How does Uber Jump work, how much does it cost and how can I use it on the Uber app?

UBER has introduced an electric bike rental scheme to the UK - competing with its main rivals Lime and Freebike.

Here’s all you need to know about how to bag yourself a two-wheeled ride.

How does Uber Jump work?

The bright red bikes are described as “pedal-assist electric bikes” by Uber and are considered as a rival to the service offered by Lime, which has green machines.

They are fitted with an integrated GPS and lock which Uber claims will make it easy for the bikes to be located.

The US company launched its new Jump service with 350 electric bikes in Islington last week.

Uber claims its bikes are stronger, faster and cheaper than Lime’s.

It also plans to roll out the scheme to other London boroughs in the future.

British company Freebike will operate an electric bike sharing service within the Square Mile of London from June 12, 2019.

Their system operates either by using an app or by swiping a contactless card.

Freebike's motor doubles up as an advanced locking system and the company claims this allows for: "smart, ultra-fast rental, enforceable geofencing and unrivalled protection against theft and vandalism."

How much does it cost?

Both services cost £1 to unlock a bike.

Jump then costs £7.20 an hour, although the first five minutes are free (12p a minute).

Lime costs £9 an hour (15p a minute).

While the Lime bikes have no gears, the Jump ones have three.

Lime says its bikes have a top speed of 14.8mph while Jump says theirs can hit 15mph.

Freebikes are free to unlock and then cost less than 1p per minute if pedalling.

In electric mode the rental fee is £1 for ten minutes but users can pause this letting the rider park the bike temporarily before starting up again.

The bikes can be used for free though for the first ten minutes if they are used in pedal mode.

Freebike  says it will donate 2p for every mile ridden to the Lord Mayor's appeal and give discounts to residents of the City of London.

Current legislation limits the electric bikes to a top speed of 15.5mph.

How can I use it on the Uber app?

Both services from Lime and Uber work through an app which shows where the bikes are on a map.

Once located, the rider uses a QR code on the bike to unlock it.

The Lime app then links through to Apple Pay.

The Jump app stores the rider’s card details – existing Uber users have to re-enter their card details.