Cumbrian village celebrates success of not for profit ebike scheme

A Cumbrian village is celebrating the success of a not for profit ebike hire scheme and hope other towns and villages will support the initiative.

The initiative hopes to encourage more people to become interested in cycling and to hope that people will start using the bikes instead of their car.

The ebikes are available for anyone to book online and are charged from solar panels.

Isobel Stoddart, Staveley Community ebikes, said: “So you still have to pedal. So you know they're good for fitness as well.

"We've put it all into quite a detailed manual, which is online, and it's available for people to use, to read. The other thing is we've set up a bespoke website, which has got its own unique booking system. And again, that is definitely a platform for any other communities."

Ebikes have become popular in cities but in rural areas it's an option for longer journeys, particularly where there isn't a bus route.

Alistair Kirkbride, Staveley Community ebikes, said: “But it does mean that effectively you have your own personal tailwind. And so we're seeing an awful lot more women than men using the bikes; people that are perhaps a bit older that might have used bikes years ago, but haven't been on the bike since. Especially people that want to go cycling with some of their friends who might be a bit fitter.

“Staveley to Kendal to go to the supermarket is a great ride and you can get most of the shopping back on one of these bikes and especially thinking that then actually the hills just get ironed out.

"And I think we can look to places like a lot of suburbs in London and larger cities, where electric cargo bikes and electric bikes are zooming around on the school run in the morning. That just didn't happen five or ten years ago.

"I think in rural areas now, we're probably where a lot of those places were in the past. And so maybe look at Staveley and other Cumbrian villages in five or ten years and I suspect they'll look very different in terms of people just getting around. Probably electric cargo bikes will become a much more familiar sight on those roads and lanes."

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