Access to bikes

If you don't have a bike of your own there are various cycle hire options, including adapted bikes, and ways to buy one.

No bike?  No problem!

Milton Keynes Council are serious about cycling. We want to increase the number of people who ride bikes for work and leisure.

The fact that not everyone owns a bike is not going to stop us!

There are lots of ways for you to get cycling and get around MK on two wheels.

Maybe you would like to try an e-bike for that extra pedal power, or are looking for two-wheels to get you from A to B.  Maybe you are the business who is going to make a difference and do your bit for the environment, making those last mile deliveries for your business by e-Cargo bike. 

Whatever you want to do we’ve got you covered.

Access to Bikes Scheme 

If you are on a low income, unemployed or a pupil premium student Milton Keynes Council can provide you with a bike so that you can travel to education, training or work. To help riders build confidence, develop road safety awareness and mastery of a bike, cycle training will be offered with every bike.

When you receive your bike, we would like you to enter in to a partnership with us, we’ll supply the bike and teach you cycling skills, and you’ll ride regularly and keep in contact with the team to let us know how cycling has helped you, plus any other benefits you may have discovered.

To join the scheme each applicant will need to meet eligibility criteria, you will need to;

  • Be referred by a Professional with whom we have agreed to accept referrals from
  • Live within the borough of Milton Keynes
  • Be able to cycle to Bikeability Level 2 or attend a Level 2 cycle training course
  • Agree to use the bike frequently or return the bike if you don’t use it
  • Complete initial and follow up surveys

School eligibility criteria:

  • Be referred by a professional at a Milton Keynes School
  • Students being referred must be eligible for pupil premium funding
  • Bikeability training must be arranged for those receiving a bike
  • Agree to use the bike frequently or return the bike if you don’t use it
  • Complete initial and follow up survey

Please note primary schools can apply for up to 12 pupils per term, and secondary schools apply for 24 per term.

For all enquiries contact cycling@milton-keynes.gov.uk

The Access to Bikes scheme has been made available via funding from Milton Keynes City Council the Department for Transport and Active Travel England.

e-Bike Experience

Enjoy cycling without the effort!

To encourage people to cycle more, Milton Keynes Council are offering residents free loan of an electric bike for a month. We’ve partnered up with Fully Charged Silverstone who’ll run the project on our behalf.

This amazing offer lets you experience life with an electric bike – whatever you’re doing and wherever you want to get to, for work, leisure, exercise (you still have to pedal) you’ll be able to get from A-B with a little extra pedal power.

Why should you try an e-bike?

  • You may want to ride into the city centre and do your business without the expense of using your car
  • You may want to get fitter, but with the reassurance of the extra power so that you can go further and for longer and not have to worry about hills
  • You may want to commute to work, yet not arrive tired and sweaty from cycling

We can help you experience an electric bike to help you decide if it’s for you. Places are limited, there are just 5 electric bikes available to lease every 4 weeks.

Interested ? Contact silverstone.info@fullycharged.com  call Fully Charged Silverstone on 07377 153599

Once you have booked a bike you’ll need to be able to collect from one of the monthly pop-up events at CMK Station Square. You can then ride off into the sunset and we’ll see you again in 4 weeks’ time when you have been converted to the joy of riding an electric bike.

The e-Bike Experience scheme has been made available via funding from Milton Keynes City Council the Department for Transport and Active Travel England.

Bike hire and ways to buy one

Bike hire is available across Milton Keynes courtesy of Santander Cycles and Lime Bikes.  Whether for fun or for work, the cycle hire schemes will help you get around Milton Keynes more easily.

We know many of you may be looking for safe and healthier ways to travel now the country restrictions have been lifted and we are here to support you and get you moving around safely again.

Santander Cycles MK Hire Scheme

Santander Cycles MK is a fun, easy and great value way to get around Milton Keynes.

The bike hire scheme started in July 2016 and has over 500 bikes at over 50 locations across the city offering short-term use. Residents and visitors can register online, via an app or by phone. The scheme is operated by Nextbike UK.

For more information about locations, hire charges and becoming a user go to Santander Cycles MK

Whether you want to ride for fun or get to work, grab a Santander Cycle.

Lime

Lime Bikes are electric assisted bikes, equipped with a 250-watt motor and a rechargeable lithium battery, the convenient green bicycles help riders climb hills and cover long distances without breaking a sweat!

You can be riding a Lime bike in three easy steps.

Locate  – Use the Lime app to find the closest Lime-E to you.

Scan – To unlock a Lime-E, simply scan the QR code located on the handlebars or the seat panel using the Lime app

Ride – You’re ready to go! Wherever your Lime takes you, remember to obey all traffic laws and always drive safely. 

Lime Access membership offers a 50% discount on all their e-bike and e-scooter rides. You can qualify for Lime Access if you can show evidence you hold one of the following passes:

  • Jobcentre Plus Travel Card
  • Blue Light Card (for emergency service workers)
  • Student Card (NUS student card or institution specific)
  • Other free or discounted travel cards
  • Other eligible key worker IDs and passes

You can sign up to this initiative here

Cycle to Work Scheme

The government backed scheme allows employees to purchase cycles and accessories via a salary sacrifice through their employer and can reduce the cost of purchases by around 20-40%. To get a bike on the scheme, your employer needs to sign up to a third party provider such as CycleScheme or Cycle Solutions. There’s more information about the scheme and how to sign up on the Government website. Employers can speak to any one of the cycle scheme providers who will be able to offer guidance and information to bring this scheme to your business and employees.

Recycled and second-hand cycles

If you can’t afford a new bike or are worried about it being stolen you could buy a second-hand one. Many cycle shops offer part-exchange for customers which means they have old bikes in the store room, pop in and ask.

Additionally, there are bicycle recycling schemes where people can donate their old, unused bicycles to cycling charities to be refurbished and sold at affordable prices. Cycle Saviours is a social enterprise in Stacy Bushes which repairs and recycles old bikes.

Cycle Shops

There are lots of places to buy a bike in MK including large national outdoor stores and independent local bike shops. Prices will range from around a hundred pounds up to a few thousand; there’ll be something to suit every age, ability, budget and type of riding. Find your local shop on our interactive map.

Adapted Cycles

There are a number of facilities in Milton Keynes which have adapted bikes for hire including Action4Youth at Caldecotte Lake, MK Motion at Willen Lake and Freewheelers MK.

The Caldecotte Xperience has a range of adapted bikes and accept short breaks vouchers. Contact them directly by phone on 01908 232042 or email caldecotte@action4youth.org

 

 

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