Liam's write-only LJ

I have never tried Boris Bikes yet. Great idea, seems to be popular enough, but the scheme starts roughly ¾ of my way into London, so it's not a lot of use to me. By the time I'm in range, my journey is mostly over, either on a proper bike that I own or on a train. In most of central London the density of public transport is high enough that I see little point in leaping on a Boris Bike to cover half a mile, a distance that takes me only a little over 5min at a brisk walk.

But I must try one some day.

I lifted a young mum's Vélib up a flight of steps out of the Tuileries gardens on Saturday, though. (Vélib is the Parisian sort-of progenitor of the Boris Bikes.) Jesus F*CK that thing was heavy. It was the weight of a small motorbike! I airily offered and grabbed it with one hand, pulled, grunted in astonishment, put both hands on it, tried again, then groaning, levered it off the ground against my body and legs and hobbled up the steps, one step at a time with both feet. I think the damned thing was about 30kg!

I don't know if the BBs are anything like that, but jeez, given the astounding avoirdupois of the French bugger, I'm amazed at how popular they are. Propelled at enough speed down a steep hill, it would go straight through a Deux Chevaux with a faint clunking noise. O_o

I think I'd rather have a cardboard bike than one of those things, though.