Tonight:
2°c
It was 6.10am, the sun was struggling to rise and a rack of nine “Borisbikes” awaited me, gleaming in their docking station a few yards off Kensington High Street.
I slipped my electronic bike-release key in the slot, waited for the docking light to turn green, and pulled. Borisbike number 18387 was mine.
I adjusted the seat, checked the brakes and tyres and set off, immediately attracting admiring looks. And smiles. And even the toot of a van horn. Or rather the bike did.
With its swan-like frame and constantly-blinking white front light (and two red ones at the back), it is instantly eye-catching. People were smiling at it as they would at a newborn baby.
But it's also hard work. There are only three gears and the ride along Rotten Row to Hyde Park Corner was tough. Because the gearing is so low, your legs are constantly spinning.
These beasts are built for comfort, not speed. Overtaking a jogger was not done in a flash and despite having swapped a shirt and trousers for a T-shirt and shorts, the return journey up Constitution Hill got me hot and steamy.
Boris Johnson promised Londoners they will get fitter, and he's not lying. But for short hops of up to 30 minutes, they're more than worth the effort.
Reader views (1)
Its nice in this weather ! wait until its tipping down with rain and you can be in the warm in the underground holding a strap with some leggy blonde,you will realize where your well off.
- Davey_buoy, Chertsey, 31/07/2010 17:02
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