At this stage the scheme covers the HX7 and OL14 postcodes. If your home postcode starts with one of these, you’re welcome to book a bike. If you live slightly outside these areas, let us know and we’ll try to help.

The maximum loan period is two weeks so please bear this in mind if you’re planning a trip away. You’re welcome to borrow for a shorter period if you prefer. However the loan charge will remain the same.

At the moment we are only offering e-hybrid bikes which are designed for riding on roads or towpaths. If you want to try an e-mountain bike, speak to our friends at Blazing Saddles.

A member of staff will meet you at Todmorden Market when you collect the bike, talk you through how everything works, and make sure you’re happy before you ride off.

Any bike you borrow should be stored indoors (in a house, garage or outbuilding) and locked to an immovable object.

We realise a lot of properties around here don’t have much indoor storage space, but we can’t allow the bikes to be stored outside overnight due to the terms of our insurance. If you don’t have anywhere suitable to keep a bike and would still like to try one, we’re happy to arrange this.

The minimum age to take part in the scheme is 18. We’d also draw attention to the law in the UK regarding e-bikes, which states that riders have to be aged 14 or over. Obviously this doesn’t apply to any children being carried on one!

Yes! We have child seats to borrow which will let you carry kids aged around 1-5 years. We also have a cargo bike in the library which will let you carry older children.

The bikes have built-in lights, mudguards and wheel locks. The locks come with an extension chain for locking to an immovable object (e.g. a bike stand or lamp post) when out and about - please use these and we’re happy to loan you an extra lock if you plan on leaving the bike locked up for extended periods.

Wearing a helmet is a personal choice and not the be all and end all of safe cycling. However we recognise that many people will feel safer wearing one and we have these available to borrow (free of charge) in a range of sizes.

The range of an e-bike is hard to predict as it varies depending on several factors: the weight of the rider and any items carried, the hilliness of the terrain, and the amount of effort you feel comfortable putting in. However even in Calderdale we would expect our bikes to last for 20-30 miles between charges and they are also fitted with displays that show battery levels and approximate range.

Unfortunately we don’t have the resources to provide a breakdown and recovery service, so any repairs to the bike during the hire period are your responsibility. However we would stress that the bikes are very new and will be checked for problems between each hire so the chances of anything happening to you are low.

We also supply a basic tool kit with the bike (although please only use this if you know what you’re doing!) and a list of local resources like bike shops that can help out if the worst happens.

We’d ask you not to do this as it’s not what the scheme is for. Apart from the additional security risks of travelling with a bike, e-bikes are above the maximum weight limit for many vehicle bike racks and cannot be taken on commercial flights due to the battery. Many tourist destinations now have e-bike hire providers so please use one of these instead.

We don’t offer day hire at present. We don’t have a big fleet and the scheme is designed to give local residents a chance to try an e-bike for a longer period. If you want to hire bikes for a day out in Calderdale contact the good folks at ReCharge Bikes.

We encourage anyone from a low income or unwaged household to get in touch with us. We are happy to discuss options to enable you to try one of our e-bikes.