Free bike hire rides during Commonwealth Games

The West Midlands Cycle Hire initiative starts at 00:01 BST on 27 July

Two free half-an-hour cycle hire rides are on offer every day during the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Pop-up virtual docking stations will operate at six major venues between 27 July and 8 August.

Although not a physical docking station, they operate in the same way with riders using their app to unlock a bike, according to the West Midlands Cycle Hire scheme.

Support staff will help people hiring or locking bikes for the first time.

Pop-up virtual stations are branded areas where cyclists can hire and park bikes.

The six major venues to have the pop-up virtual docking facilities are the Alexander Stadium, the Utilita Arena Birmingham, the Coventry Building Society Arena, Edgbaston (Cannon Hill Park), Smithfield and Sandwell Aquatics Centre.

People who ride for more than 30 minutes will be charged at the usual rate for the remainder of the journey.

Unused minutes will be lost for a journey of less than half an hour. All rides must end at a docking station.

Serco operates West Midlands Cycle Hire on behalf of Transport for West Midlands, with Beryl providing smartphone app technology.