Is Highgate too hilly for Boris bikes?

The ubiquitous blue bicycles known as "Boris bikes", available for hire all over the capital in a bid to ease road congestion and improve the capital's health have taken the city by storm since their launch this summer. But cyclists in North London wondering when the scheme would be rolled out to this neck of the woods received bad news at a People's Question Time with Mayor Johnson on Tuesday night - the area is apparently "too hilly" for bikes.

"Parts of north London do get quite hilly," said the Mayor when asked why there were no docking stations north of Kentish Town. "There are practical problems that start to impose themselves. There are natural limits to where we can go." The Mayor revealed that a further roll-out of the popular bikes will shortly take place in Hackney and East London, and that the scheme was looking for a sponsor to continue its expansion in West London.

Local people so far seem to be broadly in agreement with the Mayor: Chantal on Twitter told us, "I once had to push my motorbike from the top of Hampstead to Chalk Farm. In summer. Damn, it's hilly." Reader Darien added, "It's too hilly for bikes. It's just for me and my dog." (We think that last part may have been some obscure cultural reference).

I used to cycle quite often when we lived in New Cross, but since moving to the north of the city four years ago I still haven't tackled Highgate Hill or the Archway Road on my bike. That doesn't seem to stop others, however - on my daily drive I quite often pass people pedalling bravely up the A1. Is Boris underestimating the resilience of the North London dweller? Would you be tempted to jump on your bike if docking stations were available in Highgate? Is the Mayor making a mountain out of a molehill on this bumpy issue? Let us know your thoughts below!