Barclays Cycle Hire opens for membership today...

...today is the first day you can register to become a member of the new Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme, the docking stations and bikes for which are sprouting up all over London.

As seen in last Monday's Evening Standard (complete with quotes from yours truly no less) the hire scheme will only be available to people who sign up and become members for the first month of operation, so it's worth joining up if, like me, you're itching to start using the scheme on a regular basis.

You can join up here with just a waive of your credit card from this morning; when I registered at 6.45AM there were already nearly 2000 members and registration had only just opened.


All good of course, but what about that name... doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, does it?  What would you nickname the Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme?  Paris has the Velibe, Montreal has the Bixi, Barcelona has the Bici, we need a decent, punchy monika for the scheme.  Personally, I'm going for Barcycle, said in the poshest West London accent I can muster...

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm trying to popularize the moniker 'Borisbike'.

-James

Anonymous said...

I'm good at nicknaming but I'll come up with a way to refer to it without using "barclays". I appreciate Barclays support and funding and I'll in favour of private capital on public initiatives but it's not their initiative.

FWIW, if we are to name it after sponsors it could be named taxpayer cycling scheme as there is public money on it as well.

Anonymous said...

In the previous comment I meant "I'm not good at nicknaming", sorry.

jrg said...

My keys arrived this morning. At least they're able to stick things in envelopes promptly! (Now if only their contact form was working, I could ask for clarification on whether I'm going to be charged a yearly fee per key on the same account.)

If it's going to be nicknamed after anyone it should be Ken (kenbi, kenby, kency?), as he instigated it anyway...

Crofton said...

I'm going with Borike (say borr-ick) as a portmanteau of Boris-Bike that could also sound a bit like a borrow-bike.

See my Borike fan site for more including some close-ups of my first sighting. Can't wait!
http://borike.drupalgardens.com

Abz2000 said...

see my youtube vid: charlie bit my finger brainchip - part 1 and part 2 to understand where this is going, which interests are involved, and who ultimately benefits - and who loses.
this is the sort of thing banks have decided ages ago and are just finding new ways of implementing it, including the oyster, which also later turned out to be a visa merging scheme, while it's marketed as if it is in the whole interst of the taxpayer with no loansharkers'interests - and anyone who suggested it was a push towards a cashless society where bankers hold everyone's money were dismissed by the the powers that be as conspiracy nuts - what i say unto you now, i say unto all - WATCH

An awakened people who rely upon their non-violent strength are independent in the face of any conceivable combination of the armed powers.
Gandhi

and visit abz2000 do tc om / theythoughttheywerefree .aspx
and abz2000 do tc om / themoneychangers. aspx

peace,
abz

Anonymous said...

I really hope they don't become permanently known as 'Boris Bikes' . The imbecilic mayor was only carrying on work that the previous mayor had already started on. And you might want to check out how local authority cycle funding was slashed at the same time.

Rob Hoskins from
<a href="http://www.foldingbikesforsale.com>Folding Bikes For Sale</a>

Anonymous said...

I really hope they don't become permanently known as 'Boris Bikes' . The imbecilic mayor was only carrying on work that the previous mayor had already started on. And you might want to check out how local authority cycle funding was slashed at the same time.

Rob Hoskins from
Folding Bikes For Sale