Rent a bike

How to hire dockless bikes

Dockless e-bikes are a flexible and affordable way to travel. In Islington, we work with two operators, Lime, and Forest, to provide electric hire bikes across the borough.

How to rent a dockless bike:

• download the Lime or Forest app on your smartphone from the App Store or Google Play
• register and follow the in-app instructions to find and unlock a bike
• ride safely and park responsibly.

Where to park dockless bikes

To help responsible parking, we’re building a borough-wide network of designated hire bike parking bays to reduce pavement clutter and make it easier for everyone to get around, especially those with mobility needs, pushchairs, or visual impairments.

If you are within 100m of a hire bike bay, you must use it to park. The bays and areas where you’re required to use them are clearly shown in the operator’s app. Parking outside a bay, but within 100m may result in a warning, fine, or a ban.

Once the full network is in place by early 2026, parking in a bay will be mandatory across the borough.

In the meantime, please park responsibly:

• keep bikes clear of walkways and textured paving used by people with visual impairments.
• ensure there’s enough space for wheelchairs, buggies, and pedestrians to pass freely.
• avoid placing bikes where they could be easily knocked over or cause an obstruction.

How to report an issue

You can report hire bikes blocking the pavement or causing obstruction directly to the operator:

Lime: london-ops@li.me | 0800 808 5223 | via the Lime app

Forest: cs@humanforest.co.uk | 020 8157 7491 | via the Forest app

You can also use the Love Clean Streets App to report issues to the council Please note this is only monitored during office hours and can take longer. Once informed operators must collect and relocate the bike to a safe, designated bay within timeframes agreed with the council

TfL Santander Cycles

Transport for London’s Santander Cycles offer over 12,000 bikes at around 800 docking stations across central and inner London. In Islington Santander Cycle docking stations are in the southern part of the borough. For more information visit TfL Santander Cycles.

Electric cargo bike hire

You can hire an electric cargo bike by the minute through our community scheme, OurBike. It’s a convenient and eco-friendly way to carry heavy loads or travel with children.

How to rent an OurBike:

• download the OurBike app from the App Store or Google Play
• register and follow the in-app instructions to find and unlock a bike
• ride safely and park responsibly.

If you have any further queries, e-mail cyclehire@islington.gov.uk.