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Despite their click-clacking noisiness and increasingly severe parking restrictions, it seems that recently Lime bikes have overtaken ‘Boris bikes’ as Londoners’ go-to option for short-term bike rentals. And who can really blame us? With their app-based convenience and greater flexibility on when and where you can leave them, Limes are simply so easy to use.
But Lime’s dominance might not last much longer. Transport for London yesterday (January 22) announced some huge changes to London’s ‘Boris bikes’ (officially known as Santander Cycles) which will likely make them much easier and more affordable to use.
For starters, TfL will be adding a whopping 1,400 new e-bikes to the Santander Cycles network. Seeing as there are only 600 e-bikes in the current fleet, that’ll mean more than doubling the number of motorised Santander Cycles bikes in the capital.
And that isn’t all. TfL is also bringing back day passes for Santander Cycles bikes, which it scrapped way back in September 2022. The new day pass will cost £3 and allow users unlimited journeys within 24 hours – but only so long as those journeys are shorter than 30 minutes. Each half-hour over 30 minutes will cost £1.65.
The new e-bikes will be added to the network this summer, while the day pass will be restored on March 3. Wondering where you should ride these brand-new, affordable bikes? Check out our list of the nine best scenic bike rides in and around London.
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