300 new e-bikes have been added to Greater Manchester’s Starling Bank Bike hire scheme.
The delivery renders the city-region’s bike fleet 50% electric, with each new unit coming equipped with a battery integrated into its main frame and a larger basked situated at the front for storage whilst in use.
Data has shown that the fleet’s electric bikes are the more popular choice for riders, with numbers suggesting they are ridden twice as often as the alternative.
Thus far, Starling Bank Bike riders have taken 1.23 million rides, with April 2025 as a whole seeing an average of 1,698 rides per day and the final week seeing 15,492 rides, an average of 2,213 per day.
Dame Sarah Storey, Active Travel Commissioner for Greater Manchester, said:The arrival of the three hundred new e-bikes is a welcome sight in Manchester. I was fortunate to get to see the new design of these bikes prior to them being added to the on-street fleet and it is good to see the upgrades in the flesh.
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. The bigger front basket is also very useful and they will be a popular addition to the scheme.
Transport for Greater Manchester has stated it is currently exploring options for the full integration of the bikes into the Bee Network’s fare structure and app capabilities.
Those looking to hire a bike are able to either pay as they ride or purchase a minutes bundle via the Starling Bank Bike app.
Pay as you ride rates begin at 1 GBP to unlock any e-bike and 10p per minute of cycling, with traditional pedal bikes costing 50p to unlock and 5p per minute of cycling.
Minute bundles offer 5p per minute rates for any bike on the network, with no unlocking fee on standard bikes but 1 GBP fee on e-bikes.
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.
