Google bikes

[tony]

http://quickrelease.tv/?p=29


Google gifts bikes to staff

The web giant wants its staff to be fit and lively and so has ‘done an
Ikea’ and has provided staffers with a catalogue from which they can
choose free bikes and kit. The eco- and health-conscious largesse is for
Europe, Africa and the Middle East only, Google staffers in America can
go whistle…

At Christmas, the UK arm of Ikea gifted all 9000 staffers with free
folding bikes, sourced by Raleigh UK from a factory in Eastern Europe.

Now Raleigh Germany has done a deal with Google to offer bikes of all
shapes and sizes to Google staff across Europe. All the bikes will be
branded with the Google logo.

Whereas Ikea staff got cheap folding bikes, many of which were quickly
placed on eBay, Google staffers can choose a Dahon Curve folding bike,
which normally retails at £349 and is new for 2007.

And as well as a folding bike and men’s and women’s hybrids, there’s to
be a Google cruiser as well. The hybrids in the pix are not equipped
with mudguards and rack. As these are meant to be commuting bikes this
is either an omission or a gift to bike shops.

2000 Google staffers were emailed a Google bike catalogue on Thursday.
Orders have to be placed with Google human resources by 27th April.
Google has about 2000 permanent staffers in Europe, Africa and the
Middle East.


Tony

 

[Marc Brett]

On Sun, 25 Mar 2007 08:20:17 +0000, [email protected]
(Ekul Namsob) wrote:

>tony <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> http://quickrelease.tv/?p=29
>>
>>
>> Google gifts bikes to staff
>
>Aaarrrgghh!
>
>'gives'
>
>Sorry, I know it's not your fault, Tony, and it's a big ask for
>journalists to write in English.

"a big ask"? Since when is ask a noun?

>> The web giant wants its staff to be fit and lively and so has 'done an
>> Ikea' and has provided staffers with a catalogue from which they can
>> choose free bikes and kit. The eco- and health-conscious largesse is for
>> Europe, Africa and the Middle East only, Google staffers in America can
>> go whistle…
>
>Why exclude America, I wonder?

Maybe because they can catch the Google Bus:

http://memostomyself.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/the-google-shuttle-commuter-paradise-found/

And how's this for cool: "bicycles are allowed on exterior racks". Why don't we
have that as stantard on TfL buses?

 

[Ekul Namsob]

tony <[email protected]> wrote:

> http://quickrelease.tv/?p=29
>
>
> Google gifts bikes to staff

Aaarrrgghh!

'gives'

Sorry, I know it's not your fault, Tony, and it's a big ask for
journalists to write in English.

> The web giant wants its staff to be fit and lively and so has 'done an
> Ikea' and has provided staffers with a catalogue from which they can
> choose free bikes and kit. The eco- and health-conscious largesse is for
> Europe, Africa and the Middle East only, Google staffers in America can
> go whistle…

Why exclude America, I wonder?

Cheers,
Luke


--
Lincoln City 0-2 Southend United (AET)
Swansea City 2-2 Southend United
We went up twice with Tilly and Brush

 

[Paul Rudin]

Marc Brett <[email protected]> writes:

> On Sun, 25 Mar 2007 08:20:17 +0000, [email protected]
> (Ekul Namsob) wrote:
>
>>tony <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> http://quickrelease.tv/?p=29
>>>
>>>
>>> Google gifts bikes to staff
>>
>>Aaarrrgghh!
>>
>>'gives'
>>
>>Sorry, I know it's not your fault, Tony, and it's a big ask for
>>journalists to write in English.
>
> "a big ask"? Since when is ask a noun?

It's a variation on the rule that usenet spelling correction posts
always contain a spelling mistake

 

[Tony Raven]

Paul Rudin wrote on 25/03/2007 09:32 +0100:
> Marc Brett <[email protected]> writes:
>
>> On Sun, 25 Mar 2007 08:20:17 +0000, [email protected]
>> (Ekul Namsob) wrote:
>>>
>>> Sorry, I know it's not your fault, Tony, and it's a big ask for
>>> journalists to write in English.
>> "a big ask"? Since when is ask a noun?
>
> It's a variation on the rule that usenet spelling correction posts
> always contain a spelling mistake
>

And, punctuation, mistakes too ;-)

--
Tony

"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there
is no good evidence either way."
- Bertrand Russell

 

[Ziggy]

On Sun, 25 Mar 2007 10:19:12 +0100, Tony Raven <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Paul Rudin wrote on 25/03/2007 09:32 +0100:
>> Marc Brett <[email protected]> writes:
>>
>>> On Sun, 25 Mar 2007 08:20:17 +0000, [email protected]
>>> (Ekul Namsob) wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Sorry, I know it's not your fault, Tony, and it's a big ask for
>>>> journalists to write in English.
>>> "a big ask"? Since when is ask a noun?
>>
>> It's a variation on the rule that usenet spelling correction posts
>> always contain a spelling mistake
>>
>
>And, punctuation, mistakes too ;-)

And don't forget mistakes grammar.

 

[congokid]

In article <[email protected]>, tony
<[email protected]> writes

>Whereas Ikea staff got cheap folding bikes, many of which were quickly
>placed on eBay

16 or so still there:

<ttp://search.ebay.co.uk/ikea-bike_W0QQfromZR8QQssPageNameZWLRS>
--
congokid
Eating out in London? Read my tips...
http://congokid.com

 

[Dr Kickstand]

I was also wondering why the bike offer was not extended to US
employees. Maybe, there is no PR in such a stunt, a free car prehaps.

DrK

http://www.bikesthatfold.com - All about Folding Bikes!




Ziggy wrote:
> On Sun, 25 Mar 2007 10:19:12 +0100, Tony Raven <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> >Paul Rudin wrote on 25/03/2007 09:32 +0100:
> >> Marc Brett <[email protected]> writes:
> >>
> >>> On Sun, 25 Mar 2007 08:20:17 +0000, [email protected]
> >>> (Ekul Namsob) wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> Sorry, I know it's not your fault, Tony, and it's a big ask for
> >>>> journalists to write in English.
> >>> "a big ask"? Since when is ask a noun?
> >>
> >> It's a variation on the rule that usenet spelling correction posts
> >> always contain a spelling mistake
> >>
> >
> >And, punctuation, mistakes too ;-)
>
> And don't forget mistakes grammar.

 

[Tony Raven]

Dr Kickstand wrote on 25/03/2007 11:29 +0100:
> I was also wondering why the bike offer was not extended to US
> employees. Maybe, there is no PR in such a stunt, a free car prehaps.
>

Probably a combination of staff numbers in the US plus the fact that
commuter cycling is quite common in Europe but not in the USA

--
Tony

"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there
is no good evidence either way."
- Bertrand Russell

 

[Roger Burton West]

Marc Brett wrote:

>And how's this for cool: "bicycles are allowed on exterior racks". Why don't we
>have that as stantard on TfL buses?

How would you fasten them on so that:

(a) they can be got on and off quickly, without unduly holding up the
bus for everyone else;

(b) they can't be casually lifted off by passing pedestrians when the
bus is stopped at traffic lights?

R

 

[Simon Brooke]

in message <[email protected]>, Marc Brett
('[email protected]') wrote:

> Maybe because they can catch the Google Bus:
>
>
http://memostomyself.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/the-google-shuttle-commuter-paradise-found/
>
> And how's this for cool: "bicycles are allowed on exterior racks".  Why
> don't we have that as stantard on TfL buses?

They do in (e.g.) Seattle. I believe bike racks are common on busses in the
US. They're apparently banned in Britain for, errm, 'safety' reasons.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; IE 3 is dead, but Netscape 4 still shambles about the earth,
;; wreaking a horrific vengeance upon the living
;; anonymous

 

[Tony Raven]

Roger Burton West wrote on 25/03/2007 14:46 +0100:
> Marc Brett wrote:
>
>> And how's this for cool: "bicycles are allowed on exterior racks".
>> Why don't we have that as stantard on TfL buses?
>
> How would you fasten them on so that:
>
> (a) they can be got on and off quickly, without unduly holding up the
> bus for everyone else;
>
> (b) they can't be casually lifted off by passing pedestrians when the
> bus is stopped at traffic lights?
>

http://www.bicycleracks.com/busrack_mission_installs.asp

If lots of USAian cities can do it why can't we?

The front rack has lots of benefits and the driver and passengers near
the front can keep an eye on loading and unloading.



--
Tony

"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there
is no good evidence either way."
- Bertrand Russell

 

[Marc Brett]

On Sun, 25 Mar 2007 13:46:49 +0000 (UTC), Roger Burton West
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Marc Brett wrote:
>
>>And how's this for cool: "bicycles are allowed on exterior racks". Why don't we
>>have that as stantard on TfL buses?
>
>How would you fasten them on so that:
>
>(a) they can be got on and off quickly, without unduly holding up the
>bus for everyone else;

Advice from various US transit authorities is to work fast to help keep the bus
to schedule. First time users may request assistance and advice from the
driver. The design of the racks makes the loading/unloading process look pretty
easy to me -- tha manufacturer claims less than 10 seconds. TfL's new GPS-aided
iBus system will be able to instruct the driver to speed up or slow down in
response to all kinds of delays, including bike loads/unloads on either their
own or leading or trailing buses.

>(b) they can't be casually lifted off by passing pedestrians when the
>bus is stopped at traffic lights?

Sit at the front of the bus and keep an eye on your bike. Lock the wheels to
the frame; remove the saddle. Mark the bike with anti-theft runes. Get
insurance. Cover the area with CCTV. Apply Sharia law to bicycle thieves

Leftpondians seem to manage it; so ought we. Anybody out there with first-hand
experience want to chime in?

 

[Ziggy]

On Sun, 25 Mar 2007 20:00:56 +0000, [email protected]
(Ekul Namsob) wrote:

> One of these days I shall
>buy a helmet just so that I can have the pleasure of installing a helmet
>camera.

I thought for a moment you were going to say "... buy a helmet just so that I
can nut the driver"!

 

[Danny Colyer]

Ekul Namsob wrote:
> One of these days I shall
> buy a helmet just so that I can have the pleasure of installing a helmet
> camera.

If you find LSMike's recent thread about his new toy, you should see
that you can get pretty goods results by mounting a helmet-mounting
camera to your handlebar.

Unless you ride a USS bent (LSMike's is OSS). I'd have to find an
alternative mounting point.

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
Reply address is valid, but that on my website is checked more often
"Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down.
Daddy, why did you put that down?" - Charlie Colyer, age 2

 

[Ekul Namsob]

Tony Raven <[email protected]> wrote:

> Paul Rudin wrote on 25/03/2007 09:32 +0100:
> > Marc Brett <[email protected]> writes:
> >
> >> On Sun, 25 Mar 2007 08:20:17 +0000, [email protected]
> >> (Ekul Namsob) wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Sorry, I know it's not your fault, Tony, and it's a big ask for
> >>> journalists to write in English.
> >> "a big ask"? Since when is ask a noun?

> > It's a variation on the rule that usenet spelling correction posts
> > always contain a spelling mistake

> And, punctuation, mistakes too ;-)

Are you referring to my positioning of your name inside commas? If so,
that one is debatable and I have had too much wine with my delightful
Sunday dinner to do so rationally.

Cheers,
Luke


--
Lincoln City 0-2 Southend United (AET)
Swansea City 2-2 Southend United
We went up twice with Tilly and Brush

 

[Ekul Namsob]

Ziggy <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Sun, 25 Mar 2007 20:00:56 +0000, [email protected]
> (Ekul Namsob) wrote:
>
> > One of these days I shall
> >buy a helmet just so that I can have the pleasure of installing a helmet
> >camera.
>
> I thought for a moment you were going to say "... buy a helmet just so that I
> can nut the driver"!

No. Sorry, I'm not that quick. Yet.

I was, however, rather chuffed to be able to keep up with the driver of
BMW M 4 PNE yesterday after he had tried to drive me off the road. One
day I shall get the Highway Code's illustrated guide to overtaking
cyclists laminated around a brick for distribution to such drivers.

Cheers,
Luke


--
Lincoln City 0-2 Southend United (AET)
Swansea City 2-2 Southend United
We went up twice with Tilly and Brush

 

[Ian Smith]

On Sun, 25 Mar 2007, Ekul Namsob <> wrote:

> One of these days I shall buy a helmet just so that I can have the
> pleasure of installing a helmet camera.

You could just velcro it to your head:
http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/helmetcammounts.htm#strap

They also have mounts for baseball caps, to clamp onto various things,
or possibly (if you happen to be bald):
http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/helmetcammounts.htm#sucky
("This high quality mount will suck to all shiny surfaces")

regards, Ian SMith
--
|\ /| no .sig
|o o|
|/ \|

 

[Marc Brett]

On Sun, 25 Mar 2007 15:42:04 +0100, Simon Brooke <[email protected]> wrote:

>in message <[email protected]>, Marc Brett
>('[email protected]') wrote:
>
>> Maybe because they can catch the Google Bus:
>>
>>
>http://memostomyself.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/the-google-shuttle-commuter-paradise-found/
>>
>> And how's this for cool: "bicycles are allowed on exterior racks".  Why
>> don't we have that as stantard on TfL buses?
>
>They do in (e.g.) Seattle. I believe bike racks are common on busses in the
>US. They're apparently banned in Britain for, errm, 'safety' reasons.

No fun to be a pedestrian (or cyclist) struck by a front-mounted carrier. Maybe
buses only hit cars in the US?

CTC has a position on this:

http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4498

Summary: internal carriage, rear racks, or trailers are a Good Idea, by and
large. No chance for front racks in the UK with US-style equipment.

 

[Tony Raven]

Marc Brett wrote on 26/03/2007 01:07 +0100:
>
> No fun to be a pedestrian (or cyclist) struck by a front-mounted
> carrier. Maybe buses only hit cars in the US?
>
> CTC has a position on this:
>
> http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4498
>
> Summary: internal carriage, rear racks, or trailers are a Good Idea,
> by and large. No chance for front racks in the UK with US-style
> equipment.
>

And yet the much more litigious and risk averse USA seems to be quite
content with them. What do they know that we don't?

I've used rear racks on Swiss Post Buses but they are out of sight in
transit and the driver has no idea whether you have finished loading or
unloading.

--
Tony

"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there
is no good evidence either way."
- Bertrand Russell