Australia and New Zealand · Public discussion

Free bicycles!

Started by cfsmtb · · Last activity · 9 posts · 1,213 views

← Back to Australia and New Zealand

Thread navigation

Jump through the discussion

Go to the original post, the replies on this page, or the latest preserved contribution.

01 / Original postFree bicycles!cfsmtb · 1 Feb 2007 02 / This pagePosts 1–9Page 1 of 1 · chronological order 03 / Latest replyPost #9flyingdutch · 5 Feb 2007

Thread details

What we know about this thread

Original section
Australia and New Zealand
Published
1 February 2007
Last activity
5 February 2007
Original author
cfsmtb
Posts
9
Discussion status
Public discussion
Total views
1,213
Views / 30 days
0

The navigation and discussion metadata provide context. Posts remain in their original chronological order.

Showing posts 1–9 of 9
Posts remain in their original chronological order.

Text size
  1. Original post
    cfsmtb
    Archived post
    #1

    Although you'll have to travel to Gay Paree to get one (read below). An intriguing side issue - Clear Channel are clearly miffed that the contact went to JCDecaux.

    UPDATE 1-Clear Channel to study JCDecaux contract win:
    http://tinyurl.com/2xaspf

    Remember, the lovely folk at Clear Channel previously had a problem or two with their unwholesome attitudes towards cyclists a few years back..

    Clear Channel Promotes Violence Against Cycling (2003)
    http://www.trianglemtb.com/pages/projects/g105.html

    North Carolina Coalition for Bicycle Driving
    http://humantransport.org/bicycledriving/wdcg.htm

    Oh well, it's all water under the bridge, we're all (apparently) friends now, and making money is money ... 😉

    ****

    Paris to roll out free bicycles
    http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/30/europe/EU-GEN-France-Biking-in-Paris.php
    PARIS: The City of Light wants to soon become a city of bicycles.

    Paris City Hall announced it has selected French outdoor advertising firm JCDecaux SA to operate a new free bicycle service in the capital.

    Joining other European cities like the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, Paris wants to make thousands of bikes available for free to commuters, strollers and tourists — in part to help cut down on pollution.

    JCDecaux's Somupi unit is to have some 14,100 bikes deployed in the capital by this summer. City Hall's choice of contractor was announced Monday.

    The company was chosen over a consortium of rivals including U.S.-based Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc., and several major French companies.

    Report
  2. flyingdutch
    Archived post
    #2
    cfsmtb said:


    Joining other European cities like the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, Paris wants to make thousands of bikes available for free to commuters, strollers and tourists — in part to help cut down on pollution.

    There are no FREE bikes in Amsterdam. unless they introduced them in the last 24 hours???

    JCDeceaux. Now what do they do again? oh yeah. Advertising.
    Ad space on bikes. probabaly advertising Renaults 😄

    Report
  3. Jack Russell
    Archived post
    #3
    flyingdutch said:
    cfsmtb said:

    Joining other European cities like the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, Paris
    wants to make thousands of bikes available for free to commuters,
    strollers and tourists — in part to help cut down on pollution.

    There are no FREE bikes in Amsterdam. unless they introduced them in
    the last 24 hours???

    JCDeceaux. Now what do they do again? oh yeah. Advertising.
    Ad space on bikes. probabaly advertising Renaults 😄


    There was a piece about this on cycling central a few weeks ago. It
    started in Lyon, as I understood it the city council did a deal with JCD
    that they could advertise on bus shelters in exchange for providing the
    bicycle hire system. The charges were nominal fro bike hire and it
    certainly looked an attractive scheme/ I forget the car usage the city
    claimed it had eliminated but it was a reasonable amount.
    And in case you are wondering no I do not work in advertising and in
    general hate advertising agencies ( although the Renault Scenic add
    shown on SBS with the elephant always makes me smile)

    --
    Remove norubbish to reply

    Report
  4. cfsmtb
    Archived post
    #4
    flyingdutch said:

    There are no FREE bikes in Amsterdam. unless they introduced them in the last 24 hours???

    The "White bike" scheme originated in Amsterdam back in the 60's to varying degrees of success in Holland and in other European cities.

    http://www.hogeveluwe.nl/page.asp?id=109

    http://www.tve.org/ho/doc.cfm?aid=743

    http://www.holland.com/global/index.html?page=http://www.holland.com/global/discover/active/cycling/witfiets.html

    Report
  5. Fractal
    Archived post
    #5

    JCDecaux do all the street advertising in Sydney City and Inner West in
    return for building bus shelters and phone booths etc. Local yoof have fun
    smashing the large glass panels, which keeps a small fleet of JCD workers in
    Berlingos in a job repairing the glass. Said panels are stupidly large and
    block pedestrian and cyclist sight and access in many places (White Bay bus
    shelter on Victoria Rd "cycleway" is the classic), so maybe if JCD ever gets
    a free bike gig in Sydney (they were mentioned recently as being
    interested) they might also start removing the panels or at least resizing
    and putting some view holes so you can see thru them.

    Anyone who cares might email ALP candidate for Balmain
    [email hidden] about the White Bay bus shelter and others all over
    the CBD and ask her what her policy is regards JCD. JCD themselves seem
    impervious to complaint, having some sort of iron clad contract that says
    they can build anything they like.

    fb

    Report
  6. flyingdutch
    Archived post
    #6
    cfsmtb said:

    The "White bike" scheme originated in Amsterdam back in the 60's to varying degrees of success in Holland and in other European cities.

    http://www.hogeveluwe.nl/page.asp?id=109

    http://www.tve.org/ho/doc.cfm?aid=743

    http://www.holland.com/global/index.html?page=http://www.holland.com/global/discover/active/cycling/witfiets.html

    they 'were' in Amstedam. funnily enuff, they 'walked' far too often.
    Haven't been there for years now, unfortunately, as per my 'on the spot' source/cousin recollects. They are now a collectors' items. hanging up in some bars/cafes.

    They can (kind of) work in isolated or enclosed areas like Rottnest (are they free there?) or De Hoge Veluwe National Park, which is in the middle or rural delta area in southern (the 'origonal' bible belt) Netherlands.

    Report
  7. SteveA
    Archived post
    #7
    flyingdutch said:

    they 'were' in Amstedam. funnily enuff, they 'walked' far too often.
    Haven't been there for years now, unfortunately, as per my 'on the spot' source/cousin recollects. They are now a collectors' items. hanging up in some bars/cafes.

    They can (kind of) work in isolated or enclosed areas like Rottnest (are they free there?) or De Hoge Veluwe National Park, which is in the middle or rural delta area in southern (the 'origonal' bible belt) Netherlands.


    Rotto bikes are hired out for a modest rental.

    I took a relatively good bike over last year and it got a few rubs and scratches and a bent bidon cage when it was on the ferry. I may have to build a 'Rotto bike' for the next sojourn there in October (Think pub bike with decent lights and fishing rod racks. Mebbe an internal 8spd hub if I get really inspired.)

    SteveA

    Report
  8. rdk
    Archived post
    #8

    The European free bike thing would never work here as long as helmets are compulsory.

    And no, this isn't a helmet/anti-helmet troll.

    Report
  9. flyingdutch
    Archived post
    #9
    rdk said:

    The European free bike thing would never work here as long as helmets are compulsory.

    And no, this isn't a helmet/anti-helmet troll.

    That's basically what JCDeCow said after trying a trial in Adelaide...
    working the helmet in to/with the bike was too hard so they pulled the pin.

    Report

Keep exploring

Browse the sectionAustralia and New Zealand Return to CyclingForumsStart at the home page Search discussionsFind another thread

Active in the last 60 minutes

Active in this thread

0 users · 0 guests ·0 bots ·0 total

No signed-in users are active right now.

No known search crawlers active right now.