Velocampus Cumbria
What is Velocampus Cumbria?
It’s a programme of activities to promote cycling and make it easier to get cycling at our Lancaster campus.
One of the main components of Velocampus is a low-cost bike loan scheme for students at our Lancaster Campus. We’ve got 50 bikes to loan on a first-come, first-served basis.
Why are we offering bikes for loan?
The Students’ Union has teamed up with University of Cumbria and the local Cycling Town team who are working with us to help you get cycling around campus and town.
Our student bike loan scheme helps you to get around cheaply during your time here at University of Cumbria in Lancaster, by providing a fully-serviced Trek urban bike for just £35 per academic year.
We’ve also installed secure cycle parking on campus next to Waddell Hall and The Gateway to park your bike.
Want to know more about the scheme?
What kind of bike is it?
Your ride is a Trek 7.0 FX, as pictured above.
We wanted to offer you something that’s great to ride and looks good too. Trek is synonymous with quality and cool, they make bikes for Lance Armstrong after all.
The 7.0 FX is an urban bike which is designed to get you around campus and town fast. The gears on the bike make it no sweat to ride and the mudguards mean you’ll look great when you reach your destination.
It’s a comfortable bike which you’ll find easy to ride.
How much will it cost?
We’ve worked hard to keep the costs as low as possible as we know that’s important to you. Loan periods start from 1st August through to July 31st of the following year and costs just £35.
We’ll also need a refundable deposit of £75 which you’ll get back in full when you return the bike to us in its original condition.
If you return the bike with damage and/or mechanical problems we will deduct the cost of repairs from your refundable deposit.
Who can loan a bike?
Simple – any current University of Cumbria student or member of staff. So this includes full and part-time, undergraduate or postgraduate, home or overseas. Bikes are loaned out on a first-come, first-served basis.
We’re hoping that some students and staff who currently drive to campus will take up the offer of a loan bike to save money on car parking charges.
The only people who can’t have a bike are Under-18s as unfortunately you’ll be required to sign a Hire Agreement which cannot be legally signed by Under-18s.
How long is the loan period?
The loan period starts on 1st August and finishes on 31st July of the following year.
No matter when you take a bike on loan, the fee of £35 plus deposit and the return date are the same.
If you are leaving the University you must return the bike prior to leaving the University.
Where can I park my bike?
We’ve got three new bike shelters on the Lancaster Campus.
Two of these, at The Gateway and Waddell Halls, are lockable and you’ll need to go to reception at The Gateway to receive the access code.
There is also a covered shelter at the Students’ Union and Sheffield Stands (the upside-down U) dotted across campus.
Can I take the bike home with me during the holidays?
Yes, of course. The bike is yours to use however you wish.
Remember you must bring the bike back in good condition before July 31st even if you wish to loan the bike the following year.
So, how do I get hold of a bike?
The hire agreement consists of three separate sections, two of which are for you to keep and the third is kept by the Students’ Union. All three can be downloaded from the menu on the left of this page - you'll need the Pre-Contract Information and the two agreements, both customer and UCSU copies.
Read all three carefully and sign the customer and UCSU copies of the agreement. Bring all of them to the Students’ Union with your loan fee and deposit (cash or cheque), Staff or Student I.D and evidence of your term/home address.
You’ll be given the key to your bike - then head over to The Gateway reception to obtain the access code to the cycle shelter.
Remember, the bikes are allocated on a first-come first served basis.
What size bike do I need?
We've got a good range of sizes of bike on offer. The sizing guide below will give you a good idea of which bike will fit you best.
Don't forget that you'll need to let us know which size bike you want when you come to the Students' Union to loan a bike.
Bike sizing guide
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Height
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Bike size
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5'4" or less
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15.5"
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5'7"
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17.5"
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5'10"
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20"
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6'2"
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22"
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What do I need to do to keep my bike in good condition?
Keep it clean! Dirt is the biggest enemy of a bike and it takes no more than 10 minutes with a bit of warm soapy water to keep a bike clean. Make sure you lube the chain regularly and keep the tyres inflated. A pump and lubrication is available to use for free from The Gateway reception.
There are some great basic maintenance videos on the web which will help you out with the smaller jobs. See the 'Useful links' section at the bottom of this page.
Keep an eye out for cycling events on campus where Dr. Bike will be in attendance. He’ll be able to offer you advice and perform minor repairs in addition to running maintenance classes where you learn how to the simple things yourself. There is no charge for this service on the day but any parts must be paid for.
What happens at the end of the Loan period?
You can end the loan period at any time. Simply return the bike to the cycle shelter from where you picked it up and return the key to the Students’ Union.
Our bike mechanic will then be contacted to perform a check on the bike to assess any damage/mechanical faults and to service it for the next person. After this check you will be notified of any repairs which were necessary following your loan - please note that this will take up to 10 working days.
Your deposit will be returned in the form of a cheque by mail so please ensure you inform us of any change of address during the loan period.
It is important to bring the bike back in a clean and good working manner in order to avoid any deductions being made from your deposit.
Our checklist and associated repair charges can be found in the Bike Return Checklist which you can download from the menu on the left of this page.
Can I renew the loan for the following year?
Yes! We really hope you’ll enjoy using the bike and want to loan it out again next year.
Simply print and complete two copies of the Hire Agreement (which you can download from the menu on the left of this page) and take your fee and deposit along with Staff / Student I.D. to the Students’ Union before 31st July.
Our mechanic will still need to perform the annual service to check everything is working ok for you so you’ll need to arrange a suitable date for the bike’s annual service with UCSU.
What happens if my bike gets stolen?
You’ll be liable for the full cost of a replacement bike and associated accessories. We’ll only charge you what it costs us to replace the items. We recommend that you take out insurance against theft of the bike. Often it is cheaper, and easier, to add the bike to your existing insurance, in fact you may already be covered but please do check the details with your provider.
If you want to take out insurance then some of the cheaper providers are listed at the bottom of this page.
What if I have a mechanical problem?
You'll need to get it repaired at your cost. The responsibility and cost of keeping the bike in good working order is yours.
There are a number of local bike shops and a local bike repair mechanic who will collect the bike, fix it and return it to you.
All these bike shops are listed in the 'Useful links for cyclists' section at the bottom of this page and where the store has a website, a link is provided. The University of Cumbria utilises the service of a mobile bike mechanic, Colin Stones, at Lancaster Bike Repairs. A link to Colin's website is also available at the bottom of this page.
Useful links for cyclists
Local bike shops
Other websites