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Hassan has been cycling around the same lamppost since 10am. He must be doing it for the hundredth time today. Mounted on an e-bike, the 28-year-old is wearing navy Jordans, khaki trousers and a heavy fleece that is cradling a family-sized bag of sweets. With each swing around the post on the electric bicycle, one hand scoops a pile of confectionery out of the packet and into his mouth, a few stray pieces scattering in the process.
Hassan is part of the 15-person team operating one of Forest e-bikes’ largest garages in London on a tucked-away Elephant and Castle backstreet (when I stumble upon it when running late to a job interview, I initially think it is deserted). He is responsible for making sure that all the bikes dotted around the capital are safe for users. Quietly, they are going about the task of maintaining the company’s large fleet.
With the Rolling Stones blaring out of earphones, Hassan grabs a bike from one of the many lines filling the garage, stacked together as orderly as a regiment, and cycles up and down the street. Sometimes he travels just a couple of metres; other times, if he needs to be sure the bike meets its safety requirements, he is gone for several minutes. He puts the electric motor through its paces, throws his body up and down to test the tyres and gives the brakes a screech-inducing pull. He goes through this motion again and again. Occasionally, he notices a problem, lifts himself off the seat, and hauls the bike over to one of the mechanics, pointing out the trouble.
Typically, Hassan notifies them about something minor, like a grip that is slightly loose. He says the issue “that crops up most frequently is flat tyres”, but industrial tyre pumps in the garage ensure that they’re ready to go in a matter of minutes. Every so often, Hassan realises that the brakes on a bike are failing — a serious problem which requires the mechanics triple check their repairs have worked before sending it back out. Once, a bike that had been fished out of a river was dropped off, but they managed to bring it back to life. Hassan says it is rare for one of the e-bikes to be deemed a lost cause and taken out of circulation completely.
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