Cycling

The university provides secure cycle parking across the campus and residences.  A map of cycling facilities including showers can be accessed here thanks to our very own Bike User Group (BUG). 

There is an ongoing programme to increase and improve the range of cycle parking and shower facilities available on campus including installing covered shelters

We have 26 bike lockers around campus available to hire at £4 per calendar month. If you are interested in hiring a locker please e-mail sustainabletravel@contacts.bham.ac.uk  who will advise re availability.

Secure cycle parking can be found outside the old Munrow Sports Centre site (now a car park to rear of Biosciences) or in a large compound to the rear of Muirhead Tower.  These facilities are for staff and students only so please email sustainabletravel@contacts.bham.ac.uk from your University email address to get access.  Members of the new sports centre can also access secure parking within the car park via swipe card access. 

The University takes crime prevention seriously on campus and we have our own dedicated police offer on campus.  Crime is generally low on campus however securing your bicycle is your responsibilty.  We recommend you use a strong D-Lock to secure your bicycle at all times and avoid using a cable lock. Cable locks can be cut through easily by bike thieves and the vast majority of bike theft on campus is due to poor quality locks.

For a quick guide on how to lock your bike properly we recommend watching this video.

Purchasing D Locks

To help keep your bike safe the university offers two options for buying discounted D Locks:  you can either buy from the Security Reception to the rear of Aston Webb building for £17 or get 1/3 off a Kryptonite lock from Urban Cycles who are located outside Staff House.

 Students can now get their bikes security marked and a FREE D Lock via Security.  Regular events on campus listed on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/uobubsafe/

Thanks to grant funding from the Birmingham Cycle Revolution project the University now has 2 folding Brompton bikes.  These bikes fold down to the size of regular luggage so can be taken on buses and trains or put in the boot of the car enabling multi modal journeys.  If you're travelling to another city but the meeting is a couple of miles from the station a folding bike is a great alternative to a taxi or a bus.  Not only will it likely be quicker in an urban environment but will also save the university money and reduce our carbon footprint.  The bike even comes with a bespoke bag to carry your work or laptop in!

If you would like to book a Brompton please contact  sustainabletravel@contacts.bham.ac.uk

The Urban Cycles pod is located outside Staff House and is open from 8am to 4pm every weekday.  They offer a FREE 52 point check of your bikes in addition to a range of servicing packages, parts and accessories for sale as well as being a Cycle Scheme supplier and providing bikes.  

If your bike is in need of some attention or you just need some advice then call in, Ros or Andi will be happy to help.

http://www.urbancycles.org.uk/

Cycling is a great way to get around when studying at the University of Birmingham.  If you do not have your own bike you can hire one from us for £70 for the academic year.  We provide good quality, reliable hybrid bikes which are perfect for getting around town and making use of the nearby canal.

The Scheme will be operated by Urban Cycles from their pod otusde Staff House (R24 on the map).

If you are interested in hiring a bike please contact the Sustainable Travel Coordinator.

We have 7 hybrid Raleigh bikes  to act as loan bikes for staff on campus.  These bikes will be available for staff to borrow on short to medium term loans for FREE.

If you have thought about trying cycling to work but don't want to splash out on a bike then why not loan one of ours to give it a try?  

Live too far away to cycle but would like to go out on your lunch along the canal?

If the answer to either of these questions is yes or you just want more info please contact the Sustainable Travel Co-ordinator for more information.

The University has an active Bicycle Users Group called BUBUG (Birmingham University Bicycle Users Group).

BUBUG was formed in 1996 and since then they have been involved in lots of activities, worked constructively to promote cycling and provide a wide range of extremely helpful and supportive information on cycling.

The University operates a cycle salary sacrifice scheme that enables staff to buy a new bike via a salary sacrifice.  The scheme is operated via an external provider called Cyclescheme.  Bikes can be purchased via local shops (including Urban Cycles on campus) or online retailers, just check via the Cyclescheme website.  You can also buy accessories such as helmets, locks and lights via the scheme.

The new A38 cycle route along the Bristol Road starts right outside the University gates by the Sports centre.  This completely segregated, high quality route takes from the University to the city centre.  You can download a map of the route on the Birmingham City Council website.

The University of Birmingham is ideally located to be accessed by bike.  The Edgbaston campus is located on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal with access at University Station and The Vale.  The canal towpath has recently been resurfaced making it perfect for cycling. The canal runs directly in to Brindley Place in the heart of the city centre and can be reached in around 20 minutes. Click here for more info on using the canal network to cycle. 

The university is also located not far from National Cycle Network Route 5 which runs from Kings Norton in the South of the city in to the city centre via the scenic Rea Valley Route.  

Staff at the University of Birmingham are eligible to claim cycle mileage when they use their own bike for work business at a rate of 20p per mile.  More information here.

Each year a large volume of bikes are left abandoned on campus.  These bikes take up valuable parking spaces and make campus look untidy.  Bikes that are identified as potentially abandoned will be tagged and left for a defined period of time before being removed by a local charity called Birmingham Bike Project.  Bikes that are still in good enough condition will then be sold at second hand bike sales for staff and students.

If you spot a bike that you believe to be abandoned please email sustainabletravel@contacts.bham.ac.uk with a description of the bike, its location and preferably a picture.

The University recognises that one of the barriers to people cycling is a lack of confidence or understanding of how to do so safely on the roads.  Cycle training is offered on an ad-hoc basis over the winter months.

Please email sustainabletravel@contacts.bham.ac.uk to find out more. 

The video on this British Cycling page contains some really useful tips on road positioning for commuter cyclists.