Handlebars on popular rental e-bikes in London may harbor significantly more bacteria than a typical toilet seat, according to a recent test conducted by the Daily Mail. The investigation, which used bacterial sampling swabs to analyze handlebars of various rental bike brands, found that some surfaces contained traces of bacteria indicative of recent fecal matter contamination.
Daily commutes on rental e-bikes are common in London, with an estimated 10% of daily cycling journeys in the capital utilizing these services. The popularity of these bikes has surged since their introduction in 2018, offering a fast, convenient, and relatively inexpensive mode of transportation.
Bacteria Counts and Types
Surface-swab enumeration testing was employed to assess the bacterial load on handlebars. Samples were sent to a professional laboratory for analysis, where bacteria were cultured and counted to determine the aerobic colony count (ACC). A benchmark was established by swabbing a toilet seat in an office bathroom, which yielded an ACC of 430,000.
Among the tested bikes, a Voi bike showed the lowest ACC at 1,010. However, a Santander (Boris) Bike recorded an ACC of 2,700,000, which is 27 times higher than the Voi bike and over six times the count found on the toilet seat. A Lime bike registered an ACC of 60.6 million, more than 140 times greater than the toilet seat. The highest count was found on a Forest bike, with an ACC of 180 million, making it 418 times dirtier than the toilet seat.
Beyond general bacteria, the Forest bike sample also showed the presence of Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium that can cause infections. More concerning were the significantly high numbers of Faecal streptococci and E. coli, both of which are indicators of recent fecal contamination. While contamination could originate from human sources, it can also come from animals, such as bird droppings.
Dawn Mellors, technical director at Melbec Microbiology, the lab contracted for the tests, noted that while hot weather and potential postage delays might have affected some results by causing bacteria to die off, the presence of these pathogens is notable. She advised that bike handles should be efficiently disinfected before use or that hands should be washed thoroughly after using the bikes.
Company Responses and Recommendations
In response to the findings, a Transport for London (TfL) spokesperson stated that the results relate to a limited sample and did not show the presence of E. coli, faecal streptococci, or Staphylococcus on their tested Santander Cycles sample. TfL encourages customers to maintain good hand hygiene and wash or sanitize their hands after journeys. They also indicated that common touchpoints, including handlebars, receive regular cleaning as part of their maintenance program.
A Voi spokesperson commented that any frequently touched public surface carries some level of bacteria and that the company takes vehicle hygiene seriously, but suggested the data does not indicate a particular hygiene risk associated with Voi bikes.
Lime and Forest declined to comment on the findings. The Daily Mail emphasized that the tests had a small sample size and do not represent every bike of a particular brand, but suggested that users should be mindful of personal hygiene when using shared bikes.