London cycle hire launch – live updates

Leo Hickman on one of London’s cycle-hire bikes. Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian

7.08am:
Occasional cyclist and the Guardian’s London blogger Dave Hill tried out a bike in Whitechapel. He found the appearance of the bikes “over Barclayed” but otherwise he gives them high marks. “I hope Boris isn’t listening, but nothing seemed to be wrong with it, so I’m going to give it a provisional 10″ he told me.

Listen!

6.44am:
Not all the docking stations are ready. There are supposed to be 36 bikes available at London Zoo (according to my phone app), but when I went there this morning, just after 6am, only four bikes were there and the docking post was wrapped in hazard tape.

Here’s some very amateur mobile phone footage:

6.30am:
Up to 6,000 bikes at 400 “docking stations” were due to made available for hire today for the launch of Boris Johnson’s much-trumpeted Barclays Cycle Hire scheme.

Perhaps in an effort to lower expectations, the London mayor has already predicted that “lots of things will go wrong” – and some already have, according to the Evening Standard.

Yesterday, Transport for London confirmed that only about 300 stations and 5,000 bikes would be ready today. They also said that around 11,000 people had registered to use those bikes.

We’ll be tracking the first day of the launch as the public puts the bikes, and the docking stations, to the test. Please send us your first impressions.

And if you’re having trouble finding one of the hire bikes, try out one of the mobile phone apps reviewed by the Londonist blog.

In Paris the successful Vélib scheme prompted something of craze for performing stunts on the hire bikes, such as riding down steps and skate board ramps and filming the results.

If you happen to spot anything like this, do let us know.

So far the London bikes have had mixed reviews. They are too slow, too heavy, don’t have a lock or a basket, but otherwise they’re fine, according to the Guardian’s Leo Hickman, who was given a preview.

The Green London Assembly member Jenny Jones is an enthusiast, but she’s worried it’s too expensive, too small compared to Paris, and she doesn’t like the lack of a lock either.

Then there’s the name. If you object to the official corporate title please suggest another one.