Bike rental schemes hit record numbers in the UK, almost topping 25 million hires

Cycling is not doomed. More people than ever are using bike hire schemes in the UK, with almost 25 million journeys completed between September 2022 and September 2023, according to new research.

A report by the national shared transport charity Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK), published this week, showed that an average of 67,565 rides per day were embarked upon in the time frame. 

This was up from the 54,285 rides per day recorded the previous year, an increase of 24%, with the number of locations of schemes across the UK also growing from 43 to 48.

This won't be a surprise if you live in a town or city with a shared bike scheme, with the likes of Beryl, Tier and Lime, alone with long-standing ones like London's Santander Cycles, very visible.

More than ever before, e-bikes are becoming the norm for hire-bikes, with 59% of bikes available through hire schemes now being electric, over 25,864 in total. This is an increase on the 11,696 available according to the 2022 report and 4,835 in 2021.

"This report clearly demonstrates the positive impact that bike sharing has on the UK’s transportation system and the benefits that bike sharing brings for individual users and the wider society," the report reads. "By offering easy and affordable access to cycling, bike sharing contributes to physical, mental and social well-being, as well as to economic and environmental benefits. 

"Despite an environment with rising interest rates and global uncertainties, the UK bike share sector has continued to grow in 2023, and has seen new schemes emerge in major UK cities like Leeds. In the months ahead, we look forward to observing developments in Edinburgh and other cities where conversations for the (re)introduction of bike sharing have been underway."

Over 1,100 active users were surveyed for the report, which gave insights into those who used the scheme. Over two thirds (69%) of users said that they were now cycling 'more often' or 'much more often' since using schemes, with this rising to 72% among those who used eBikes.

Most used the bikes for travelling to or from school, with over a third (39%) of those surveyed doing it at least once a week. 80% of respondents also said that using shared bikes helped their mental health, and 24% said that they would have used a car for their last trip were a hire bike not available.

Despite the great figures, Richard Dilks, the chief executive of CoMoUK, cautioned to Cycling Industry News that "governments across the UK have been slow to grasp the true potential of bike sharing and we urge them to look at how they can do more".