ORGANISERS will be hoping the sun shines tomorrow for the launch of the city’s new bike share scheme.

It follows the concept of London’s Santander Cycles, commonly known as Boris Bikes.

But when The Argus described the 450 distinctive pale green bicycles as Brighton’s Boris Bikes it caused a minor Twitter storm.

Even Hove MP Peter Kyle got involved and wrote to our letters page.

Hourbike, the company behind the project, has given them the nickname Life Bikes after the sponsor, Life Natural Spring Water.

But if the London scheme is anything to go by then that is not going to stick.

Hourbike’s owner Tim Caswell said: “We hope it catches on because it’s much easier to say and encapsulates what we are about.

“We would be delighted if people started calling them Life bikes.”

The bikes also carry Life Natural Spring Water branding on them as part of a three year sponsorship deal.

Commenting on the official name, Mr Kyle MP, said: “If Life Natural Spring Water has given a lot of money we should call them Life Bikes, but if it is not a deal for the long term, we shouldn’t really give them the pleasure of the name at the outset as the name is likely to stick.

“I think they should be called BH Bikes which represents the whole city and it’s important it exists for the whole city.”

Mr Kyle added: “Boris is such a divisive figure and of all the people in politics he frustrates me the most.

“His jocular banter belies a very divisive and lazy politician, and he is everything that Brighton is not.

“So to see his name associated with something in our city really struck a chord with me.”

A number of names have been suggested for the bike scheme – from Warren’s Wheelers, named after council leader Warren Morgan, to Brikes, a combination of Brighton and bikes.

One of the most popular names put forward has been Bricycles but there is already a cycling pressure group called that.