Try Before You Bike

The Try Before You Bike scheme is a partnership between the council and Peddle My Wheels. Individuals and families can rent new or nearly-new bikes, cargo bikes or electric bikes for a monthly fee, as well as trailers that attach to bikes. 

Lights, lock, helmet and free maintenance are included and you can have a free cycle skills session if you want it.  

If you like your bike you can buy it at a discounted price through a flexible payment plan. If you don’t it will be collected for free.  

Find out more and apply 

Cargo bikes are also available

Try Before You Bike is one of a range of schemes to support cycling in the borough. Others include helping local businesses access cargo bikes for deliveries, providing bike hangars so people can safely store bikes and free cycle training courses for adults and children.  

The council also works with schools to draw up travel plans, and has a rolling programme of cycling infrastructure schemes including new cycle lanes and town centre bike parking. Six cycle contraflows have been installed in streets in Battersea, Balham, Tooting, Putney and Wandsworth alongside a parallel public consultation which is running until February. Find out more.  

Wandsworth Council has recently finished consulting on a draft Walking and Cycling Strategy, with the final strategy due to be published this year. This will set out the programmes and initiatives that support  and encourage more walking and cycling and contribute to the targets set in the Wandsworth Environment and Sustainability Strategy (WESS). 

Cabinet member for transport Cllr John Locker said: “We want to support people to travel in a more sustainable way, whether its on foot, by bike, by electric car or by helping to improve public transport choices. The Try Before You Bike scheme is a great way to see if cycling is for you without spending hundreds of pounds. “