CyclingOVO Bikes Membership

For students & staff

As part of Strathclyde’s commitment to sustainable travel and supporting good health and wellbeing, we have partnered with OVO Bikes to give all students and staff at Strathclyde access to a discounted membership to the Glasgow OVO Bikes network. 

For just £20 a year, you can get unlimited rides of up to 60 minutes on the standard bikes and can be used for journeys between any of the 100+ stations across the city.

Whether it’s for journeys to University, getting between meetings, going to the shops, or exploring Glasgow at the weekend, Strathclyders can now do more of their day-to-day journeys by bike.

Please note: this offer does not include the use of e-bikes, there is a separate pricing structure for their use.

How do I get my discounted membership?

To redeem the offer, simply sign up to OVO Bikes with your University email address and complete the registration process. Once your account is verified, you can access the Strathclyde partner offer.

This is a change from our introductory year offer and the memberships will no longer be automatic. New and existing users will need to activate the membership through the TIER app ‘Wallet’.

Follow these steps to register:

Step 1: Register on the nextbike by TIER app with your university email and verify your partner account.

  • Adding your university email to your profile will automatically connect you to the partner benefits for your University. If you were already riding with the previous membership until August 31st, 2023, your University email account is still verified and ready to use
  • If you are a new customer, go to your profile in the app and enter your university email address. Be sure to confirm your account with the verification emails that you will receive

Step 2: Verify or enter a valid payment method.

  • To make purchases or ride with the nextbike by TIER app, simply enter a valid payment method in the profile fields. If you already have a valid payment method entered, then you are ready to go
  • If you are entering a new payment method, an automatic verification deposit of £5 will be charged. This is refundable and will become a credit on your account for you to use

Step 3: Activate the university membership in the nextbike by TIER app ‘Wallet’

  • Navigate to ‘Wallet’ in the app drop-down menu and select ‘Buy tariff / Add partner”
  • Once there, scroll to your university’s offer, click “continue to booking” and follow the steps#
  • After your purchase is complete, your year membership is active and you’re ready to ride with unlimited 60-minute rentals for a year

Using the bikes

Safe use of the OVO Bikes

Using the OVO Bikes safely is your responsibility and we encourage you to cycle where you feel comfortable.

Essential Cycling Skills Guide (pdf) from Cycling Scotland is a great resource if you want to increase your confidence on a bike. It's also available in different languages and as an e-learning tool on the Cycling Scotland website.

Some general safety notes:

  • it’s worth taking the bikes out for a gentle test ride at first, to get used to how they feel
  • all OVO Bikes have built in lights for cycling in the dark
  • staff can use the Cycle to Work scheme to buy equipment such as a helmet, or hi-vis jacket

How do I use the bikes?

You can search for, hire, and return a bike using the app. The How it Works Guide gives more detail.

The Hiring, Parking & Returning an e-bike video (YouTube) shows instructions for the e-bikes, which function in a similar way.

What can I use the bikes for?

You can use the bikes for whatever you want! The membership offer is valid 24/7. It can be renewed yearly so you can use the OVO Bikes to get to campus, see friends, do your shopping, or visit a nearby park. For travel to and from campus, there are several stations near our campus.

Explore Glasgow

With stations all across the city, you can see a lot of Glasgow on the OVO Bikes. Take a look at the Glasgow Cycle Map (pdf), Cycle Streets or sustainable business trail (image) created by OVO Bikes for some ideas.