking station terminal and wondered how I was to release the bike. I thought I must have made a mistake so went through the convoluted process again. And again. Eventually, I telephoned the service centre and after some diagnostics, they apologised because the terminal had run out of paper to print the release code. Could I get to another docking station? I could and I had to because I was now in severe danger of being late for my appointment. At the next station I managed to get the release code printed and entered the code into the, very worn, keypad on the bay. It makes no sound and I was dubious that my finger presses were doing much but I got a green light and tried to release the bike. Nothing. I tried again and now, really forcibly, had to tug the bike from the bay and it came. I had a twenty minute ride, which was fine. The bike itself was very robustly built and quite comfortable (easy to adjust the seat height and it accommodated my 6' 3" with a little to spare). The lights came on automatically. There are three gears but you'd need to be very unfit and cycling up Amwell Street or other steep hill to need the first one. Not the fastest bike but OK. However, when I got to my destination, there were no spaces available to dock the bike. Fortunately, I had looked at the docking stations map before I left my home, and cycled over to find the alternate one and ran back to the theatre and just made it in time to see the show I had booked. When I came out I got a bike from the docking station nearest to the theatre OK but when I got to my home neighbourhood, there were three docking stations fully occupied and I had to ring the customer services to find out where I could leave the bike. They referred me to a station nearly a mile from where I was going. Luckily, as I was setting off, a Barclays Bike maintenance vehicle pulled up and an operative got out to take a broken bike away for repair thereby vacating a space. The next day, still within the same twenty four hour access charging period, I took a bike from near Victoria Station and intended to ride it to near Kings Cross station. Even though this would be considered a moderate journey, there just wasn't time to complete it in the allotted 30 minutes on these bikes. I could have paid extra and had the bike for longer. Or I could have docked the bike at an intermediate station and waited for five minutes before continuing with another bike. In the event I decided to dock the bike in Clerkenwell and walk the rest of the way. However, there was only one bay available at the docking station and it wouldn't accept the bike. I tried several times. There wasn't time to take the bike to another docking station. Usually if the station is full you can interact with the terminal, whilst hanging unto the unwieldy bike and re-inserting your credit card, and get a 15 minute extension, but this terminal obviously thought there was still an available space. I rang the service centre again (my third call in this 24 hour period - lucky I had a functional mobile phone with me) and was advised by the operator to hold the bike up off the ground and literally slam it into the docking station. After the third attempt, this brute force technique worked. Coming back the other way, I still had about a mile to go before the 30 minutes was up and so decided to dock the bike in a bay at Westminster. The docking station was full, but this time it worked in my favour as I got a 15 minute extension to continue the journey to the station I would have started my hire from the night before and docked in the last remaining bay. The advantages of the scheme: You get to ride around Central London on a bike, someone else maintains, potentially for as little as £2 (plus phone charges) for any 24 hour period. You need a credit card, lots of time (and the patience to go with it) and a mobile phone. If something goes wrong, you could be paying more. I think the maximum is £300. The disadvantages of the scheme: It's not really intended for any real journey. A cynic might say it is more for squealing tourists to awkwardly get in the way of Londoners trying to go about their business. The docking stations taking up space that might be used to provide somewhere for regular cyclists to put their bikes (they are instead forced to obstruct pavements by locking their bikes to sign posts and other street fixtures) or motorists to put their cars. Overall, I wasn't very impressed but would use the bikes again if I was desperate. read more

My Husband and I decided to hire these bikes after years in London. What a rip off! It stated on point of hire that we would be charged £2 for each bike for 24 hours... bargain! However that was just a "membership" fee and in fact the bicycle was free for the first half hour and £2 every after hour that so we ended up paying £24 for 3 hours and the only reason we had the bikes so long is because there are no drop off points after zone 1! so we had to cycle back into town to drop the bikes back off, completely defeated the purpose of the bike hire. We were told when we complained that there is an app but no info at the hire/drop off points. So if you do hire here is what to do. 1 - Download the app 2 - The hire is free for the first 30 minutes, so find a drop off point close by within that 30 minute window drop the bike off and collect another one from there to avoid payment. read more

Used once and I thought it had all worked OK. Cycle returned and docked after 1 hour but £300 subsequently taken from my account. I have been unable to get this refunded despite calling them 6 times over about three weeks. I am now pursuing the very tedious complaints procedure. The problem is, how can I prove I returned the bike when the system gives the customer nothing? If you can't afford £300 a pop, don't bother. I'm not alone in this - I've since found press stories of similar problems. read more

Using a card, the docking stations have technical problems 35% of the time, literally. When faced with these problems: -the bikes are really heavy and make riding in traffic quite dangerous (to get going its so slow that the bike sways from side to side... im an experienced bike rider) -the terminal shuts down randomly (if this happens during a payment then you still manage to get charged however you just dont get your bike) -the pin pads are broken on 20% of docking stations and you dont figure this out until you've already printed your receipt. This is a huge problem if you are waiting for the last working bike because... -... once you've printed a ticket yet been unsuccessful in getting a bike, you cant go to another station and print a ticket for 15 minutes. Putting you far behind schedule. - So many of the bikes have really warn down brakes. -20% of the bikes have cracked saddles, if you are wearing shorts or thin leggings these scratch at your skin. don't bother calling customer service for your money back because no matter what the reason you will not be seeing your money again. On top of that, you will be paying the premium rate of 0845 from your cellphone. Honestly though, they are owned by TFL so it should come as no surprise that it is a pocket raping machine that provides a very unreliable service. You are much better off investing in a pair of running shoes. suck my cock boris bikes / tfl. I am a girl read more

Anger!!! The kiosks won't work well if your credit card doesn't have a RFID chip. It did however enough to keep me trying and wasting a good hour. When it worked I purchased 2 bikes. But the machine ran out of paper so I received only one code out of two. I had to give up that day as i had wasted so much tome on the phone with customer service telling me they were sorry but had no answers to solving the lack of receipt paper. Second try on a different day - got two slips in the Kensington park playground entrance. High hopes until only one bike was able to be taken as the rest at this site had broken 1-2-3 combo lick push buttons. One rider and one runner (me) have to go to the distant other park entrance hoping to get a second bike. Code from first kiosk won't work at another an it's only valid for 10 minutes after printing. Long story short - this kiosk on both screens won't recognize credit card and with only one bike out we can't enjoy a spin. Screens just go from rent a bike to consent to rent a bike screens. Sadly, these Bikes are not well maintained, and the stations are not well maintained. Riders beware. read more

First time today on these cycles. Had purchased a membership key-fob ages ago but waited till arrived locally (Wandsworth) before my first go (idea being if close to home no big deal if things go bit "pete-tong" + know where I'm going! ;). Got to docking station put key in, green light, pulled out bike, adjusted seat, pedalled along quiet road for couple mins to "get-the-feel-of-things" and off i went! Use to riding a multi-geared bike...so just three gears bit of a struggle but o.k as long as avoid hilly parts! give it a go...get a 24hr access...if don't like it then nothing ventured nothing gained sort of thing. Stay safe...ride happy! :) read more

OK until you try to update your payment details. The website cannot cope with this...so a good idea let down by bad IT.