Edinburgh’s cycle hire bikes will be launched on Monday 17th September and last week I got a chance to take one out for a ride around Leith.

Just Eat Cycles, named after the bike’s  sponsor, will launch with 200 bikes across an initial 19 different docking locations across Edinburgh. But this is just the beginning, as Matt McNulty, urban mobility director at Serco told me there would hopefully be 80 docking stations and 1000 bikes available by Christmas this year.

But how do the bikes handle? As a previously keen cyclist I miss using my bike in Edinburgh, when I had a regular commute I would used the bike most days, so it was great to be back in the saddle.

The first thing I noticed was the upright seating style of the bikes, which makes you much more aware of your surroundings, great for having a look around as a tourist but perhaps not the best for getting from A to B in a hurry.

The bikes feel sturdy although they do not come with a helmet so it is up to you if you take your own (as I did) or go without. The three gear system is simple and straightforward and although I didn’t hit the heights of the Royal Mile I’m sure the bikes will get folk around the city without too much effort.

I love the fact each bike has its own name, mine was ‘Heather’ and here is another sketch of her by the Victoria Bridge.

You can hire the bikes by a single, daily or yearly subscription:

£1.50 for a single trip of up to 1 hour – each 30 minutes thereafter is £1 extra.
£3 for a day subscription, allowing unlimited journeys of up to 1 hour each in a 24 hour period.
For £90 you can sign up for an annual membership, allowing unlimited ‘1 hour’ hires for 365 days.

For more information and for details of how to download the app which you will need to hire the bikes, see the Edinburgh Cycle Hire website below.

Edinburgh Cycle Hire website