Adaptive Bike Hire
Cycling should be accessible to all. One of our aims is to provide access to a range of adaptive bikes that meet the needs of as many people as possible. The only other locations within the North York Moors National Park with access to such bikes are Dalby Forest Cycle Hub, and Sutton Bank Bike Hub – both locations a significant journey from our district and we feel that something more local should be offered so that people don’t have a 50+ mile round trip for such an experience. As a result we now offer adaptive bike hire from our ADAPTIVE BIKE HIRE HUB in Hawsker.
Note that all funds obtained from hire of these bikes will be used to provide for maintenance of the equipment, as well as for purchase of further bikes and equipment to fulfil the needs of the local and visitor community.
The Bikes
We have the following adaptive bike(s) available to hire. Please note that we do not hire out standard bikes, solely adaptive. The nearest location hiring out standard bikes is Cinder Bike Hire in Robin Hood’s Bay.
VanRaam Fun2Go e-trike (v2 model)
Available to Hire
A 2-rider, 3-wheeler, where the riders sit side-by-side. Easy to get on (rotatable passenger seat), comfortable for the less able-bodied (hip seat belt, arm rests, foot straps ,etc) and is incredibly manoeuverable. Social bike allowing riders to chat during a ride. The pedals work independently allowing one rider to pedal less or not at all. Width : 1.13m. [Manual].
- Range guideline : 10-20km on setting “2” per battery (we have 2 available), suitable for rides up and down the Cinder Track. The bike will fit through all pedestrian gates on the Cinder Track with the exception of the 2 at Bottoms Lane (south of Hawsker), where it is necessary to use the vehicle gates.
- Accessories available : pedals with velcro straps, second battery for longer trips, VanRaam 4-point harness for passenger, crank shorteners to help with limited knee movement, hoist for passenger.
- Rider size guideline : inside leg 67cm-93cm (26″-37″)
This bike has been purchased with the help of grants from the following sponsors; thanks to these organisations as this would not exist without them.
VanRaam EasyRider Compact e-trike
Available to Hire
A compact trike with a comfortable seat. Suitable for small adults and large children. Similar riding characteristics to the 2-seater Fun2Go with a low entry level and a low centre of gravity, and a small turning circle, and is effectively a single-seater version of the Fun2Go. Makes you feel safe and secure on the tricycle. Width : 0.73m. [Manual].
- Range guideline : 10-20km on setting “2”, suitable for rides up and down the Cinder Track. The bike will fit through all pedestrian gates on the Cinder Track.
- Accessories available : pedals with velcro straps, crank shorteners to help with limited knee movement.
- Rider size guideline : inside leg 63cm-81cm (24″-32″)
Whitby & Esk Valley Active Travel has received £ 9145.35 from David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire and York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.
Available Routes
Currently the sole cycle path infrastructure in Whitby and District is the CinderTrack, so we anticipate that the vast majority of usage of these adaptive bikes will be on that surface. Be aware that the CinderTrack is a shared path with pedestrians, so obeying a basic code of conduct for shared paths is required – in short, keep left, give way to pedestrians, use your bell to warn people you are coming, don’t go too fast. You can find the current official CinderTrack leaflet HERE. A trip to the Whitby end of the CinderTrack (to see the Larpool viaduct, and view of the Abbey) will probably be the most common outing.
Other possible routes, if comfortable with cycling on roads, are
- Cycle along Hawsker Lane, to arrive at Whitby Abbey.
- Cycle from the Whitby end of the CinderTrack down into Whitby town centre (via Southend Gardens and Bagdale). From here it would also be possible to cycle along Pier Road, up Khyber Pass and along the cliff top, or along the sea wall, before returning to the CinderTrack end.
We have developed our own leaflet to assist use of the Adaptive Bikes; you can find this HERE – this is provided to all hirers of Adaptive Bikes.
Given the nature of the different sections of the Cinder Track, we strongly advise customers to particularly make use of the Hawsker to Whitby section. Going beyond Fyling Hall is strongly advised against with the Fun2Go due to the poor surface. Going from Hawsker towards Robin Hood’s Bay is currently advised against with the Easy Rider Compact due to bad rutting of the track.
Hire Location
All bikes are hireable for collection from and return to our ADAPTIVE BIKE HIRE HUB at
Summerfield Farm, Hawsker Lane, nr Hawsker, Whitby YO22 4LA
What3Words = “shared.skewed.bathtubs”.
This location has free parking available for customers, is within the North York Moors National Park, and additionally provides easy access to the CinderTrack, so you are able to quickly get out on the track and enjoy it.
Unfortunately we cannot deliver (the bikes) to / collect (the bikes) from other locations.
Hire Cost and Terms of Booking
The cost of adaptive bike hire is as follows
- £40 for a half day of adaptive e-bike hire;
- £60 for a full day of adaptive e-bike hire.
We do operate a discount for constituted charities / community groups based in Whitby & the Esk Valley – please enquire when booking.
Half days of around 3 hours would typically operate around 10:00-13:00 / 13:00-16:00, with full days being for around 6 hours.
Availability : The bike is primarily available for hire Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday (other days are sometimes possible, please enquire via form below).
Advisory : Please note for our hire services you will need to accept the hire agreement (including disclaimer and terms and conditions).
Helmets : Hirers are strongly advised to use the helmets that we provide (Giro Register II universal size).
Booking
If you are interested in making a booking for one of the available bikes, please fill in this form and we will get back to you. The more advance notice you can give us the more likely we can satisfy your request. We also have some accessories available to cater for different disabilities – please enquire.
After a date is agreed we will then email you a payment link which has a form to fill in. Payment is by credit/debit card. A booking is only confirmed once payment is taken. All going well we will expect you at the date/time that was agreed for your hire.
In the event of cancellation the following applies
- If you cancel 6 weeks or more prior to the booking you will be reimbursed in full.
- If you cancel between 2 and 6 weeks prior to your booking you will be reimbursed 50% of the booking.
- If you cancel 2 weeks or less prior to the booking no reimbursal will be provided.
- If we need to cancel the booking due to issues with fulfilment of the booking, we will firstly offer an alternate date and, if we cannot provide an acceptable date, we will provide a full refund on to the card providing payment – a refund can take up to 10 working days.