The United Kingdom is one of the world’s biggest bike-share markets, with a market of some 1.3 million bikes registered, but how do you start?
What are the rules?
How can you get started?
We’ve rounded up our top picks for the best places to start and explore the bike transport world.
1.
Madewell Transport tote The London-based bike transport company Madewells bikes, which have been popular in Europe for years, are now making their way to the UK.
This year, it is introducing its first two-wheeler, called the Madewills Traction, in the North East.
It is designed for people on the go, and it is a smart bike that can accommodate up to six people.
You can buy one for £1,995 (or £1.4 million, if you pay for the bike itself) from its website.
It also has a bike-sharing scheme in London, with more than a million people using the app each month.
The Madewill Traction is available for rent for £8 per day.
If you are looking for something a little more practical, there is also a Madewalls Bike-Sharing programme in Leeds, where there is a similar service, but it only offers bikes for a limited time each month (but that can be extended).
The bikes are not cheap: £3,000-£6,000.
You’ll need to pay a monthly deposit (usually around £250) but you won’t have to take it out of your account, and you can buy the bike from the Madews website.
2.
Bike Transport Europe (BTE) bike transport services are a relatively new idea in the bike-sharing world, with only a few operators in the United Kingdom.
They are popular for their affordable bikes and low prices.
The BTE bikes are available for hire for around £1 each.
They also have a bike sharing scheme in Leeds and they charge a monthly fee of £1 to rent one.
However, they can be rented out to customers for £7 a day for up to three hours, or for £15 a day to rent for up as long as six hours.
This is a good value for anyone who doesn’t need a full-time operator, and people can also get a bike for £300 a day from BTE if they register online and have a valid photo ID. 3.
Trimac Bikes have a relatively low start-up cost for a bike service.
They charge a minimum of £250 per day for one ride, and £300 for two rides.
This works out to around £60 per month for a four-hour ride.
But they do have some caveats: they only accept bikes registered by British nationals, and their bikes must have a helmet, and they must be insured for a maximum of 30 years, so don’t expect to be driving with them.
But you can rent one for free for up a few weeks, and for a very low monthly fee.
The company says it has a number of different bikes available for rental, including the Trimacs Traction which is designed specifically for commuters, and the Tractar Raccoon which is for bikes used for riding.
4.
London Bike Exchange London BikeExchange is the biggest bike share operator in the world, and its London Bike exchange bike share service is a great way to get around London.
They have two bikes available in each of their London stations, the Bicycles of London and the Bikes of London II, both of which are designed to work well with other bike share systems.
You have to pay £15 per ride to rent a bike in either station, but if you’re using the London Bike Exchange app, you can get a quote from a trusted bike rental company and then pay by credit card or cash.
5.
Bike Luton The Bikes in Luton cycle-sharing system is not available for free in the London area.
However you can reserve one of its bikes for rent from the London Bicycling Company.
The bikes range from £200 for a basic cycle, to £800 for a two-wheeled bike, to around $1,200 for an eight-wheeled bike.
The service is also available in Leeds.
6.
Maven Cycle In the United States, the biggest market for bike share is New York City, with the New York Bike Share program.
The system has more than 1.2 million bikes, but most are reserved for use by private groups, or members of groups that meet certain criteria.
However a number are being used by the public, so there are also more private bikes available.
The first in New York is a $400 bike, and a $800 bike is available to rent. It costs £3 per hour, so it is not for everyone.
7.
Bicyclists’ Bike NYC has a