Mark Higson update on modernisation

[heapsy]

, but from history we know that cycle use is far less wearing than continual use of the feet for 5 hours or more.

How much mail can you put on a bike?
16kg on the front and 2 8kg panniers?

If your whole walk is less than 32kg - fine, otherwise you are relying on replenishment (vans) or dedicated packet duties (vans) and neither of those were part of the business plan.
And even if your walk was less than 32kg I doubt the bulk of the packets would allow you to complete the duty unaided.

And how many bikes were there in RM anyway? About 4% iirc.

Strange as it may seem we have retained 2 cycles. They were deemed to be best for those walks they are allocated to. However, 1 is next to my walk with very similar roads. (on my walk there is a road with NO pavements in many sections and cobble stones at one end) My walk is an HCT duty. The other duty is occupied by a flyer who does 2 walks a day. He went on strike, refusing to do any overtime. He got his cycle back and is now doing the overtime as before. This cannot be right. Union rep and health and safety rep have done nothing about this.

[Lincox]

True Blue.
Pushing a cycle uphill may be difficult, but the beauty of the cycle is you can provide rest for your back and legs when you have better terrain. With a trolley you will be pulling/pushing it all day long. I also believe it is easier to control a cycle whilst pushing it in icy conditions, than it is dragging a trolley, and that is from experience in the winter of 2010 using both methods.

[cyclemech1]

, but from history we know that cycle use is far less wearing than continual use of the feet for 5 hours or more.

How much mail can you put on a bike?
16kg on the front and 2 8kg panniers?

If your whole walk is less than 32kg - fine, otherwise you are relying on replenishment (vans) or dedicated packet duties (vans) and neither of those were part of the business plan.And even if your walk was less than 32kg I doubt the bulk of the packets would allow you to complete the duty unaided.

And how many bikes were there in RM anyway? About 4% iirc.

Thats strange, at my old office they still have dedicated van packet duties even though there are no 'official' cycle duties (although there are two people using bikes to my knowledge).

They both have HCT duties but use the bikes for the 'distant' part of the duty as it's quicker.
As far as I am aware, the bikes haven't been serviced since I left in Dec 2011!

[cyclemech1]

Clash, no one can argue about a return to bag on shoulder. There should never have been a need for that anyway on most walks, as it is far less physical to put the bag on a bike and if necessary push the bike, which is far easier than dragging a trolley behind you. A bike has and will remain the most efficient and less harmful way of delivering mail. Yes there will always be the odd bad accident on a bike, whether it be mechanical or self inflicted, but from history we know that cycle use is far less wearing than continual use of the feet for 5 hours or more.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

True Blue.
Pushing a cycle uphill may be difficult, but the beauty of the cycle is you can provide rest for your back and legs when you have better terrain. With a trolley you will be pulling/pushing it all day long. I also believe it is easier to control a cycle whilst pushing it in icy conditions, than it is dragging a trolley, and that is from experience in the winter of 2010 using both methods.

Thats my argument - Huddersfield has only hills, its on the edge of the Pennines, there are no flat deliveries, or even gently sloping ones, and hills that go up have the reverse slope to contend with as well. Even the town centre has hills

Cycle deliveries are just not an option.

Pouch deliveries, cycle deliveries, HCT deliveries, CDV Deliveries even Tricycle deliveries and Electrical Vehicle Deliveries all have their place and all should be used if it its agreed that they are the best method for that duty taking into account terrain, road conditions, safety etc. We shouldn't fall into the same trap that RM has over CDVs by putting round wheels (bikes) into hilly duties,