Bike share schemes do create new cyclists, finds report

The long-running debate on whether cycle hire schemes have a material impact on cycling uptake have a new bank of evidence to call on – the new Collaborative Mobility (COMoUK) annual bike share report – which has found that bike share can be a gateway for new riders and encourages more frequent cycling.

The UK-focused report found that 53% of bike share users started cycling again after at least one year. A modest but useful 7% used bike share to cycle for the first time ever. While a small percentage, the ‘gold dust’ of bringing new cyclists to the world and indeed market is no little positive. Attracting new riders is of course vital to cycling in general and to the cycling industry specifically, and arguably bike share has been doing a better job of it than some other aspects of the cycle world.

Frequency was a significant success story, with 66% of users cycling more frequently since joining a bike share scheme.

Those with interest in multi-modal trips will be interested in the finding that 64% of users combine bike share with other means of transport, largely bus or train rides. 71kg of CO2 emissions are reduced on average each year per user as a result of the mode shift caused by shared bikes.

In terms of sustainability, bike share was found to reduce car use – 37% would have made their most common bike share trip by car (as driver, passenger or taxi/hire vehicle).

The report focuses on the positives, although some difficulties remain around bike share, with TIER and Sight Loss Councils warning over how poorly parked shared eScooters and eBikes negatively impact the lives of blind and partially sighted people.

As at the end of September 2022, there were 43 locations in the UK served by bike share schemes (counting London as one location). There were 39 in 2021. eBikes available via share schemes rocketed – up to almost 12,000 is September 2022 from 5,000 the previous year. eBikes are part of 12 eBike-only share schemes and as part of 13 mixed schemes across the nation.

Diversity

Circling back to the theme of bringing a larger diversity into cycling – another area that has so far seen very modest success through traditional channels (which is a polite way of saying the industry has not yet worked out how to live up to this challenge), bike share is having more luck. 33% of bike share users were female (male 62%, 3% non-binary and 2% preferred not to say). In terms of ethnicity, 11% identified as Asian/Asian British, 4% as Black, 4% as “mixed/multiple ethnicity”, and 3% as other ethnic groups – 73% identified as White. In terms of age, 10% of users were over 55, 22% were 35-44, 14% were 45-54 and the majority (34%) were 25-34.

There’s a wealth of stats to dig into, if you are so inclined. Beryl also has a report on a similar topic.