Funded by Lime and hosted by Urban Cafe / Bar / Kitchen, the OurBike adds a passenger- and cargo-carrying option alongside Transport for West Midlands’ e-bike scheme.
OurBike has launched a new shared electric cargo bike in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, hosted and supported by Urban Cafe / Bar / Kitchen at The Big Peg and funded by Lime.
The launch supports TfWM’s regional e-bike scheme, operated by Lime, by extending the active travel offer to journeys that a standard shared bike cannot serve. Residents, families, carers and local businesses can use the OurBike to travel with children or another passenger, pets, shopping, tools, stock and deliveries – making it easier to choose active travel for journeys that might otherwise require a car or van.
OurBike’s community-based model places each bike with a trusted local host. Urban Cafe / Bar / Kitchen will act as the bike’s neighbourhood base, helping people find it, get started and build confidence using it. The bike is booked through the OurBike app and returned to the same hub after each ride.
“Cycling is only genuinely accessible if it works for real lives. A standard shared bike can be ideal for a solo trip, but it does not solve the journey when someone needs to take a child, support an additional passenger or carry stock, tools or the weekly shop. This launch adds that missing option and complements Lime’s amazing new service in the city. We hope to see both services expand and give people even more ways to travel around the West Midlands without relying on a car or van,” said Emma Hughes, General Manager, OurBike.
OurBike impact at a glance
Across OurBike’s wider network:
- 40% of riders are women.
- 66% of users say their ride replaces a journey by motor vehicle or taxi.
- 34% of riders are new to cargo bikes.
These figures show the wider potential of shared e-cargo bikes: reaching people beyond the traditional cycling audience, replacing vehicle journeys and giving more households and businesses a practical, lower-carbon way to move people and goods.
How the Birmingham OurBike works
- £5 per hour (or £1.25 per 15 minutes)
- New resident sign-ups receive 60 free minutes; new business sign-ups receive 180 free minutes.
- Electric assistance with a range of up to 50km.
- Capacity for up to 100kg in the box, including one adult or two children, subject to the bike’s operating guidance.
- Book through the OurBike app, collect from Urban Cafe / Bar / Kitchen and return the bike to the same hub.
This Jewellery Quarter launch shows how a shared-mobility operator, a regional transport authority and a trusted local business can work together to broaden the meaning of bike hire. TfWM’s scheme gives people a flexible e-bike option for everyday journeys, while OurBike adds the capacity needed for family, caring and cargo trips.
The Birmingham OurBike is available from Urban Cafe / Bar / Kitchen at The Big Peg, Warstone Lane, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham B18 6NF. To get started, visit OurBike or download the OurBike app.
