The Next bikes of Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan are turning green today, as OVO Energy is unveiled as the new title sponsor of nextbike’s bike share scheme in support of environmentally-friendly travel in the area.
To celebrate the OVO Bikes and champion more sustainable living, the green power supplier has created the OVO Bikes Green Route for Cardiff residents and visitors to explore a selection of the city’s finest sustainable spots and support the local economy.
From plant shop and vegetarian café, Eartha, to vibrant vintage store, Flamingos, and zero waste store, Ripple; the unmissable sustainable stops are all within an easy bike ride from one another. Each one will be an easy spot, as OVO has awarded each sustainable champion with an official green OVO plaque to display their prestigious status on the route.
To bring the sustainable cycling route to life, OVO has partnered with illustrator Margarida Esteves to create a beautiful, bespoke map that lays out all of the destinations on the route, ready and easy for cyclists to find.
Through the new route, OVO are seeking to shine a spotlight on the hard-working businesses on the map, driving those both living and visiting the area to support the local community after a difficult time. Pedalling patrons will not only be boosting small businesses, but supporting ones that share OVO’s passion of being kinder to the planet.
Adrian Letts, CEO at OVO, says:
“At OVO, we’re on a mission to zero carbon. Our OVO Bikes arriving in Cardiff and the Vale are part of our Plan Zero strategy to create a carbon free world, whether that’s the transport we use or the way we power our homes. Cardiff is a thriving city with so many fantastic, independent businesses who champion sustainable practices, which is why we wanted to highlight the good work they’re doing through our OVO Bikes Green Route. Opting to travel around via bicycle, couldn’t be an easier and healthier way of discovering a city and supporting local businesses.”
Krysia Solheim, nextbike UK MD, said:
“We’re delighted to be revealing OVO Energy as our new scheme sponsor in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. At nextbike, we’re passionate about the part that sustainable transport can play in helping the UK achieve its ambitious net zero targets, and we know that Cardiff and the Vale are passionate about sustainability, so OVO Energy, with its own zero carbon mission, is the perfect fit.
“The Cardiff scheme started in 2018, with Penarth being added in 2020, and since then, almost 1.2 million rentals have been clocked up around the cities, helping to reduce CO2 emissions and congestion while also using cycling to help keep fit and healthy. We hope customers new and old will enjoy trying out the OVO Bikes Green Route, and will take advantage of the free rides offer that OVO Energy has put into place over the next week.”
To celebrate the launch of the sponsorship and OVO Bikes Green Route, the OVO Bikes will be FREE* for the first 30 minutes of each rental for the first week! The promotion will apply to standard OVO Bikes from 3rd to 9th August 2021, giving unlimited rides up to 30 minutes per bike**.
Rides over 30 minutes will be charged at the normal rate of £1 per 30 minutes or a maximum of £10 per day (24hrs) for Pay As You Ride customers and 50p per 30 minutes or a max of £5 per day (24 hours) for current members. Download the nextbike app to register and start riding! For more information on how to use the scheme, visit nextbike.co.uk/en/cardiff and nextbike.co.uk/en/penarth
To find out more about OVO Bikes, download the Green Route map, as well as keep an eye out for more OVO Bikes initiatives in the future, customers should head to www.ovoenergy.com/ovo-bikes.
*Free for the first 30 minutes of each rental
**Offer not applicable to electric bikes (PAYR £2/30 min, membership £1/30 min)
