Thinking of using a...
 

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[Closed] Thinking of using a Boris bike in that there London next week

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 mos
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I need to get from Kings Cross to Excel next week & if the weather is fine then i was going to use one of those hire bikes. But there isn't a parking station near Excel, so would i be ok to just leave it locked it up outside & then ride back to Kings Cross in the afternoon?


 
Posted : 27/02/2019 12:19 pm
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You'll end up paying for it while it's not docked.

Not sure how it works, but there's a Brompton hire thingy at King's Cross as well. Might be worth a look.


 
Posted : 27/02/2019 12:23 pm
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Borios bikes don't go that far east 🙂 It's £4 an hour over initial 30 mins, so could be a spendy way of doing it 🙂

According to the map, there's a dock at East India. I'd leave it there and get a couple of stops on the DLR if you don't want to carry a Brompton all day.


 
Posted : 27/02/2019 12:29 pm
 mos
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Hmm, the Brompton thing looks interesting. We're exhibiting, so i could leave it on our stand which would be useful.


 
Posted : 27/02/2019 12:34 pm
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Yep, or an easy 25 min stroll from East India to Excel.

If it's a nice day and you have time then you could mix it up by walking 10 mins to Trinity Buoy Wharf (stopping for food at Fatboy's Diner), take the tiny £2 ferry over to the O2, then get the cable car that drops you off 5 mins walk from Excel.


 
Posted : 27/02/2019 12:37 pm
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DLR / bike hire combined. I did it a couple of days ago, DLR from Royal Victoria (which is one stop away from Excel) to Blackwall then hire bike from there right into the city along CS3 which is (mostly) very good. it runs nearly parallel to a lot of that DLR line from Tower Gateway out to Canning Town.

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/routes-and-maps/cycle-superhighways

You're going the other way so hire bike from out the front of KX (there are 3 docks just off Euston Road in front of the station) and head off down Farringdon Road to Blackfriars (mostly segregated lanes) then turn left and use CS3 all the way to East India.

Do not leave a Santander cycles undocked; it will cost you LOTS of money (even more than LOTS if it gets stolen). They're designed for <30 min trips, if you use them for more than that it starts adding increasingly large fees to your credit card.


 
Posted : 27/02/2019 1:03 pm
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it's 45 mins on a train why bother?


 
Posted : 27/02/2019 1:09 pm
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If you are going to sign up to something - how about these? Havent tried myself but have seen quiet a few dotted parked up. No need for a docking station and if it is 20 degrees next week you wont get sweaty!

https://www.li.me/


 
Posted : 27/02/2019 1:26 pm
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walking 10 mins to Trinity Buoy Wharf 

My mate got married there. It was ace.


 
Posted : 27/02/2019 1:29 pm
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https://www.li.me/

£1 to unlock & 15p per minute to ride so the 30 min ride will cost you £5.50 total.
Or you could just use a Boris Bike at £2 for unlimited <30 min rides within one 24hr period....


 
Posted : 27/02/2019 2:00 pm
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Definitely don't leave a boris bike locked up outside Excel. It will cost you £4.00 per hour for every hour you have the bike undocked after the first 30 mins until you return it to a dock! Also, if it gets stolen then you're on the hook for whatever the replacement value is.

I enjoy using the bikes when in London and I'm not trying to put you off, but have you cycled in London before / do you know your way around pretty well? Kings Cross to Excel is a fair old distance through some busy parts of the city.


 
Posted : 27/02/2019 2:24 pm
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I enjoy using the bikes when in London and I’m not trying to put you off, but have you cycled in London before / do you know your way around pretty well? Kings Cross to Excel is a fair old distance through some busy parts of the city.

Yes, even on the fastest route it's probably a 2-bike journey to keep it below the 30 minute threshold. Ride 25 mins, dock it, walk a bit, pick up another bike and ride the remainder.

It's actually not a bad route if you take the scenic option on the Superhighways and just pootle it but if you're in a hurry, just get the Circle Line to Tower Hill, walk across to Tower Gateway DLR and then straight to Custom House.


 
Posted : 27/02/2019 4:26 pm
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Other bike hire schemes are available - mobike and ofo


 
Posted : 27/02/2019 4:37 pm
 mos
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Cheers all. I've done it via taxis & trains in the past & i thought the cycling option might help avoid the unpredictability of going via road & the hassle of walking between stations on the trains.

I've checked out the superhighways & CS6 & CS3 seems to get me there, so it'll either be a boris bike dropped off at east india or a brompton all the way.


 
Posted : 27/02/2019 4:45 pm

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