JOINING THE ACADEMY IS AS EASY AS RIDING A BIKE!

HOW DOES THE ACADEMY SCHEME WORK?

We provide a bike, you pay a monthly rental.

WHAT IS THE MINIMUM RENTAL TERM?

One month.

ARE ACADEMY BIKES AVAILABLE FOR RENT OUTSIDE OF THE UK?

Currently we are only offering the scheme within the UK.

HOW IS PAYMENT MADE?

The rental fee is made by a monthly direct debit on the 1st of each month

ARE THERE ADDITIONAL COSTS TO THE SCHEME?

There are no additional hidden costs.

The only extra to the monthly rental is insurance.

There are optional extras such as helmets, t-shirts and backpacks for children.

WHO WILL COVER THE COSTS OF SHIPMENTS TO AND FROM HOPE?

We charge a standard delivery and collection charge of £10 per bike via Fedex.

I HAVE TWO (OR MORE) CHILDREN WHO REQUIRE BIKES. DO YOU OFFER QUANTITY DISCOUNT?

No.

CAN I BUY THE BIKE ONCE MY CHILD HAS GROWN OUT OF IT?

Since the scheme works on the principal of worn components being continually replaced we don't initially envisage having any bikes for sale. Although this may change as the scheme evolves.

WHAT IF I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ONE OF THE COMPONENTS OR THE COMPLETE BIKE?

If you encounter any maintenance issues or faults, simply call or email us and we will advise how the issue can be fixed yourself. If the problem is more serious, we can either collect the bike, service it and return it for £20, or we can send the service parts needed and you can arrange for your local bike shop to fit these, the labour charge, however, would need to be covered by yourself.

WILL ALL THE BIKES BE NEW?

Obviously we will be starting with a new fleet of bikes, but as the system evolves we will begin to reuse bikes. Therefore the bikes may show some slight signs of wear and tear, however, they will all be fully serviced and any worn parts replaced before sending out to their new owner.

IS THERE A COLOUR CHOICE?

It wouldn't be Hope if we didn't offer colour options! The basic frame colours are fixed, but we can offer coloured components. Check the individual bike page for the colours we offer.

CAN I SWAP COLOURS?

We would like customers to stick with their initial colour choice and keep changes to bike swap time only.

We recommend bikes are insured against theft, either on your own household policy or through a specialist bike insurance company.

If you do not insure the bike and it is stolen you will need to pay the current RRP of the bike.

Check the size guide on our website to work out when your child requires their next bike. Simply call or email us at least one month in advance. We will arrange to ship out the fresh bike and you just pop the old bike into the same box and we'll arrange collection. Or call into the factory and swap it. Simple.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THE TYRES OR ANY OTHER COMPONENTS WEAR OUT?

We will replace peripheral items such as tyres, tubes and pads for a small cost.

DO YOU OFFER ADULT BIKE RENTAL?

Sorry, no we don't. The scheme is designed to encourage children to cycle by allowing them to use quality bikes.

WHERE CAN I SEE OR TEST THE BIKES BEFORE ORDERING?

All bikes will be available to view at our Barnoldswick factory, as well as selected demos and events throughout the UK.

CAN I RENT SPARE PARTS OR WHEELS FOR MY ACADEMY BIKE?

No, components may be purchased through our extensive dealer network.

We are an established and legal UK company. In order to protect ourselves, and our existing customers, we perform credit checks on new members. As a regulated company, we also have a responsibility to ensure our customers can afford their monthly payments.

WILL IT EFFECT MY CREDIT SCORE?

No, they don’t. The checks we perform are soft credit checks and are undertaken all the time by a number of other companies, without you knowing. It's a just quick review of data.

WHO DO WE ACCEPT?

We want to get as many kids as possible riding our Academy bikes and enjoying cycling, so we accept as many people as possible, but there are some situations where you may not pass.

WILL YOU PASS?

The only way you will really know is to apply. But there are a number of reasons why you will not pass:

- If you have a County Court Judgement (CCJ). See gov.uk for more information. A CCJ will stay on your file for 6 years.

- You do not have a credit file in the UK.

- You do not have a UK bank account. This is required in order to set up and take your direct debit payments.

There are a few further checks that we do that may flag you on the system, but usually you’ll have to meet more than one to be declined:

- You have a very low credit score

- You order a large number of bikes, over a short period of time or multiple orders

- You order multiple high value items

- Your IP address is a long distance from the delivery or billing address

WHO DOES THE ACADEMY CHECKS?

We use Experian to perform our soft credit checks. Experian are one of the main CRA's (Credit Reference Agencies) in the UK, and they provide data on credit scores to many companies like us.

If you are declined and you don't believe it is correct, you can contact Experian to request a copy of your personal details. This will not cost you money and should take less than 30 days. Mix ups can occasionally happen, so if you pay your bills on time, are registered to vote in the UK, and have no CJJ’s, it definitely worth contacting them.

IF I DON’T PASS, CAN I APPLY AGAIN?

Of course, but we would recommend checking the Money Advice Service beforehand as they can provide advice on how to improve your credit score.

WHAT IF MY FINANCIAL SITUATION CHANGES WHILST WE HAVE A BIKE?

The minimum term is one month, so you can cancel with us at any time after that.

There would be a small courier cost to return the bike, but as soon as it’s cancelled and the bike is back with us your monthly payments will stop.