Santander Cycles MK is a
bicycle hire scheme based in
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of Milton Keynes urban area, its urban area was 264,349. The River Great Ouse forms t ...
, United Kingdom. The scheme is operated by
Nextbike
__FORCETOC__
nextbike is a German company that develops and operates public bike-sharing systems. The company was founded in Leipzig, Germany, in 2004. As of June 2025, it operates in 400 cities of 23 countries including Germany, UK, Poland, ...
and sponsored by
Santander UK
Santander UK plc (, ) is a British bank, wholly owned by Banco Santander, a Spanish bank. Santander UK plc manages its affairs autonomously, with its own local management team, responsible solely for its performance.
Santander UK is one of th ...
. The scheme launched on 17 June 2016.
History
After the success of
bicycle hire schemes in Belfast,
Bath
Bath may refer to:
* Bathing, immersion in a fluid
** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body
** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe
* Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities
Plac ...
and Glasgow,
nextbike
__FORCETOC__
nextbike is a German company that develops and operates public bike-sharing systems. The company was founded in Leipzig, Germany, in 2004. As of June 2025, it operates in 400 cities of 23 countries including Germany, UK, Poland, ...
announced plans to partner with
Santander UK
Santander UK plc (, ) is a British bank, wholly owned by Banco Santander, a Spanish bank. Santander UK plc manages its affairs autonomously, with its own local management team, responsible solely for its performance.
Santander UK is one of th ...
on a new
bicycle hire scheme in
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of Milton Keynes urban area, its urban area was 264,349. The River Great Ouse forms t ...
, to be known as Santander Cycles MK. The scheme was a collaboration between
Santander UK
Santander UK plc (, ) is a British bank, wholly owned by Banco Santander, a Spanish bank. Santander UK plc manages its affairs autonomously, with its own local management team, responsible solely for its performance.
Santander UK is one of th ...
,
Milton Keynes Council (MKC) and Milton Keynes City Centre Management. The scheme launched on 17 June 2016 with 300 bikes across 42 docking stations in
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of Milton Keynes urban area, its urban area was 264,349. The River Great Ouse forms t ...
.
Santander UK
Santander UK plc (, ) is a British bank, wholly owned by Banco Santander, a Spanish bank. Santander UK plc manages its affairs autonomously, with its own local management team, responsible solely for its performance.
Santander UK is one of th ...
ambassador
Jenson Button
Jenson Alexander Lyons Button (born 19 January 1980) is a British racing driver, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Jota. Button competed in Formula One from to , and won the World Drivers' Championship in with Brawn; ...
is the face of the
bicycle hire scheme.
Nextbike
__FORCETOC__
nextbike is a German company that develops and operates public bike-sharing systems. The company was founded in Leipzig, Germany, in 2004. As of June 2025, it operates in 400 cities of 23 countries including Germany, UK, Poland, ...
is a German company that develops and operates public
bike sharing systems with a number of successful
bike sharing schemes.
Operations and Services
Users first need to register for the
bicycle hire scheme via the Santander Cycles MK website, the Santander Cycles MK app on the
App Store
An app store, also called an app marketplace or app catalog, is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not i ...
or
Google Play
Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store, Play Store, or sometimes the Android Store (and was formerly Android Market), is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certifie ...
or by calling 020 8166 9851.
Prices
Users have a choice of two tariffs – 'pay as you ride' or an annual subscription. Users who register for the annual subscription for £60, with the first 30 minutes of every ride free, then it's 50p for every additional 30 minutes. The scheme is also open to casual users through the 'pay as you ride' fare with each rental costing £1.00 per 30 minutes up to a maximum of £10 in any 24 hour period.
Coverage Area
The coverage zone spans the central, leisure and residential areas of
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of Milton Keynes urban area, its urban area was 264,349. The River Great Ouse forms t ...
, with
cyclists
Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world for pur ...
able to make use of the 169.3 mile
'Redway' network to avoid roads on most journeys.
See also
*
Nextbike
__FORCETOC__
nextbike is a German company that develops and operates public bike-sharing systems. The company was founded in Leipzig, Germany, in 2004. As of June 2025, it operates in 400 cities of 23 countries including Germany, UK, Poland, ...
Notes and references
External links
Map of docking stationson
OneMK
*
{{Bicycle sharing systems
Community bicycle programs
Milton Keynes
Bicycle sharing in the United Kingdom