Transformers E-bike Trial

Discover Sustainable Mobility

Participate in the Transformers Electric Bike Trial

Thank you for your interest in taking part in the Transformers e-bike study. The study seeks to determine the benefits of an electric bicycle subsidy program. Research is being conducted by the University of Sydney, implemented by the Parramatta Bike Hub, and supported by the Western Sydney Local Health District and City of Parramatta.

Please read the information provided on this page to determine if participation in this study is suitable for you.

About the trial

The Transformers e-bike subsidy trial provides e-bikes and cargo-bikes for lease at a heavily subsidised rate for a period of 8-weeks. These bikes can be used for any of your regular activities including:

Going to and from university

Taking children to daycare or school

Attending appointments

Getting to and from work

Visiting friends

Caring for friends or relatives

E-bike image used under free licence from vecteezy.com

What is this study about?

You are invited to take part in the pilot study that is seeking to determine the benefits of an electric bicycle subsidy program.

You have been invited to participate in this evaluation because you have registered for the e-bike or e-cargo bike leasing program through the Parramatta Bike Hub.

Participation in this program is voluntary.

By giving your consent to take part in the evaluation you are telling us that you:

Understand what you have read.

Agree to take part in the research study as outlined below.

Agree to the use of your personal information as described.

Who is running the study?

The evaluation study is being carried out by researchers at the University of Sydney in conjunction with Parramatta Bike Hub, City of Parramatta and leading active transport advocates:

Fiona Campbell, Project Director

Dr Melanie Crane, Senior Research Fellow, School of Public Health

Dr Jennifer Kent, Senior Research Fellow, School of Architecture, Design and Planning

Emily Mitchell, Research Assistant, School of Architecture, Design and Planning

Ms Charlene Bordley, Founder, Parramatta Bike Hub

Mrs Eva Blanda, Project Manager, Parramatta Bike Hub

Lisa Kollaras, Sustainability Officer, Parramatta City Council

Akanksha Balakumar, Sustainable Transport Officer, Parramatta City Council

The pilot program is currently being evaluated by the University of Sydney.

Who can take part in the study?

If you live, work or study within the Parramatta local government area, you are welcome to register. A team will then evaluate your application and then send you either an invitation to join the trial or options on how to take your cycling journey to the next stage.

What will the study involve for me?

Through the pilot program you will be able to:

Trial an e-bike or e-cargo bike from either of our two suppliers.

Participate in a bicycle skills training course which will include a rider assessment and information about riding in the local area and how to care for an electric bicycle. The training will be provided by the Parramatta Bike Hub and run across four (4) weeks with each session lasting two (2) hours.

Lease your chosen e-bike for the eight (8)-week period for a small fee of $5 a week.

Receive two (2) months free cycling insurance through Bicycle NSW.

Join in one of the community bike rides to meet other bike riders.

Join the online Parramatta Bike Hub community.

If you decide to register for this study, you will be asked to participate in a short rideability assessment and complete a short survey about your travel behaviour along with questions related to your health and wellbeing. During the first four (4) weeks we will also check in with you to confirm you are going ok and help you to problem solve any challenges you may be having. At the end of the eight (8) week lease period, when you return the bike or choose to extend the lease, we will ask you the survey questions again. We will recontact you by phone in 3 months to ask you some further questions about your experience and challenges.

The surveys will take less than 10 minutes to complete.

The bicycles are provided by Lug+Carrie and Zoomo. They are fitted with a tracking device that will track the kilometres travelled by bicycle and information on the routes you take. This information will inform the evaluation on how the bicycles are being used. If the bike is stolen while it is under lease we will be able to recover the bike through the tracker.

Can I withdraw once I’ve started?

Participating in this study is optional and you can withdraw at any time. However, if you do withdraw from the study you will have to return the bicycle that was leased to you.

Your decision will have no impact on your current or future relationship with the researchers or anyone else at The University of Sydney.

If you decide to withdraw from the study, we will stop collecting information from you. If you don’t want the information already collected to be in the study results, please tell us at the time you withdraw.

Are there any risks or costs?

As part of the program, there is a small financial payment participants must be willing to make to lease the e-bike. Participants will be required to contribute a weekly co-payment to the e-bike supplier to use the bicycle. There will be a cost of $5 a week.

As a cost guideline, a one-way train fare from Parramatta to the Sydney CBD is approximately $6.00. Paying $5.00 per week for eight weeks, would cost $40.00 in total. The remainder of the cost will be subsidised by the project. The bikes usually cost from $630 - $770 per e-bike for the 8-weeks, depending on number of passengers and accessories, which we will be subsidising for you.

If you choose to lease a bicycle from Lug+Carrie or Zoomo, there are costs that will be incurred for bicycles if they are damaged or stolen. You will be asked to sign a lease agreement with the e-bike supplier.

There are no foreseeable costs associated with conducting the research itself.

Are there any benefits?

The benefits of this study include the chance for you to lease an e-bike (greatly subsidised by the project) for the duration of the evaluation. We hope that this will enable you to trial a bike to see if it right for you.

Following the 8 week period you have the option to:

Purchase the e-bike outright
Continue the lease of the e-bike without the subsidy
Return the e-bike at no cost
Become a member of the Community Bike Library and trial other bicycles.

As part of the study, you will be able to gain new riding skills and knowledge of the area by bicycle from the support of the Parramatta Bike Hub and invited to receive group support and more through the online bike community.

By participating in the pilot study you will be helping to shape the future of a wider e-bike subsidy program for more people to be able to participate in the community in the future. The results from this pilot program will help to inform the future planning of routes and infrastructure for bicycles in Western Sydney.

What will happen to information that is collected?

By giving your consent, you agree to us gathering information about you for this study. Any personal identifiable information (such as contact details) will be kept separate and confidential and will not be used for research purposes.

Information you share with us will be securely stored and will only be disclosed with your consent unless we are legally required to release information.

We plan to publish the findings of this study. You will not be identifiable in these publications. Sharing research data is important for advancing knowledge and innovation. A de-identified set of the data collected in this study may be made available for use in future research.

Can I tell other people about the study?

Yes, you are welcome to tell other people about the study.

Will I be told the results of the study?

You have a right to receive feedback about the overall results of this study. You will be able to access feedback on the overall findings of the study by checking the website news section. Feedback on personal information will not be provided.

What if I would like further information?

If you would like to know more at any stage of the evaluation study or would like a copy of the overall study findings, please contact the Chief Investigators:

Dr Jennifer Kent

School of Architecture, Design and Planning

Phone: +61 2 8627 0853 | Email: jennifer.kent@sydney.edu.au

Dr Melanie Crane

School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health
Email: melanie.crane@sydney.edu.au

For more information about the study itself please contact Parramatta Bike Hub on 0452 323 365 or support@addventageous.com.

What if I have a complaint or any concerns?

The ethical aspects of this study have been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) of The University of Sydney (protocol number 2024/XXX) in accordance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007).

Please note: the pilot element of the project is not covered by this ethics application.

If you have any concerns about the study’s procedures or would like to make a complaint to someone not involved in the study, please contact the University:

Human Ethics Manager

human.ethics@sydney.edu.au

Supported by

Parramatta Bike Hub | City of Parramatta | University of Sydney