Google bikes
tony
Google gifts bikes to staff
The web giant wants its staff to be fit and lively and so has ‘done an
Ikea’ and has provided staffers with a catalogue from which they can
choose free bikes and kit. The eco- and health-conscious largesse is for
Europe, Africa and the Middle East only, Google staffers in America can
go whistle…
At Christmas, the UK arm of Ikea gifted all 9000 staffers with free
folding bikes, sourced by Raleigh UK from a factory in Eastern Europe.
Now Raleigh Germany has done a deal with Google to offer bikes of all
shapes and sizes to Google staff across Europe. All the bikes will be
branded with the Google logo.
Whereas Ikea staff got cheap folding bikes, many of which were quickly
placed on eBay, Google staffers can choose a Dahon Curve folding bike,
which normally retails at £349 and is new for 2007.
And as well as a folding bike and men’s and women’s hybrids, there’s to
be a Google cruiser as well. The hybrids in the pix are not equipped
with mudguards and rack. As these are meant to be commuting bikes this
is either an omission or a gift to bike shops.
2000 Google staffers were emailed a Google bike catalogue on Thursday.
Orders have to be placed with Google human resources by 27th April.
Google has about 2000 permanent staffers in Europe, Africa and the
Middle East.
Tony
Ekul Namsob
> http://quickrelease.tv/?p=29
>
>
> Google gifts bikes to staff
Aaarrrgghh!
'gives'
Sorry, I know it's not your fault, Tony, and it's a big ask for
journalists to write in English.
> The web giant wants its staff to be fit and lively and so has 'done an
> Ikea' and has provided staffers with a catalogue from which they can
> choose free bikes and kit. The eco- and health-conscious largesse is for
> Europe, Africa and the Middle East only, Google staffers in America can
> go whistle…
Why exclude America, I wonder?
Cheers,
Luke
--
Lincoln City 0-2 Southend United (AET)
Swansea City 2-2 Southend United
We went up twice with Tilly and Brush
Marc Brett
(Ekul Namsob) wrote:
>tony <to...@raven-family.invalid> wrote:
>
>> http://quickrelease.tv/?p=29
>>
>>
>> Google gifts bikes to staff
>
>Aaarrrgghh!
>
>'gives'
>
>Sorry, I know it's not your fault, Tony, and it's a big ask for
>journalists to write in English.
"a big ask"? Since when is ask a noun?
>> The web giant wants its staff to be fit and lively and so has 'done an
>> Ikea' and has provided staffers with a catalogue from which they can
>> choose free bikes and kit. The eco- and health-conscious largesse is for
>> Europe, Africa and the Middle East only, Google staffers in America can
>> go whistle…
>
>Why exclude America, I wonder?
Maybe because they can catch the Google Bus:
http://memostomyself.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/the-google-shuttle-commuter-paradise-found/
And how's this for cool: "bicycles are allowed on exterior racks". Why don't we
have that as stantard on TfL buses?
Paul Rudin
> On Sun, 25 Mar 2007 08:20:17 +0000, notmyaddress...@wronghead.com
> (Ekul Namsob) wrote:
>
>>tony <to...@raven-family.invalid> wrote:
>>
>>> http://quickrelease.tv/?p=29
>>>
>>>
>>> Google gifts bikes to staff
>>
>>Aaarrrgghh!
>>
>>'gives'
>>
>>Sorry, I know it's not your fault, Tony, and it's a big ask for
>>journalists to write in English.
>
> "a big ask"? Since when is ask a noun?
It's a variation on the rule that usenet spelling correction posts
always contain a spelling mistake :)
Tony Raven
And, punctuation, mistakes too ;-)
--
Tony
"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there
is no good evidence either way."
- Bertrand Russell
Ziggy
wrote:
>Paul Rudin wrote on 25/03/2007 09:32 +0100:
>> Marc Brett <use...@fordson.demon.co.uk> writes:
>>
>>> On Sun, 25 Mar 2007 08:20:17 +0000, notmyaddress...@wronghead.com
>>> (Ekul Namsob) wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Sorry, I know it's not your fault, Tony, and it's a big ask for
>>>> journalists to write in English.
>>> "a big ask"? Since when is ask a noun?
>>
>> It's a variation on the rule that usenet spelling correction posts
>> always contain a spelling mistake :)
>>
>
>And, punctuation, mistakes too ;-)
And don't forget mistakes grammar.
congokid
<to...@raven-family.invalid> writes
>Whereas Ikea staff got cheap folding bikes, many of which were quickly
>placed on eBay
16 or so still there:
<ttp://search.ebay.co.uk/ikea-bike_W0QQfromZR8QQssPageNameZWLRS>
--
congokid
Eating out in London? Read my tips...
http://congokid.com
Dr Kickstand
employees. Maybe, there is no PR in such a stunt, a free car prehaps.
DrK
http://www.bikesthatfold.com - All about Folding Bikes!
Tony Raven
> I was also wondering why the bike offer was not extended to US
> employees. Maybe, there is no PR in such a stunt, a free car prehaps.
>
Probably a combination of staff numbers in the US plus the fact that
commuter cycling is quite common in Europe but not in the USA
Simon Brooke
('use...@fordson.demon.co.uk') wrote:
> Maybe because they can catch the Google Bus:
>
>
http://memostomyself.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/the-google-shuttle-commuter-paradise-found/
>
> And how's this for cool: "bicycles are allowed on exterior racks". Why
> don't we have that as stantard on TfL buses?
They do in (e.g.) Seattle. I believe bike racks are common on busses in the
US. They're apparently banned in Britain for, errm, 'safety' reasons.
--
si...@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; IE 3 is dead, but Netscape 4 still shambles about the earth,
;; wreaking a horrific vengeance upon the living
;; anonymous
Tony Raven
> Marc Brett wrote:
>
>> And how's this for cool: "bicycles are allowed on exterior racks".
>> Why don't we have that as stantard on TfL buses?
>
>
> (a) they can be got on and off quickly, without unduly holding up the
> bus for everyone else;
>
> (b) they can't be casually lifted off by passing pedestrians when the
> bus is stopped at traffic lights?
>
http://www.bicycleracks.com/busrack_mission_installs.asp
If lots of USAian cities can do it why can't we?
The front rack has lots of benefits and the driver and passengers near
the front can keep an eye on loading and unloading.
Marc Brett
<roger+u...@nospam.firedrake.org> wrote:
>Marc Brett wrote:
>
>>And how's this for cool: "bicycles are allowed on exterior racks". Why don't we
>>have that as stantard on TfL buses?
>
>How would you fasten them on so that:
>
>(a) they can be got on and off quickly, without unduly holding up the
>bus for everyone else;
Advice from various US transit authorities is to work fast to help keep the bus
to schedule. First time users may request assistance and advice from the
driver. The design of the racks makes the loading/unloading process look pretty
easy to me -- tha manufacturer claims less than 10 seconds. TfL's new GPS-aided
iBus system will be able to instruct the driver to speed up or slow down in
response to all kinds of delays, including bike loads/unloads on either their
own or leading or trailing buses.
>(b) they can't be casually lifted off by passing pedestrians when the
>bus is stopped at traffic lights?
Sit at the front of the bus and keep an eye on your bike. Lock the wheels to
the frame; remove the saddle. Mark the bike with anti-theft runes. Get
insurance. Cover the area with CCTV. Apply Sharia law to bicycle thieves :-)
Leftpondians seem to manage it; so ought we. Anybody out there with first-hand
experience want to chime in?
Ekul Namsob
> On Sun, 25 Mar 2007 08:20:17 +0000,
> notmyaddress...@wronghead.com (Ekul Namsob) wrote:
>
> >tony <to...@raven-family.invalid> wrote:
> >
> >> http://quickrelease.tv/?p=29
> >>
> >>
> >> Google gifts bikes to staff
> >
> >Aaarrrgghh!
> >
> >'gives'
> >
> >Sorry, I know it's not your fault, Tony, and it's a big ask for
> >journalists to write in English.
>
> "a big ask"? Since when is ask a noun?
You didn't see 'X-BigAsk: Yes, that was deliberate' in the headers.
>
> >> The web giant wants its staff to be fit and lively and so has 'done an
> >> Ikea' and has provided staffers with a catalogue from which they can
> >> choose free bikes and kit. The eco- and health-conscious largesse is for
> >> Europe, Africa and the Middle East only, Google staffers in America can
> >> go whistle∑
> >
> >Why exclude America, I wonder?
>
> Maybe because they can catch the Google Bus:
>
> <http://memostomyself.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/the-google-shuttle-commuter-
> paradise-found/>
>
> And how's this for cool: "bicycles are allowed on exterior racks". Why
> don't we have that as stantard on TfL buses?
Because TfL buses are of no use to the majority of the population? Or
because this is a desperately backwards country when it comes to road
use: just today, while I was acting as outrider as Kate took the
Trail-gator for a spin with my not-quite-four year old daughter on the
back [1], some berk in a Merc [2] told us to 'fucking pull over and let
us past' as we approached a zebra crossing. One of these days I shall
buy a helmet just so that I can have the pleasure of installing a helmet
camera.
Cheers,
Luke
[1] Yes, I know it would have been fairer for the stronger of the two of
us to do the towing, but I've got a carbon seatpost and I'm led to
believe that it would have been a very bad idea.
[2] a Merc, I ask you, I mean, he could at least have had the decency to
identify himself by driving a BMW.
Ekul Namsob
> Paul Rudin wrote on 25/03/2007 09:32 +0100:
> > Marc Brett <use...@fordson.demon.co.uk> writes:
> >
> >> On Sun, 25 Mar 2007 08:20:17 +0000, notmyaddress...@wronghead.com
> >> (Ekul Namsob) wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Sorry, I know it's not your fault, Tony, and it's a big ask for
> >>> journalists to write in English.
> >> "a big ask"? Since when is ask a noun?
> > It's a variation on the rule that usenet spelling correction posts
> > always contain a spelling mistake :)
> And, punctuation, mistakes too ;-)
Are you referring to my positioning of your name inside commas? If so,
that one is debatable and I have had too much wine with my delightful
Sunday dinner to do so rationally.
Ziggy
(Ekul Namsob) wrote:
> One of these days I shall
>buy a helmet just so that I can have the pleasure of installing a helmet
>camera.
I thought for a moment you were going to say "... buy a helmet just so that I
can nut the driver"!
Ekul Namsob
No. Sorry, I'm not that quick. Yet.
I was, however, rather chuffed to be able to keep up with the driver of
BMW M 4 PNE yesterday after he had tried to drive me off the road. One
day I shall get the Highway Code's illustrated guide to overtaking
cyclists laminated around a brick for distribution to such drivers.
Cheers,
Luke
Danny Colyer
> One of these days I shall
> buy a helmet just so that I can have the pleasure of installing a helmet
> camera.
If you find LSMike's recent thread about his new toy, you should see
that you can get pretty goods results by mounting a helmet-mounting
camera to your handlebar.
Unless you ride a USS bent (LSMike's is OSS). I'd have to find an
alternative mounting point.
--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
Reply address is valid, but that on my website is checked more often
"Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down.
Daddy, why did you put that down?" - Charlie Colyer, age 2
Ian Smith
> One of these days I shall buy a helmet just so that I can have the
> pleasure of installing a helmet camera.
You could just velcro it to your head:
http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/helmetcammounts.htm#strap
They also have mounts for baseball caps, to clamp onto various things,
or possibly (if you happen to be bald):
http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/helmetcammounts.htm#sucky
("This high quality mount will suck to all shiny surfaces")
regards, Ian SMith
--
|\ /| no .sig
|o o|
|/ \|
Marc Brett
>in message <eobc03lovc7lejbji...@4ax.com>, Marc Brett
>('use...@fordson.demon.co.uk') wrote:
>
>> Maybe because they can catch the Google Bus:
>>
>>
>http://memostomyself.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/the-google-shuttle-commuter-paradise-found/
>>
>> And how's this for cool: "bicycles are allowed on exterior racks". Why
>> don't we have that as stantard on TfL buses?
>
>They do in (e.g.) Seattle. I believe bike racks are common on busses in the
>US. They're apparently banned in Britain for, errm, 'safety' reasons.
No fun to be a pedestrian (or cyclist) struck by a front-mounted carrier. Maybe
buses only hit cars in the US?
CTC has a position on this:
http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4498
Summary: internal carriage, rear racks, or trailers are a Good Idea, by and
large. No chance for front racks in the UK with US-style equipment.
Tony Raven
>
> No fun to be a pedestrian (or cyclist) struck by a front-mounted
> carrier. Maybe buses only hit cars in the US?
>
> CTC has a position on this:
>
> http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4498
>
> Summary: internal carriage, rear racks, or trailers are a Good Idea,
> by and large. No chance for front racks in the UK with US-style
> equipment.
>
And yet the much more litigious and risk averse USA seems to be quite
content with them. What do they know that we don't?
I've used rear racks on Swiss Post Buses but they are out of sight in
transit and the driver has no idea whether you have finished loading or
Simon Brooke
('ju...@raven-family.invalid') wrote:
> Marc Brett wrote on 26/03/2007 01:07 +0100:
>>
>> No fun to be a pedestrian (or cyclist) struck by a front-mounted
>> carrier. Maybe buses only hit cars in the US?
>>
>> CTC has a position on this:
>>
>> http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4498
>>
>> Summary: internal carriage, rear racks, or trailers are a Good Idea,
>> by and large. No chance for front racks in the UK with US-style
>> equipment.
>>
>
> And yet the much more litigious and risk averse USA seems to be quite
> content with them. What do they know that we don't?
>
> I've used rear racks on Swiss Post Buses but they are out of sight in
> transit and the driver has no idea whether you have finished loading or
> unloading.
Precisely. The racks I've seen in the US seem to me an eminently sensible
and practical arrangement. You're right under the driver's eye when you're
loading/unloading - far safer than being behind the bus where he can't see
you (or can see you only in some CCTV monitor which isn't in his default
field of view). It's very quick to load/unload, unlike a bin under the
floor as is commin in this country. And when you've loaded your bike,
you're just by the door onto the bus, so there's no chance of the bus
roaring off taking your bike with it and leaving you at the roadside.
I think the CTC are just plain wrong on this.
--
si...@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; Life would be much easier if I had the source code.