A word to cities considering bikeshare schemes

1. Congratulations for having such a great idea. Not only will it cut down on traffic and maybe even persuade your denizens to drop a few pounds, but it will help shut people up about transport strikes, high gas prices, and how you're doing fuck-all about environmental issues only regional and national governments are in a position to do anything about

2. Sadly, bikes are not enough. You need to sink a bit of money to the infrastructure for them at the same time, as has been done in Paris with the Velib scheme, and has not been done here with the Villo scheme, and has not been done in Amsterdam because they don't need to.

3. But most of all - and this is what I really came here to say - and it's bugging the hell out of me, because I can't find the Dutch site - don't go the Velib and Villo route, and set up your city with ten-speed monsters with squeeze brakes. Go the Amsterdam route and get the simplest possible city bikes - no speeds, and backpedal brakes. They'll be cheaper to buy, cheaper to maintain, and less annoying for the users overall. And it will be less expensive and provocative when brainless young trogladytes push them into the canals/traffic/rivers/up their own useless asses.