The response to our opening of the first network of Cycle Hubs in Sheffield has been amazing thank you all who have been positive and who have already signed up.
Quite rightly we’ve had a lot of questions about the hubs, the facilities and the pricing model in particular. So understanding that there will be other people out there who may have the same questions we thought we would try to answer as many as we can here.
Q. Will there be a space for me to park my bike?
We don’t guarantee a parking space but our hubs have lots of parking spaces for different types of bicycles and because they are managed when the places do start to get full we can find investment to expand them.
Q. Can I park my fat tyre bike in the stands?
We try to provide different options for parking your bicycle so wherever possible we will offer two tier stands for standard bicycles and Sheffield Stands for those that may not fit in the two tier stands.
Q. Why can’t I just pay for a day visit?
We thought long and hard about pricing options and how it could be managed. We are a local company supporting the local community but to do that we have to have a consistency of cash flow throughout the year, by offering a smaller ad-hoc charge we may not be able to support you when the weather turns and the facilities may have to close thereby not providing any facility when you want it. We don’t believe our charges are exorbitant considering that a coffee on the high street now costs £3.50, a day bus ticket is £5.70 and a subscription to the Sheffield Tribune is £7.41 per month (paid annually at £89), and our facilities are managed with clean heated toilets, CCTV and lighting that all needs to be paid for whether you are using it daily or just occasionally. Our aim is to grow our network to make it more viable for you as a cyclist and provide facilities across the city whether you want to visit the or not you have that choice. We are not ruling out changes to our pricing model but we need to get established and grow our network before we implement any changes.
Q. Why is Sheffield Station differnet?
We used to manage Sheffield Station on behalf of EMT/EMR and we did that successfully for 10 years but their hub is part of their network and they decide how it is managed. At present the hub there uses a fob, on a computer system that is at least 20 years old, which can be passed around and used by anyone all for a one off fee, we feel our offer is much more secure, provides access to a local network not a national one and offers you piece of mind. You can also sign up on the day and have access to the hub in just a few minutes with no need to queue to buy a fob only to find out that they have run out.
Q. Where is the Meadowhall Hub
Our hub at Meadowhall is located in the car park behind the Railway Station next to platform 2. It is conveniently located at a junction in the National Cycle Network that links the route North to Ecclesfield with that of the route to Rotherham Town Centre and Sheffield City Centre. Trains and coaches from Meadowhall run to locations all over the country and it is only a 3 minute walk to the shopping centre.
Please do keep your questions coming we will try to answer them as best we can. We feel our network is a positive addition to the infrastructure of the city and will help more people see cycling as a viable option. We look forward to opening more facilities soon.