Rolling out a cycling revolution

PEDAL power is on the rise on the Costa Blanca as a company embraces new technology and offers two-wheeled transport to everyone.

Dutch firm Bike2Use first brought 65 bright yellow cycles to Jávea and is increasing the fleet of machines to 200 – to hire a piece of pedal power, people need to download an app and register a debit or credit card.

It costs €1 for 30 minutes, or €89 for an annual fee of up to four 30 minute rides a day. For holidaymakers, one day, weekly and fortnightly passes are available.

There are a number of cycle racks filled with the machines for the 'cycling revolution' across the municipality. People can also use GPS to locate the nearest available bicycle.

And all a user needs to do is type in a seven-digit code painted on a machine to pay, free the built-in lock and ride away.

It is a scheme that has already won plaudits in Holland and Denmark and the company believes Jávea is a perfect location to launch the share a ride system in Spain.

Ideally, when finished, cyclists return the bike to a parking station as shown on the app’s map – or are urged to park 'legally' – and close the lock on the rear wheel, remembering to notify the company their trip has finished.

There is a Bike2Use van circulating around Jávea to collect ‘stragglers’ and return them to cycle racks – people are also urged to report badly parked machines by emailing support@bike2use.es; the company will also contact the last user over the problem.

A Bike2Use source said the company had seen Jávea as a perfect location to launch the service and hoped locals and visitors would enjoy the freedom of the transport system.