At last Manchester has a bike hire system with usable bikes and infrastructure. The bikes can frequently be seen in use around the city centre and there are now sufficient numbers of them available for use after initial supply problems.
There are two different types of machine on offer, a straightforward pedal powered bicycle, with hub brakes and gears and a step-through frame and a smaller number of an electric assist version with a motor integrated with the bottom bracket. While the basic bicycle just has a front rack with strap to carry stuff, the electric version also has a rear rack over the battery.
The great thing about these hire bikes is the way they normalise cycling. The people using these machines are almost all dressed in ordinary clothes with no hi-viz or helmet. Even the TFGM photos reflect this. It is also beneficial from the perspective of driver behaviour as it makes cycling part of the city, not an activity that sets people out as different.
