300 new e-bikes added to Greater Manchester’s cycle hire scheme
Posted on in Business News , Cycles News
Greater Manchester has rolled out 300 new e-bikes as part of its expanding bike hire scheme in a major step towards achieving its goal of one million additional sustainable journeys every day by 2040.
The bikes, part of the Starling Bank Bike scheme, are now available across the city-region, with the scheme seeing 1.23 million rides completed since its launch in 2024 and almost 1,700 daily journeys recorded in April 2025 alone.
The latest e-bikes are an upgraded design, featuring a lighter frame with an integrated battery, a larger front basket, automatic gearing and a rear wheel locking system.
Electric bikes are proving especially popular, being used twice as often as pedal bikes and typically for longer distances, according to Transport for Greater Manchester.
Dame Sarah Storey, Greater Manchester’s Active Travel Commissioner, welcomed the rollout, saying: “The arrival of the three hundred new e-bikes is a welcome sight in Manchester. Not only are the bikes lighter but they have other features that make them easier to ride, such as the automatic gearing and rear wheel locking system.”
To use the bikes, riders can choose between a pay-as-you-ride option or discounted minute bundles via the Starling Bank Bike app. E-bikes cost £1 to unlock and 10p per minute, while pedal bikes cost 50p to unlock and 5p per minute; minute bundles reduce the rate to 5p per minute with no unlock fee for pedal bikes, though the £1 e-bike unlock fee still applies.
Michele Rousseau, Chief Marketing Officer at Starling Bank, said: “We’ve supported more than a million rides since launching Starling Bank Bikes in 2024, and with half of our fleet now electric, we’re taking another step forward in promoting sustainable travel across Greater Manchester.”