Ride like Wout van Aert with a free bike from Swapfiets during rail strikes

Dutch bike subscription company Swapfiets are giving out free bikes for a week from Wednesday in order to help those impacted by rail strikes next weekend.

They sponsored Jumbo-Visma at the 2021 Tour de France, so this is your chance to ape their stars like Wout van Aert and Primož Roglič on the streets of London.

All customers have to do is head to the firm's Spitalfields store in east London next Wednesday to grab a bike to help them commute or get around the capital.

With rail and tube strikes taking place from Thursday 18 to Sunday 20 August, the Dutch company are looking to spread the news about their subscription service by handing out bikes for free.

100 will be given away to the first who head to the shop and sign up; all that is needed is photo ID. Those with a bike will have it until 6.30pm on 24 August, and will have the full Swapfiets subscription with it. This means the Deluxe 7 bike, a chain lock, and free maintenance.

Katarina Hlavata, the UK Country Manager at Swapfiets said that she hoped that people would consider cycling for their commute full-time after experiencing the trial.

“We know that for Londoners who rely on public transport for their daily commute to work, there’s nothing more frustrating than a Tube strike – which is why we want to provide 100 Swapfiets bikes on a first come first served basis to try and make life that little bit easier," she said.

“We hope that by encouraging people to change their mode of transport for the strike, many Londoners will consider and appreciate the multiple health and environmental benefits of cycling as a longer-term alternative for their daily commute.”

Subscriptions from Swapfiets start at £16.99, and come with the range of support detailed above for the trial versions. There are also discounts on offer for students, and e-bikes available as well as traditional purely pedal-powered versions.

If you are someone coming to cycling for the first time as a result of the strikes, or because of the cost of living crisis and the rising prices of fuel, make sure you check out our commuting to work guide.