Hire Bikes at Chichester Marina

[Mark-1]

Noticed these tonight at Chi Marina:





Good place for them, won't get nicked, but will get used for what they're intended for.

https://www.app-bike.co.uk/

 

[Seajet]

And please tell me exactly what use that is, nipping around to the far side of the marina or the pubs to north and south on the Witterings road ?!

I have lost count of the people over the years who thought the marina was a step-ashore into the town / city centre...

 

[Mark-1]

And please tell me exactly what use that is

Riding into town along the Saltern's way, or maybe along the canal. Heading the other way along the Salterns way to the Beach. I hadn't considered pubs but, yeah, a convenient way to get to the Blacksmith's. For bigger shops cycle along the Salterns way to the big Tesco at Fishbourne. Take the Centurion way up into the Downs. Exploring the manhood peninsular in general. There's a cycle-able path that takes you right to the F4 Chandlers in Donnington.

I regularly see people at the bus stop - you can cycle into town far quicker than walking to the bus stop and catching a bus.

There are plenty of days when it's far faster to use the cycle paths around the Manhood than the roads.

 

[Odyssey]

I got the email saying they were comming but have been away. Seems a good idea to me and I agree with Mark-1 about uses. Will give them a try

 

[[3889]]

£2.50/ hour. I hired a car in Portugal last year for €4 /day. Not a fortune but bikes are on free loan from my last French marina, as in many others S of the channel. 2 miles each way to the Blacksmiths plus 2 hours there = £15 for a couple. And a taxi costs?
Seems aligned with the British culture of "How can we screw 'em for money?" vs French "How can we encourage visitors?"

 

[ShinyShoe]

£2.50/ hour. I hired a car in Portugal last year for €4 /day. Not a fortune but bikes are on free loan from my last French marina, as in many others S of the channel. 2 miles each way to the Blacksmiths plus 2 hours there = £15 for a couple. And a taxi costs?
Seems aligned with the British culture of "How can we screw 'em for money?" vs French "How can we encourage visitors?"

You wont be able to hire a car in the UK for £4. Thats £112 / month assuming you can hire every day. Find me a car you can buy/lease for that, with insurance, and cover the overheads of hiring it out and checking it back in.

How much does a Boris bike cost?

I thought it was £2 per 30 minutes.

Now with a Boris bike you park up in a parking place before going to the pub. So you only pay for the ride times.

 

[Mark-1]

£17:50 a day seems fair enough to me. If I'd sailed to Chi I'd find a bike far more useful than a hirecar.

But yes, not for everyone.

 

[ashtead]

For a comparison they
Charge 2 euro an hour at st cast . Cannot recall the rates at Lymington yacht haven but they offer electric bikes which are fun for a change . Buses at Chi not that reliable I recall so bikes my find popularity if you don't have your own folding Brompton on board which looks the part in chi I imagine.

 

[[3889]]

You wont be able to hire a car in the UK for £4. Thats £112 / month assuming you can hire every day. Find me a car you can buy/lease for that, with insurance, and cover the overheads of hiring it out and checking it back in.

How much does a Boris bike cost?

I thought it was £2 per 30 minutes.

Now with a Boris bike you park up in a parking place before going to the pub. So you only pay for the ride times.

Not sure if Boris bikes are the exemplar.
https://www.nantes-tourisme.com/en/practical/bicloo
I can hire a £10k+ van for 2 hours in the UK for <£20 with all its associated fixed costs. A cheap bike should be maybe 50p / hour when the admin structure (marina office) is already in place.

 

[Giblets]

A cheap bike should be maybe 50p / hour when the admin structure (marina office) is already in place.

Bear in mind that the bikes are run by a separate company located in Kent that have nothing to do with the marina other than probably paying a rent for the space the bike rack takes up.

 

[hoped4]

It’s a good idea. I enjoyed cycling in and around the Chi marina area when I was there. Looks like they are positioned near the car park -Plenty of visitors to Chichester marina arrive by car and may fancy a ride.

 

[ShinyShoe]

Of course a 2 hour van hire borders on useless! You need to hire it, load it (I'm assuming it's actually where the load is) drive it somewhere, unload it, drive it back, check it in. Oh I missed refuel it or be charged a small fortune.

It's fine for a single box and you live close it works... Anything more and it isn't achievable.

I'd have thought Boris Bikes and numerous competitors are exactly the comparison. The detail I don't know is can you hire and return to different places.

I don't live in London and have not hired. For a pub trip like described that might just be £2 because each trip < 30mins.

The model is popular in many cities.

If they are available 24hrs you need infrastructure to take money and returns. You need to be able to repair faults / take bikes out of service at which point it isn't making money. You need a mechanism to retrieve unreturned bikes.

If you think you can undercut them you could find somewhere close to rent the land and set up in competition

 

[Mark-1]

If they are available 24hrs you need infrastructure to take money and returns. You need to be able to repair faults / take bikes out of service at which point it isn't making money. You need a mechanism to retrieve unreturned bikes.

If you think you can undercut them you could find somewhere close to rent the land and set up in competition

Very much this. A terrific benefit for some visitors to the Marina but I can't see it making much profit. The lack of widespread bike rental businesses springing up all over the place shows it's a difficult business to make money in and servicing+ losing your bikes to theft/vandalism must be a big reason why that's the case.

That's why I think this is a good location for the bikes. It's somewhere where people might want/need bikes, but not a location where the bikes are likely to get smashed up at closing time.

 

[doug748]

They now have bikes at Roscoff marina, two hours free or 10e for the day. Just a cruising snippet for those interested. They are brand new this year with full pannier kit - excellent.

No tales of woe about making a profit, they are seen as part of the marina service to enhance your stay. Just like the marina itself which is viewed in a rather similar manner, as a civic amenity. I blame 1980's UK governance but that is probably one for the Lounge.

Not that I am moaning about the Chichester bikes, very good thing.

 

[st599]

How much does a Boris bike cost?

I thought it was £2 per 30 minutes.

£2 per day with as many rides up to 30 mins as you want.

 

[ShinyShoe]

£2 per day with as many rides up to 30 mins as you want.

Yeah so - the advantage in Londonium is you ride 15mins to the pub. Park up. You pay for the 15mins (which is free other than the initial £2). You drink a few pints and cycle back paying no extra... But the bike could have been used in the mean time.

That doesn't seem to be the Chicester model. But I guess TFL underwrite some of Boris Bike risks... And perhaps deliver exclusivity...

The lack of widespread bike rental businesses springing up all over the place shows it's a difficult business to make money in and servicing+ losing your bikes to theft/vandalism must be a big reason why that's the case.

Actually there are loads! Different concepts - some you return to a parking space. Others you park "anywhere" (there is an onboard computer that locks it). They are all trackable. All locatable via smart phone app, and paid for same way. Some even have electric motors in them where it is hilly.

But I doubt these are £100 bikes...