If you fancy borrowing the Council’s e-bike for up to two weeks (free of charge) then please fill in the contact form below. The clerk will then contact you to confirm dates, collection and drop-off arrangements and provide you with a waiver form to be signed. You will need to provide a deposit of £100 (cheque please) and proof of ID with your address on. Please note cycle helmets are not provided.

The E-bike is intended for use by residents of Charlbury or those who regularly travel to Charlbury, for example to work.

Submit E-Bike Loan Request

Calendar bookings: red = already booked, orange = provisionally booked, white = available

Everything you need to know about electric bikes

Electric bikes are making cycling far more accessible. They give some extra assistance when riding but you still need to pedal, as on a normal pushbike. However, whilst their benefits are obvious, how do you buy an e-bike? The sophisticated technology they use can confuse the electric bike buying process.

There is a lot of information on e-bikes online. Click here for a really useful website on different types of e-bikes, the terminology involved and accessories you may need.

Ways to buy an e-bike

An e-bike can be purchased outright, your original bike can be converted into an e-bike by adding a conversion kit or you may be eligible for the cycle to work scheme

Town Council E-bike

Charlbury Town Council’s Journeys team has been promoting e-bikes as an alternative to cars for local journeys. The Journeys team has organised two successful e-bike try-out days in Charlbury, where residents could try riding different types of e-bikes and talk to e-bike owners. Some people have been convinced to buy their own electric bike after trying one for 5 or 10 minutes at our try-out events. Others have told us that they would welcome the opportunity to try using a bike for a longer period and on real journeys before making up their mind, especially given the significant cost involved. Evidence suggests that people buying electric bikes tend to use them more and more over time, as they discover how useful and enjoyable they are to ride.

Partly using funds from the Councillor Priority Fund (from County Cllr Liz Leffman) Charlbury Town Council has purchased its own e-bike which it is making available to residents to borrow for up to two weeks, upon payment of a deposit. The aim of the scheme is to reduce car use in the town by promoting the uptake of electric bike ownership by:

• having a visible Charlbury shared e-bike, and
• giving residents the opportunity to trial an e-bike in their everyday lives

The Council is working with Windrush Bike Project who are providing the technical expertise and have trained a bike mechanic to service the bike.

Click here for a blog from Sustrans on how to look after your e-bike battery