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Brompton Bike Dock launches at Guildford station - UK's first self service Brompton hire facilityThe UK's first self service Brompton Bike hire facility at Guildford Station

Brompton Bike Dock launches at Guildford station - UK's first self service Brompton hire facility

80 bike for hire in new smart card operated scheme
by Tony Farrelly
Thu, Jul 07, 2011 17:25
5

Guildford station was the setting today for an innovative experiment in cycle-rail commuting – Britain's (and surely the world's) first self service Brompton bicycle rental scheme, the Brompton Bike Dock.

Fifty folding bikes are for hire at the station through a new membership scheme. Joining the scheme costs £50 for a year and that gets you a smartcard and access to the Bike Dock. To hire a bike from one of the Bike Dock's lockers simply swipe the card on a locker door, take the bike inside, and off you go.

The hire period can be for as short or long as you like, and hire prices go from £4 for a single day hire, to £2 per day for hires of seven days or more, dropping to £1.60 per day if you for hire periods of 23 days and up - which sounds like a bargain when set against the cost of actually buying a Brompton.

South West Trains have been working with Brompton for a few years now, the company pioneered Brompton hire at Waterloo station and already offer Brompton hire bikes to their season ticket holders. The new Brompton Bike Dock carries things a stage further. This latest move is says South West Trains part of the company's strategy to promote cycling "as an eco-friendly last-mile feeder link to and from the station."

Phil Dominey, Stakeholder Manager for South West Trains said: “Brompton bikes have already proved to be a success on our network. This is the first time in the UK that Brompton bikes will be available from a self-service dock and we believe this will make it easier for people to cycle to or from Guildford station. It is another step to encourage more passengers to think of alternatives to the car."

As you'd expect Brompton Bike Dock managing director, Mark Antwiss was equally enthusiastic about the new project:

“In the last 10 years, bike journeys have increased 10 fold (no pun intended we're sure - ed). This is the first Brompton dock in the country and we believe this will make bike journeys even more attractive and set people free by providing a ready to ride high quality Brompton bike to rent.”

The Bike Docks green credentials are boosted still further by being made from 95 per cent recycled materials in the UK and is entirely self-contained and solar powered. You can register to become a member of the Brompton Bike Dock scheme and to buy a smart card at http://pilot.bromptondock.co.uk/pilot.php

Folding bikes, especially Bromptons can be carried without restriction on all South West Train Services, but most be stowed as luggage.

South West Trains
Guildford Station
Guildford
Brompton Bike Dock
Brompton
Tony Farrelly

road.cc's founder and first editor, nowadays to be found riding a spreadsheet. Tony's journey in cycling media started in 1997 as production editor and then deputy editor of Total Bike, acting editor of Total Mountain Bike and then seven years as editor of Cycling Plus. He launched his first cycling website - the Cycling Plus Forum at the turn of the century. In 2006 he left C+ to head up the launch team for Bike Radar which he edited until 2008, when he co-launched the multi-award winning road.cc - finally handing on the reins in 2021 to Jack Sexty. His favourite ride is his ‘commute’ - which he does most days inc weekends and he’s been cycle-commuting since 1994. His favourite bikes are titanium and have disc brakes, though he'd like to own a carbon bike one day.

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5 comments

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richmond | 13 years ago
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Brilliant. More of this kind of thinking, please.

Anything to encourage more cycling in our culture can only be a good thing in my eyes.

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Paul M | 13 years ago
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Of course, if the non-biking passengers would observe the priority due to bikes in the storage area, and not use the fold-down seats there when there are plenty of other seats around them, there might be less need for Bromptons, or indeed non-folding bikes, to block up other parts of the train!

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the-daily-ripper replied to Paul M | 13 years ago
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Paul M wrote:

Of course, if the non-biking passengers would observe the priority due to bikes in the storage area, and not use the fold-down seats there when there are plenty of other seats around them, there might be less need for Bromptons, or indeed non-folding bikes, to block up other parts of the train!

I wish I commuted outside of peak hours - those plenty of other seats just don't exist.

Avatar
the-daily-ripper | 13 years ago
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just another folding bike to be wedged onto the train so that the sweaty owner can have a nice comfortable seat all the way from guildford while the rest of us have to get on the train further up, and get dirt and oil on our trousers because the trains are too crowded and the folding bikes only fit in the standing room areas.

If south west trains are so keen to promote it, they need to provide storage space on their trains specifically for them.

Avatar
antonio | 13 years ago
0 likes

Brilliant brompton marketing but not much about servicing, could one experience the same as that vending machine pouring hot delicious coffee into a non existant cup and feel the same frustration looking at a punctured product with trashed rear mech?

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