As a keen cyclist (it is my main mode of transport), I am a huge supporter of the Boris Bike scheme, even if I don't have a membership card because it doesn't extend to Greater London. It's small and umambitious in comparison to Paris' Velib, but it does seem to be picking up steam. The first day of the Velib experiment was a glorious sunny day, and I remember cycling through the streets of Paris where it seemed like everyone was on a bike. The city had woken up and fallen in love with the bicycle. I was so moved I almost wrote to Delanoe to share my experience and thank him. I thought that for him, seeing a city so transformed, bringing pleasure to so many people, must be better than being rich or famous!
Not so the Boris, or should I say Barclays, scheme. I have never dared to rent a bike because I wouldn't know where to put it back. There are few bike stations compared to Paris, and it doesn't extend to the places I cycle. However I am seeing more and more people on the Boris bikes. And if this makes Londoners wake up to the fact that cycling is a pleasant and efficient way to get around the city, then all the better. If enough people get on their bikes, it should increase awareness and safety. One of the chilling things about cycling here is all the stories about women cyclists being killed by lorries......
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