Shared bikes can come in a variety of forms:
A pool bike scheme is where an organisation provides bikes to staff to use for work related purposes. The bikes are all stored in one location and the keys are accessed via a designated person or through a key safe.
Workplace pool bikes can also be accessed by apps if set-up/ have a provoder.
For more details visit the Pool Bikes page
You can also download this useful guide from COMO UK to developing a workplace pool bike scheme.
On-street bikes that can be hired for primarily for short rides and as a supplement to public transport. There are currently public bike share schemes are now in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling
With other initiatives such as:
BIkes For All Scheme in Glasgow - The Bikes for All project is part financed by the European Social Fund and Scottish Government through the Social Innovation Fund. It is a bike share equity programmes that aims to increase the accessibility of bikes to all people breaking down barriers such as ability or income through shared bikes.
For details of the various public bike share schemes available throughout the UK, visit COMO UK
Bikes are placed in clusters of 5-20 fixed to docking stations framework by various forms of attachment. Docks are placed in key locations around the town/city and regular intervals in between for convenience. The dock may include a terminal to release the bike or the technology may also be located on the bikes. The bikes can be returned to any dock to end the hire and with some technology it is possible to lock them on cycle parking stands if the dock is full.
The introduction of electric bikes is helping a wider range of people access the convenience of bike share. Electric bikes are becoming an increasingly popular way to get around. They are a good alternative to a normal bike especially if your route includes hills, is more than 5 miles long or if you need an extra boost on the road.
Find out more about the Energy Savings Trust e- bikes scheme and e- bike business loan scheme - funding opportunities available in Scotland through Energy Saving Trust which offer interest-free loans to buy an ebike. This scheme is funded by Transport Scotland (an agency of the Scottish Government).
Bike hire at rail stations offers a last mile travel mode. Bikes are usually accessed via staff in a hub which is also used as a central location for community bike hire. Some offer back to base hires while others can be returned to different rail stations, in both cases the pricing model encourages full day hire.
The concept of bike libraries is a relatively new one although many places have offered the loan of a cycle as a “try before you buy” strategy for some time. Bikes are held in a diverse range of community locations including traditional libraries and sports centres or are brought into the community using mobile transport.
Peer-to-peer bike sharing is the sharing of individually owned bikes with other people on an adhoc basis akin to Airbnb. For owners the attraction comes from making money from renting your bike when it is sitting idle. For users, the attraction is the option to choose from a diverse range of bikes, either to avoid taking their own bike to a new location or only paying a small fee to borrow a bike instead of buying and maintaining one.