Off to uni? Students get 20 per cent off Barclays Cycle Hire

Going to see bands, visiting friends across London and getting to lectures just got cheaper for students with Barclays Cycle Hire as Transport for London (TfL) is offering students 20 per cent off yearly membership of the scheme.

Hopping on a cycle hire bike is a low-cost way to travel around London and the student discount gives access to over 10,000 bikes across an area of 100km² in the capital for less than 20 pence per day. The yearly membership is usually £90, but by knocking a fifth off this amount students will save £18 and only need to pay £72.

To obtain the discount students will need to pick up a leaflet with a unique promotional code at a participating Freshers' Fayre, at a student event or look out for an email from TfL.

Barclays Cycle Hire is available 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year and is the cleanest, greenest, most healthy form of transport in the city. Users can make as many trips as they wish, without paying any additional charges, as long as journeys are kept under 30 minutes each time.

Students new to the capital can also use the bikes to discover new sights and things to do in London. To help cyclists enjoy everything the city has to offer TfL has created a number of self-guided leisure cycle routes, many of which are on quieter roads. Popular routes include Quirky London, Saturday Markets, London's Secret Gardens and Independent Shops and Markets. The newest route, called Sporting Sights takes in legendary sporting venues such as Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea football club, and the Kia Oval cricket ground.

The 20 per cent discount offer is open until 31 December 2014. Students must be 18 years or over and enrolled on a full or part-time course at an educational establishment. For more general information about Barclays Cycle Hire go to www.tfl.gov.uk/barclayscyclehire

In addition to the annual membership other hire options are available. Users can use either a credit or debit card to hire a bike and from as little as £2 for 24 hours make an unlimited number of journeys under 30 minutes each time. Alternatively, they can register as a Pay as You Pedal member, which provides them with a membership key for quick access to the bikes and a pay as you go facility. The membership keys for Pay as You Pedal are free until 30 September, saving Pay as you Pedal members £3.

Notes to Editors:

  • Cycle hire users can pick up a free copy of the "Explore London with Barclays Cycle Hire" map, which contains several self-guided leisure routes, at central London Tube stations, London Overground stations or by visiting www.tfl.gov.uk/leisureroutes
  • To help inspire people to try out the scheme TfL has produced a short film to mark Barclays Cycle Hire's fourth anniversary. Visit: http://bit.ly/WOyXLb
  • There are currently more than 10,000 Barclays Cycle Hire bikes across London with over 19,000 docking points available. The scheme, which is already the second largest cycle hire system in Europe, remains an affordable and enjoyable way to travel around London.