Santander cycles were hired nearly 11 million times in London last year.
The record-breaking figure obliterated the previous high of 371,000 in 2018 and was part of a wider increase in cycling in the capital in 2021.
Dubbed ‘Boris bikes’, some 10.9 million of them were hired last year, by more than a million people.
Transport for London (TfL) say workers returning to the office after the summer contributed to the record year, which came amid Covid-related concerns on public transport.
September and October both saw more than a million hires, with an average of more 7,500 a day between 7am and 10am on weekdays.
Overall, cycling has increased significantly during the pandemic – with the 21% of Londoners cycling in 2019/20 rising to 27% in 2020/21.
Since May 2020, more than 100km of new or upgraded cycle lanes have been built or are under construction, along with tens of thousands of square metres of extra pavement space reallocated for people walking.
Urging the capital’s residents to take up cycling, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: ‘It’s fantastic to see our cycle hire scheme reach such incredible heights.
‘Not only have we seen a huge rise in cycling since the pandemic, but participation has also broadened, particularly among people from minority ethnic communities.
‘In order to keep up this success we need safe roads for cyclists, and we continue to work with boroughs to roll out cycle lanes, extra pavement space and safer junctions.’
Will Norman, London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner added: ‘We know that huge numbers of people have taken up cycling since the pandemic and it is fantastic to see this incredible rise in Santander cycle hire figures, with 2021 seeing the highest ever numbers.
exclusive Disabled mum who lost four loved ones in pandemic says Boris 'only cares about himself'‘Cycling and walking are great ways to travel around London and see all the hidden gems that the city has to offer, and helpful for mental and physical well-being too. I’m excited to hopefully go even further than this historic record set in 2021 and urge people to get on their bikes again this year.’
In May 2021, Santander extended their sponsorship of the TfL bike hire scheme until 2025 and announced that the scheme would be expanded and electrified over this time.
Around 500 electric bikes are expected to be introduced into the scheme from next summer.
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