BTN BikeShare Review*

I used to love cycling when I was younger but, when I moved to the Isle of Wight at 13, I sold my bike because it was too hilly!! Every year since I’ve been saying I want to buy a bike so I can ride along the seafront to take in the summer beautiful views. Then every year I don’t end up buying a bike because I doubt I’d use it often enough to make it worthwhile.

So when I was asked if I wanted to borrow a bike for an hour, thanks to BTN BikeShare, I jumped at the chance so I could cycle from Hove to Brighton Marina, taking in the scenery as I cycled along πŸ™‚ Brighton has really lovely wide cycle paths so for someone who hasn’t cycled in about 20 years, it didn’t feel daunting at all πŸ™‚

I picked a pretty windy day to go cycling, so getting to Hove was a bit of a struggle, but the journey back was luckily a lot better as I had the wind behind me πŸ™‚ Here are some of my favourite Brighton and Hove landmarks along the seafront:

The Bandstand – I’ve lived in Brighton over 5 and a half years and I’ve never once come here to take an obligatory photo!Β It’s such an iconic landmark but I now feel like I’m a proper Brightonian! It was completely deserted when I arrived but as I got my camera out to take some snaps, a wild bride and groom appeared β™₯ Oh and that random lady who just didn’t take the hint and get out of the way *sigh*

West Pier I absolutely love the West Pier, it always looks so beautifully haunting. I especially love it when the waves are super choppy like they were when I cycled past πŸ™‚

Brighton i360 – Like it or loathe it, it’s definitely a landmark that can’t be missed! I think I’ll have to take a trip up it one day to see what the fuss is about. Oh and say that key phrase “I wonder if I can see my house from here”.

Afloat (or The Doughnut) – Based near the Pier, this art installation has been photographed so often. It looks pretty awesome and it’s a fab meeting place for days out with friends on the beach πŸ™‚

Palace Pier – I love coming down to the Pier and it’s the perfect place to stop and grab an ice cream when you need a quick pick-me-up πŸ™‚ Oh and no seagulls were photoshopped in pursuit of the perfect photo, I promise πŸ˜€ πŸ˜€

The Brighton Zip – This 300m zipwire has just replaced the Brighton Wheel (sob) but it looks so much fun! I kind of feel like I want to have a go on it when it’s open. Plus afterwards I can treat myself to fish and chips or an ice cream to steady my nerves πŸ˜€

Volk’s Railway – The world’s oldest electric railway runs from the Pier to the Marina. It’s such a cute tourist thing to do and you get beautiful views of the sea and the Pier.

Brighton Marina – The perfect place to end my journey as it’s full of restaurants and cafΓ©s to relax in πŸ™‚ Oh and some pretty epic graffiti to photograph!!Β 

The BTN BikeShare* initiative launched in September 2017. They have a dedicated app to help you locate one of 450 bikes dotted around the city in 50 different docking locations, hiring a bike in Brighton has never been easier πŸ™‚ You can either hire a bike for as little as Β£1.80 an hour or hire one for an entire year, setting you back a mere Β£72!

The bike I tested was super light-weight, but felt really sturdy and really easy to ride. It even had a cute little basket on the front which holds up to 20lbs; perfect for popping a picnic in for a fun day out or a brolly and coat, in case of good old British weather πŸ˜€ There are eight gears and the seat can adjust to three different heights! I found it really easy to pedal and as there was no chain, my trousers didn’t get caught up πŸ˜€

The only thing I would say is that you can’t hire any safety equipment with it so, if you’re like me and don’t own a helmet, you may have to borrow one from someone or risk going without πŸ™ I’d forgotten how much fun cycling can be and I’m definitely going to be hiring one again when they’re up and running! A massive thanks to the team for letting me test out the prototype πŸ™‚

Where are your favourite spots to cycle to? Let me know in the comments below πŸ™‚ x

*I was kindly asked by the company if I wanted to test out the bike but all views are my own. The sea views are for everyone.

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14 Comments

  1. I love Brighton so much – the West Pier is so beautiful. We got some lovely prints of it from a little local gallery last time we went.

  2. I can’t wait to jump on these bikes in the future! They look like so much fun, great post lovely xx

  3. Ah how exciting!! I’m glad they’re coming to Brighton! All of the fun and they’re gorgeous. Definitely a great thing to have and Brighton is actually pretty good to cycle around. I love that you got a bride & groom in the background of your bandstand photo.

  4. Ahhhh I’m really excited for this! I saw them. In the Pride parade and was like “I want that.” I’m the same as you, where I don’t think I will use a bike enough to justify it. And also trying to find somewhere to store it is such a faff! I’m also too scared to ride a bike on the road since I grew up cycling on the other side. It would be nice to get some practice in. So I’m really looking forward to this!!!

    1. I saw the parade pics, they looked awesome, didn’t they? I’ve never ridden on a road, so going along the seafront in the cycle path was a nice way to get back into it πŸ™‚

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