Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a minimum age?

By law you must be 14 or over to ride an eBike on public roads.

Do you have child seats?

We have a small number of Hamax rear mounted child seats which are suitable for children aged 1 - 6 years old (upto a maximum weight of 22kg). These are fitted on the rear luggage rack and can be booked with our white touring bikes only. There is a small one off fee charged for the child seats for fitting them (the fee is fixed per rental regardless of length of rental). We also provide child helmets with the child seats.

How fit to I need to be?

The eBikes do much of the work for you, but it is still exercise. Cycling up hill on an eBike effectively becomes comparable to cycling on the flat on a normal bike. We would recommend it is as suitable for anyone who can manage a 1-2 hour walk.

Where do I pick up the eBikes?

Our location is St ives eBikes, 6 Chapel St , St Ives, TR262LR. We are located in the center of St Ives, less than a minute walk from the Cinema. It is a 5 minute walk from the train or bus station. If you are driving, parking is available at Stennack Launderette Short Stay (less than 5 mins walk) and Trenwith Long Stay (less than 10 minutes walk).

What paperwork do I need?

To protect our eBikes, we need to positively identifying all renters with either a passport or driving license which you must present when collecting eBikes. Please remember to have your passport or driving license to hand when picking up your eBike.

What to Wear

We recommend wearing shorts, a jumper, a light-weight wind-proof jacket and closed shoes. It can get windy up on the moors and when you are riding it can get chilly even on a warm day. We do not recommend cycling in flip flops.

Do I need to wear a Helmet?

It is a condition of our liability insurance that all riders must wear helmets. We provide helmets free of charge, but encourage you to bring your own if you can.

Do you have recommended cycle routes?

We have details of recommended routes on our website. All recommended routes are on roads, which are mostly quiet country lanes and an absolute joy to cycle.

Coronavirus

In addition to a regular clean-down we will disinfect all equipment between use. We will also try to practice social distancing when handing over bikes and briefing you on their workings.

What happens if the eBike gets damaged or stolen?

Whilst in your care, the eBike and equipment are your responsibility and you will be held responsible for any damage, loss or theft to the bike or equipment upto the retail value of the eBikes. The bikes are in excellent condition and we really want them to stay that way. If you are are riding on the road and riding sensibly the chances of damage are low. Of course we won't hold you responsible for any normal wear and tear, but if you've been pulling skid stops and wheelies and come back with a couple of bald tyres and shot suspension then we will charge your Card for the damage.

What can I do to prevent theft?

We understand the last thing you want is to be held responsible for a stolen eBike worth close to £2,000. However, there are some easy steps to avoid that eventuality. 1. Stay with the bikes whenever possible and 2. If you do need to leave them, then lock them up securely. We provide the eBikes with excellent Kryptonite D locks. They are Sold Secure Gold Rated, which is the highest standard of protection.

So if you are stopping for lunch or to get to a viewpoint, lock the bike to a secure object through the frame of the bike. If locking to cycle parking, make sure the it is bolted securely or embedded into the ground. Parking that only allows your front wheel to be locked should be avoided as thieves can remove your front wheel and make off with the rest of the bike. If there are no suitable parking stands available, then you can lock the bike to secure, immovable street furniture. Railings, lamp posts, etc will usually allow you to lock your bike through the frame and one wheel. Do make sure your bike isn’t causing an obstruction to passers by, and avoid locking the bike to posts that a bike can be lifted over (even if there is a sign at the top that your lock can’t fit around, bear in mind that a thief could unscrew the sign and lift your bike over), or to drainpipes or wooden posts that can be easily cut. We are working on improving the availability of bike parking in St Ives and along the routes we recommend.

Can I take out insurance?

Unfortunately we don't know of any suitable reasonably priced policies to cover one day rental, you would end up spending the same as the cost of the rental on insurance. However we can offer a policy that is suitable for multi-day rentals and costs approximately £40 for a week. Please ask for details.

Do you take a deposit on my payment card?

As is common when you rent a car, we will take an authorisation (reserve to take a deposit) on your payment card. The person in whose name the eBike is booked MUST be the person whose card is used and must correspond to the proof of identification provided.

What if the weather is bad?

We have been known to suffer the odd Atlantic storm here in St Ives. If it is very rainy or windy, we would not recommend cycling as it is miserable in heavy rain. If the weather is sufficiently bad we will offer to change your date.

Any other questions?

Drop us an email to info@stivesbikes.co.uk, or give us a call on 07536 171 214 and we'll be glad to help.