# Big Issue eBikes — #BikingForGood

> Affordable electric bike rentals for urban mobility and social good. (iPhone/iPad app by Sharebike.com.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/big-issue-ebikes/id1594844889 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Sharebike.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/1499491179)
- Category: Travel
- Price: Free
- Age rating: 17+
- Requires: iOS 11.0 · 103 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2021-12-22
- Data updated: 2026-06-11
- Monetization: freemium
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/big-issue-ebikes/id1594844889/reviews.md

## What is Big Issue eBikes?

ABOUT THE BIG ISSUE EBIKES APP
The Big Issue eBikes app lets you rent affordable electric bikes in several cities across the UK, and is one of the first eBike schemes of its kind. We create new Living Wage jobs for unemployed and vulnerable people in your area. What’s more, we help take cars off the road improving air quality for everyone. Welcome to #BikingForGood


HOW IT WORKS
Download the app, then create and authorise your account in seconds by confirming your phone number and/or email. Select your town/city, pick a ride plan (pay as you go, or pay monthly), add a payment method, scan the QR code on the eBike, and you are ready to start your ride. You’ll find the nearest available eBike on the map or your personal dashboard. The dashboard also includes a weather forecast, your personal trip counter, and more...

Features include:
• Register in seconds, selecting your town/city, and ride plan 
• Find your nearest eBike on the map
• Unlock the eBike by scanning the QR code on the handlebars 
• Track your full trip and payment history
• Get in touch with us to report a problem

## Key features

- Rent affordable electric bikes
- Create and authorize account quickly
- Select ride plans (pay-as-you-go or monthly)
- Find nearest eBike on map
- Unlock eBike via QR code
- Track trip and payment history

## Recent user reviews (10 of 30)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/big-issue-ebikes/id1594844889/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Suggests you can park anywhere within city boundaries but not true

*2023-10-19, version 28*

Tried it for the first time yesterday. It's more expensive than buses at either £1 per 7 minutes or £0.20 per minute. The bikes are also look like they're in poor state of repair but well, they do work. Worst thing however is that the app, upon signing in for the first time, gave me the impression that you can park anywhere within city boundaries but this turned out to not be true, you can only leave your bike at their designated parking spots. This is in the city centre, may I add. There are more bus stations, making buses a better option. Also, if you only realise that after you arrive at your destination it just raises your cost to cycle back to their parking area. Customer service didn't care.

### 1/5 — Great idea but no good for people with health problems

*2023-08-25, version 24*

Love the idea of this and wish it was so much smoother. There is just so many things that were wrong and need to be improved.
You are only able to hire the one bike.
If you have any health conditions like arthritis the big is far too heavy. The amount of force I had to use just to get it going totally took it out of me.
I didn’t have the strength to change the height of the seat. When I tried to change which bike I wanted it wouldn’t let me. 
You can’t withdraw funds.
No guide of how to use things, eg - if you don’t park in a parking zone you will get charged an extra £25.00. You need to take a photo when you are finished.
App needs to be more user friendly, just couldn’t get back to the map to see where you put the bike back. 
It could be such an amazing system if the bikes and app were lighter and more details of how to use it. Things like, first time bike hire. This would take you through a mini guide of what to do.

### 2/5 — Clunky app and poorly maintained bikes

*2023-07-10, version 22*

Whilst I love the concept of pick up and go e-bikes this didn’t work well in Aberdeen. The app only allows one user to register one bike; the payment method is clunky to complete, kept crashing and I had to add more money to the wallet than I wanted or needed to leaving me with a surplus I may never use. The app has some useful info on it. 
The bikes were in a poor state of repair - most of the phone holders were broken, handlebars felt sticky, brakes barely worked and the front basket broke dangerously after cycling 1km.

### 4/5 — It’s nice to have it, as an option

*2023-06-04, version 21*

It’s nice for family runs as it capped at £12/day. We used it couple times and everyone enjoyed it. Bit expensive; I don’t think I would use it for commuting. 
Bikes are robust but easy to handle even after battery will run out. 
Range of bikes shown on app and based on batteries level reflects real values, surprisingly. 
App easy to navigate. 
Before choosing the bike make sure is in good shape.  
Generally recommended

### 1/5 — Difficult to set up

*2023-05-30, version 20*

App goes back to beginning every time I come out of it to get the verification code from my text. Then it blocks my phone because I’ve used it too many times. Life’s too short. I’ll walk

### 1/5 — Disappointing

*2023-05-02, version 17*

The app is horrible! I have paid £5, ride a bike for 15min. When I arrived it says that I used only £2, so at fist I was very happy. BUT I could never press END ROUTE or END RENT!!! In total it charged me £12,60 because renting was still going on and I never used the bike later!!! Not recommend!!!

### 4/5 — Waste of money - do not recommend

*2023-04-18, version 17*

The term scam comes to mind. Ngl.

### 1/5 — Expensive

*2023-03-18, version 17*

20p a minute, a taxi is probably cheaper

### 1/5 — Too pricy

*2022-12-15, version 12*

Too expensive especially compared to busses- and even the £12 cap isn’t for a whole day. Also seems the screenshots are taken from India, you’d think they’d have someone local take them so you could get a better idea of how the app works and if they’re outsourcing the app to India you wouldn’t expect it to cost so much.

### 2/5 — “Electric bike” not electric

*2022-12-03, version 10*

Higher the electric bike only to find out at the end of the ride by my friends when they tried it out that my bike wasn’t even working and was just a 20kg normal bike, just more effort to pedal. Price was ok but bus would be way cheaper and faster. Not a great first experience

## Frequently asked questions about Big Issue eBikes

### What is the Big Issue eBikes app?

The Big Issue eBikes app allows users to rent affordable electric bikes in various cities across the UK. It's designed to provide convenient transportation while creating local jobs and improving air quality by reducing car use.

### How do I rent an eBike using the app?

After downloading the app and creating an account, you can select your city and a ride plan. Then, add a payment method, find the nearest available eBike on the map, and scan its QR code to unlock and start your ride.

### What are the pricing options for renting eBikes?

The app offers flexible ride plans, including a pay-as-you-go option for occasional users and a pay-monthly plan for those who use the service more frequently. Specific pricing details are available within the app when selecting your plan.

### What cities are covered by the Big Issue eBikes service?

The app operates in several cities across the UK. Users can select their town or city within the app after registration to see available eBikes and services in their area.

### Can I track my past rides and payments?

Yes, the app provides a personal dashboard that includes a trip counter and allows you to track your full trip and payment history. This feature helps you manage your usage and expenses.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 28 — 2023-10-18

added
 -Appcheck
 -performance enhancements to the sign-up process,
-new text prompt in end-rent
-new Coupons types
-new app versioning

fixed
  -the background color of notifications
  - QR-Code Reader on "Report a Problem"

### 24 — 2023-07-15

Bug fixes
Minor UI changes

### 22 — 2023-06-12

Bug fixes
Minor UI changes

### 21 — 2023-06-01

Bug fixes
Minor UI changes

### 20 — 2023-05-15

Bug fixes
Minor UI changes

## Apps similar to Big Issue eBikes

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Official Aberdeen Airport Taxi](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/official-aberdeen-airport-taxi/id6444803557) | — | Free | Travel |
| [Xplore Dundee](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xplore-dundee/id1549230167) | 5.0 (14) | Free | Travel |
| [Aberdeen Taxis](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aberdeen-taxis/id822283888) | 1.0 (7) | Free | Travel |
| [LeadRyde: Taxi, Cab, Minicab](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/leadryde-taxi-cab-minicab/id1575358466) | — | Free | Travel |
| [Aberdeen Airport](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aberdeen-airport/id1477615299) | 5.0 (3) | Free | Travel |
| [Transport Scot Pass Collect](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/transport-scot-pass-collect/id1603429408) | — | Free | Travel |

## More apps by Sharebike.com

- [sigo Sharing](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sigo-sharing/id1492307478)
- [ShareBike - Bike sharing](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sharebike-bike-sharing/id1500884837)
- [ESB eHub](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esb-ehub/id1612495746)
- [Farte Bysykkel](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/farte-bysykkel/id6443589017)
- [Broom - SEFA](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/broom-sefa/id6755963172)

All apps by Sharebike.com: https://appshunter.io/developer/1499491179

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-11.*
