Inside the warehouse where Lime bikes go at night | News UK

Lime bikes – it feels like they are everywhere in London.

But whatever your thoughts about the controversial bikes are, their design is impressive.

Rain or shine, they can take whatever the British weather has in store, and can handle rough riding by cyclists who are not concerned about going over a kerb at full speed.

But even the sturdiest of bikes needs a bit of love every now and again.

Now Metro has been given a peek behind the curtain of one of Lime’s largest depots, where hordes of bikes are unloaded from vans for repairs.

When entering the warehouse, which is like a chocolate factory for cycling fans, you can hear the signature bell ding as an army of mechanics check if the bikes are roadworthy.

After the TLC, replenishment and wash, the aim is to get bikes back on the road the same day, ideally within 24 hours, Imaan, Lime’s senior operations manager, told Metro.

Most of the parts on a Lime bike can be replenished and replaced, including the baskets, which are often full of muck after being turned into mobile bins.

All Lime’s hardware and software has been designed in-house, meaning it can reclaim, reuse and recycle specific spare parts, Imaan added.

A dedicated team with a specialist background worked to replenish parts like electronics, saddles, and fenders.

‘The fact that we can swap and change different parts and are able to refurbish them really extends the lifespan,’ Imaan said. ‘Each one lasts about five years.’

When asked what happens to bikes that are broken beyond repair, she said parts will recycled but there is a high success rate of being able to use parts again.

Lime said it also has ‘rangers’ who go around boroughs checking on bike presentations on the streets. Lime, like other e-bike rental firms, has been forced to take action after complaints about bad parking blocking pavements.

Some baskets and fenders had also graffiti scribbled on them, which were removed in the wash outside along with final cosmetics checks and filling up the tyres.

Mechanics working for the Lime contractor running the maintenance are paid the London living wage.

Brooke, who has been a Lime mechanic for a little over a year, checked through a Lime bike with confident moves, including swapping out a broken basket and a phone holder before taking the bike for a test ride.

The chances are that you have never seen Lime bikes being picked up or unloaded from the parking bays.

This is because due to the busy London traffic, the teams typically work at night, Imaan said.

However, this modus operandi isn’t without issues, and residents in busy areas like Islington have complained about noisy late Lime bike collections. Overnight operations have since been stopped in some areas in the borough, Metro understands.

Lime said it is committed to minimising nighttime disruption, but ‘some overnight operations are essential’ to have bikes charged and ready for commuters.

The e-bike operator announced last week that it will bring the next-generation Lime to the UK. The new bikes, which Metro tested out, have smaller wheels and a lower frame for easier access.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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