Does city cycle hire hurt bike shops?

One New York bike shop owner thinks so. He says, of his two outlets, the one furthest from a docking station is thriving. But since a Citi Bike station was built just a block away from his other shop, sales have fallen – to the tune of 250-350 bikes a year. “After Citi Bike began, over a period of two weeks you could see the change,” Charlie McCorkell told Bloomberg. 

Chung Pai, the owner of another NYC bike shop, agreed – bike sales were down, though helmet and accessory sales rose. The website speculates that the hire scheme is “a convenient alternative to the mass-market bicycles favored by commuters”.

Santander could replace Barclays on Boris bikes

London’s hire bikes could be repainted red if the Santander bank wins the sponsorship contract, replacing Barclays.

Barclays’ contract expires in summer 2015. The company has indicated it won’t seek to renew the contract, amid disquiet at its arrangement with Transport for London: mayor Boris Johnson claimed that the bank would be paying £50m for the rights through to 2018, but in fact only £25m has been handed over.

Now, according to the Evening Standard, Santander is in talks with Transport for London about becoming the new sponsors. At a fundraising ball this week, Johnson reportedly told guests “even today we are talking to Santander”. The Spanish bank bought the businesses of Abbey National, Bradford & Bingley, and Alliance & Leicester to become a High Street name.

If Santander wins the rights, it would be paying a minimum of £5.5m per year for seven years. In return, the scheme would be named ‘Santander Cycle Hire’; all bikes and docking stations would be rebranded with the company’s colours; and maintenance vehicles, keys and staff uniforms would be updated. TfL says this is the equivalent of £15m advertising every year.

In a brochure to entice potential sponsors, TfL makes several eye-catching claims. Among them are:

“The only brand present in some of the cleanest, greenest and most beautiful areas of London could be yours. Be present in places that no other brand can reach (conservation areas, listed buildings).

“Members & users are a premium audience who are hard to reach, have a high disposable income, passionate and participate as opposed to spectate.

“Be central to a step change in cycling in London.”

Inviting companies to tender for the sponsorship, Boris Johnson said:

“This is a unique opportunity for a commercial partner to put their stamp on a mode of London transport that is now as recognisable as our iconic black cabs and red buses. We are looking for a sponsor whose aspiration matches our own, one with the passion to take the scheme to the next level and get even more people pedalling.”

The deadline for tender submissions is 29th September.

Bridges over troubled waters

If you’ve ever cycled through a ford that proved to be a little deeper than it looked, you’ll appreciate this video by cycle tourist Bryce Plankow: a series of increasingly precarious river crossings on a tour through India and Central Asia. We’ll never look at Duxford Ford on the Thames the same way again.

Turn any bike into a two-seater

A practical idea from San Francisco: a rear seat for your bike that doubles as a rear rack and carrying box. The Companion Bike Seat is a waterproof bike box and second seat in one, and claims to be “compatible with a wide variety of different bikes”. The carrying capacity is 200lb, compared to the more usual 60lb. At $150 (plus postage to the UK) it’s not crazily expensive, either. BikeCommuters.com called it “a pretty great idea” in their recent review: “there really haven’t been any other products that work like this”.

“We want to cycle over viaduct”, say locals

Lancashire people are calling for a 19th century railway viaduct to be opened up to cyclists.

Martholme Viaduct, between Padiham and Accrington, was once regularly used by local people, but has not reopened since the foot & mouth disease outbreak of 2001.

Although the viaduct itself is owned by Railway Paths Ltd, which offers access to hundreds of miles of old railways via its allied charity Sustrans, the access to the viaduct is owned by the nearby Bridge Heywood Caravan Park – who have rebuffed entreaties to provide access.

Local people say it would be an invaluable link for local walkers and cyclists, joining two traffic-free paths, and providing links into the Lancashire Cycleway and Leeds & Liverpool Canal. Campaigner Barbara Sharples told the Lancashire Telegraph that access from each end was crucial:

“The opening of this footpath would join up the Hyndburn and Padiham Greenways and enable safer circular walking and cycling routes. There’s no point in having the viaduct open if all you can do is walk up and down it.”

Read Parish Council says that the objections of Alex Hanson, owner of Bridge Heywood Caravan Park, are ill-founded.

“The landowner’s objections to the cycleway were based on his concerns that his site was marketed as quiet and secluded and that it would cause disturbance to his tenants causing them to leave. There does not appear to be any evidence to support this assertion. His impending addition of holiday let caravans and the highlighting of existing high demand for privately owned and holiday let caravans [in a recent planning application] appears to belie his assertions that his business and the local economy would suffer if access to the viaduct was reinstated. ”

And the local primary school has also weighed in, with headteacher Mark Dixon writing to Mr Hanson.

“Your Holiday Park users would value and gain massive benefits from direct access to a leisure facility such as the wider greenway system whilst on holiday to pursue activities such as cycling and walking with safe, off-road access to other towns and places. Please just let me know if you’d like me to unleash a torrent of persuasive letters from millions of local school children. Just give me the nod and I’ll get that sorted… as long as you promise to mark them all!”

Campaigners have now launched a petition and are seeking 1,000 signatures by the end of June. You can sign up here.