Scores of cyclists will take part in a mass ride through Cardiff to celebrate the expansion of the city’s nextbike bike-share scheme.
A whopping 4,300 miles have been clocked up on the bikes in Cardiff since a trial scheme with 50 bikes was launched in March – the equivalent of cycling the Taff Trail 78 times.
And the whole city will get to use the bikes for free for 24 hours today (Friday May 25) as part of the official launch.
nextbike, the world’s most extensive bike-share operator, is launching an additional 200 bikes and 20 stations in Cardiff following the successful introduction of a small number of bikes and stations.
The scheme’s expansion will be marked with a mass cycle ride across the city, when up to 60 people are expected to ride from The Senedd to Pedal Power, in Bute Park, including councillors and Welsh Government officials. People will also be able to take advantage of Freewheeling Friday, where nextbikes will be available at no cost for 24 hours.
nextbike will also be giving away freebies on the day, alongside reduced annual subscriptions to members of the public.
The scheme was made possible thanks to backing from Cardiff Council and financial support from the Welsh Government and Cardiff University.
It was introduced with the aim of reducing congestion, freeing up parking spaces and providing a healthier, sustainable way to travel around the city.
The additional bikes and stations mean the people of Cardiff will have access to a total of 250 bikes and 25 stations.
Numbers will then be doubled by the end of August, taking the scheme to full-strength with 50 stations and 500 bikes located in and around the city.
Over 1,000 people have already signed up to the scheme’s annual membership and a further 2,000 registering with the app, with over 5,330 journeys being made in the first few months alone. The Early May Bank Holiday saw the bikes used at their most to date, with an average of four trips per bike being taken.
New stations will be spread across the city including Fairwater, Llandaff, Cathays, Adamstown and Splott.
Cabinet Member for Sustainable Planning and Transport, Cllr Caro Wild said:
“We are delighted with the public’s response since we launched the initial stations and bikes in Cardiff. People seem to be using them both to explore our wonderful city, but most importantly for their daily journeys such as going to work or the shops.
“It is great to see the nextbike hire scheme expanding to other areas in Cardiff and it has been very encouraging to see the take up from the public so far. By August this year, we will have 500 bikes in 50 different locations across Cardiff. We believe nextbike are better than the London model, it is cheaper and has superior technology.
“The Council is committed to improving sustainable forms of transport in the city and improving both the infrastructure and accessibility for cyclists and pedestrians is an important part of this.”
Julian Scriven, MD of nextbike UK, said he was excited to be bringing the extra stations and bikes to the scheme.
“It was important to us, and to our partners at Cardiff Council, that the scheme has a presence across a wide area of Cardiff, not just in the city centre, to ensure the bikes are accessible to the whole community,” he explained.
“Numbers and locations are key for bike-share schemes and now the scheme has 250 bikes, people can confidently choose to use bike-share as a reliable and convenient alternative mode of transport.
Julian said initial reaction to the scheme had been incredibly positive.
“We have high hopes that the people of Cardiff will utilise the scheme to its fullest potential now numbers have been increased. Initial data from the 50 trial bikes show that an impressive 4, 300 miles have already been racked up in the first couple of months.
“Bike-share really works best when the community feels like the bikes belong to them – this already seems to be happening in Cardiff. We’ve had such a great response to the scheme already, we can’t wait to see how the new wave of cycles will be welcomed,” he said.
Cardiff University Director of Communications and Marketing, Claire Sanders, said:
“It’s an innovative scheme for Cardiff that also fits our aspirations to create a more environmentally friendly and sustainable University.
“Our staff and students can apply for free annual membership so we’re supporting a project that will allow them to get around our city easily and at minimal cost.
“As a cycling enthusiast myself I also think it’s important to emphasise some of the benefits of riding a bicycle, such as improved physical fitness and a positive effect on mental health.”
Economy and Transport Secretary Ken Skates said:
“I am delighted our financial support helped nextbike set up in Cardiff. This exciting business contributes to our aims as a government to encourage people to become more active and reduce the number of cars travelling in our beautiful capital city.
“The simple yet effective idea behind nextbike has proven immensely popular in Cardiff. I am so pleased the scheme is extending its reach, with more bikes available in more areas, and I wish nextbike every success in its future ventures.”
The bikes feature advanced technology and enhanced security features, including integrated front locks and GPS tracking, which makes them incredibly user-friendly.
nextbike, is the world’s most extensive bike-share provider with more than 150 projects across four continents.
