London from the back of a Boris...

I took a ride on a Boris today. Or to be more accurate, I spent my lunch hour gleefully pedalling through Regent's Park in unseasonably warm September sunshine. 'Glorious' really does not do the day (nor the journey) justice.

Although the enterprise was not without its tribulations...

This was only my second encounter with a Boris. The first really should have put me off for life.

For my original excursion, and not being a fully paid-up member of the scheme, I had to opt to use one of the street terminals reserved for us casual commitment-phobes (read 'wary type with visions of being crushed beneath a bendy bus'). The instructions were that bizarre combination of being both seemingly straightforward and bafflingly complex. Too simple, if there can be such a thing!

Anyway, with release code in hand and my 10 minute window of opportunity rapidly dwindling, I entered the 5 digit code and attempted to disengage my loaner from the docking point. No dice. The light would turn a tantalizing amber before plumping for an obstinate red, like a miniature HAL 9000 (yes, him again!). I tried numerous docks and still no green light. Then one eventually relented (it could probably pick-up on my increasing desperation by the manner in which I savagely jabbed in the code), but alas this was yet more torment as I couldn’t actually remove the whacking great beast (much like the bike's namesake!) from the ever unflinching dock. However I refused to be bested. After numerous attempts to disengage the vexing velos, plus one irate call to the service centre, emancipation was mine!

And the minute I was astride my chariot/clunky cycle, I forgot all about the woes and weeping. It was marvellous…

Just to explain for the uninitiated; ‘Boris’ is the widely accepted slang shorthand for the Barclays Cycle Hire scheme – pay-as-you-go bikes, available to hire at various docking stations around the city. Pick-up, pedal off, and then park-up at any dock that suits. This initiative was inaugurated by our (not so) beloved mayor, Boris Johnson, hence the moniker. Despite the demented antics of drivers in the city, Londoners have taken to the scheme with gusto; to date over 7.4million Boris's have been hired since launch in July 2010, although yours truly was a little late to join the party...

(grudging) Boat drinks Boris!