Barclays Cycle Hire bikes, affectionately known as Boris Bikes
After trying out a bike with a friend who’d signed up I became a convert and decided to get a membership key myself. On Sunday I rode around the cycle paths in Kensington Gardens/Hyde Park, nervously enjoying the route along the Serpentine lake as I cycled for the first time since I had a bike as a kid. It was fun and exhilarating and my arms actually ached the next day from lugging the heavy bike and gripping the handlebars so tightly.
Like most of the early users of the scheme, I ended up explaining to curious passersby at the docking stations how it works, and heard more than one person say “Look! A Boris Bike!” as I cycled past. I definitely need more practice to improve my confidence and control, but I’d like to become a regular on the bikes. I think I’ll be signing up for free cycle training with Westminster council next month.
