Trial e-cargo bikes where you work

What e-cargo bikes are, types of e-cargo bikes you can trial, who can take part in the trial, how the trial scheme works, how to apply.

If you work for an organisation in Bristol, you can take part in an e-cargo bike trial for a small fee and a refundable deposit.

What e-cargo bikes are

E-cargo bikes are bikes with:

  • A large storage space
  • An electric motor to make cycling with a heavy load easier

They’re zero emissions and cheaper to run than petrol and diesel vehicles.

Types of e-cargo bikes you can trial

We have 7 types of e-cargo bikes available to trial:

Who can take part in the trial

  • Businesses
  • Public sector organisations
  • Voluntary sector organisations
  • Charities
  • Community interest companies (CIC)

Your organisation must:

  • Be based in the Bristol City Council area
  • Have public and product liability insurance of at least £5 million
  • Have insurance for any member of staff who’ll be riding the bike

Your insurance must cover theft and damage to the bike.

How the trial scheme works

Depending on availability, you can trial:

  • A bike for 1 to 3 months
  • More than 1 bike

To apply, fill in the form at the bottom of this page. We’ll aim to respond within 10 working days with information about the next steps. This will include information about Bikeability training, and the deposit and admin fees.

Upon collection you must fill in a loan agreement before we can loan you the bike. The loan agreement will include questions about your insurance. This will also be emailed to you before the collection date.

You’ll collect the bike from The Create Centre, Smeaton Road, BS1 6XN. You’re responsible for the bike as soon as you collect it. We’ll also loan you a lock and chain which you must use.

We’ll ask you to fill in an online monitoring form, once during and once after your trial. This will help us decide whether to continue e-bike loans after the trial.

Trial fees

You’ll need to pay a:

  • small administrative fee to cover servicing and maintenance of the bike
  • £200 deposit per bike, refunded if you return the bike in its original condition

We reserve the right to keep the deposit. For example, if the bike needs repair work or you lose the lock and key, we’ll use some or all of the deposit to pay for this. If the bike needs repair work and this costs more than the deposit, you’ll need to pay the balance.

Administrative fees

  • £20 for a sole trader (you run your own business as an individual and you’re self employed)
  • £40 for a small enterprise (fewer than 50 employees)
  • £50 for a medium enterprise (between 50 and 250 employees)
  • £100 for a large business (250 or more employees)
  • £50 for a public sector organisation
  • £0 for a voluntary sector organisation, charity or community interest company (CIC)

Training

Anyone using one of the bikes must do Bikeability level 2 and level 3 training and an e-cargo bike course. The training is 2 hours and covers everything you need to know to cycle safely on roads.

Take part in the trial

Please complete the below form or go to the Bristol City Council website to request a E-cargo bike trial.

Contact Information

If you have any questions about the trial, please email one of the below contacts