Did you manage to register for the Bike Hire scheme?
Post categories: Cycling
| 11:07 UK time, Friday, 23 July 2010
Big day today for the Bike Hire contractors Serco with the launch of the members registration on the website.
This launch would give a huge indicator as to how resilient the backroom systems are at Serco and how the system will work in the future.
As I said earlier in the week, the bike hire scheme will be members only for the first four weeks after the launch on 30th July.
I tried to register first thing at 0615 and was greeted with this:
Oh I thought they have dropped the ball there big time..... But I pressed refresh on my computer and the website login came back.
I didn't try to register then even though you could from 0600 (and I sacrificed a free T-shirt).
This was to manage demand according to Transport for London so those who'd signed up for email alerts got an early heads up and could sign up from 0600.
I did also notice on the website that the bike hire scheme isn't going to be open for those Under 14. There are going to be a few disgruntled 13 year olds.
When asked why this is, TfL say:
"Because they are designed for adults. The adjustable seat post does mean that they are adaptable to a huge range of heights, but it's 'one size fits all adults' rather than 'one size fits everyone from 5-100."
Anyway, later in the office I tried to sign up for real. My colleague and fellow cyclist Paraic O'Brien told me he was having trouble at 0845.
The video below is how I got on at 0920. I'm told 300 people signed up to be members in the first hour, and 1000 had done by 9am.
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If you can't face watching the video - which is basically me sitting at a computer - I am now a member. If the process was successful then you should have received an email like this one:
So far, the system looks OK.
Let me know how you found it? Have there been problems?
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~07~RS~)
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I logged on this morning at 6am at the hope of bagging a free t-shirt. The link to register did not appear on the site until about 0613, and as you mentioned was initially not working.
Once I registered I tried to pay and for some reason my first payment failed, I then tried another card and this went through. Since then my account shows double the charges it should as the transaction seems to have been posted twice.
I have tried to contact TFL with screen shots, but the contact form results in an error message if you enter more than a few works in the description.
Overall not a great experience, let's hope they iron out these problems soon.
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Tom,
The TfL press release sent last night read:
"EMBARGOED TO 06.00 FRIDAY 23 JULY 2010
PN-223
22 July 2010
Mayor calls for pioneers to sign up for flagship Cycle Hire scheme
Applications for membership open today (23 July) at 09.00"
Maybe the 6am/9am discrepancy comes from a bit of confusion between the embargo time and the launch time?
Also, the email sent to people who'd registered on the website didn't mention any time:
"I am delighted to invite you to be one of the very first people to sign up for Membership of Barclays Cycle Hire, the jewel in the crown of the Mayor's cycling revolution. The scheme is set to launch on Friday 30 July for Members only and you can become a scheme pioneer by signing up from 6am on Friday 23 July by logging onto tfl.gov.uk/barclayscyclehire. So make a diary note and enjoy using our newest form of public transport in one of the world’s greatest cities."
The one place where 6am was implied was on the cycle hire holding page yesterday. It said 0600 Friday - an odd format to write the time (unless you're a journo!), which makes me think it was a typo, or for internal use only.
Sorry to be anal about it!
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Hi lio119 - Doesn't second sentence of that email say 6am ?? Not though it matters, more importantly did anyone actually get a T-shirt ?
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The email sent to pre-registered customers also stated 6am.
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Transport for London just put this on the website: "A small number of customers may be experiencing difficulties with the card details section of the registration form. We are fixing this now so those who have been unable to sign up today can do so successfully tomorrow. We apologise for the inconvenience."
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Hey guys, Apple just approved our FREE London Cycle app which shows the locations of the cycle stations as well as providing routes from one station to another.
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/london-cycle-free-maps-routes/id383292875?mt=8
http://londoncycleapp.com/
Let's get London cycling!
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In fairness, your reporting would be more balanced if you also talked about what went right and what you liked. Of course you ran into a few glitches. It´s a complicated program and some things are bound to not work in the initial stages.
Let´s give them a few days and then, let´s remember to be fair and balanced. You need to get on a bike, man! It will make you smile more often.
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I'd love to talk about what I liked about the site, but after two days of trying to sign up, that's precisely nothing. I still can't register. They're muppets. I'll carry on cycling at home in Cambridge and using the bus in London.
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I dont think anyone get a T-shirt because i was one of the first people.
to sign up for Membership of Barclays Cycle Hire but I got one thing my account shows double the charges it should as the transaction seems to have been posted twice????
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I have tried to sign up on 5 occasions, but always get stuck in a loop on the website as it won't accept my double barrelled surname, or my maiden name! I then telephoned today and went through all the process only to be told my card is not accepted for payment as I have a joint account with my husband and he has already used the card for his signage. I can't become an additional keyholder on husband's account as do not want to sign up for the full yearly access. I also can not become a "casual user" at the end of August as the card will still be recognised as being under my husband's name.
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I've seen these bikes parked all over town: Moorgate, Picaddilly, but surprisingly dont seem many people riding theme.
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