Category: Ambulance Cycles

London Ambulance Service
This is on of the cycle response units operated at Heathrow Airport by LAS

Yorkshire Ambulance Service
Life-cycle fast response unit

London Ambulance Service and St John Ambulance cycle response units

London Ambulance Service cycle response unit

An Openhouse ambulance cycle response unit.



Another view.

A St John Ambulance cycle response unit.

An Isle of Wight Ambulance Service hybrid cycle that does not carry an panniers.



A look at the yellow siren unit on the handlebars.

This medical response cycle is operated by the Civil Volunteers Organisation – a not-for-profit charity.

A couple of the cycle response units used by Salop Medical Services, Shropshire.

This Swiss folding bike is deployed at pre-planned events by Ambulance and Rescue Guernsey. It is useful as a rapid response unit when roads are closed and crowds have gathered.

Here are a pair of St. John Ambulance cycles parked in front of two motorised ambulance vehicles. The bikes are made by Swissbike and have a heavy-duty hinge under the seat, meaning the bikes can be folded in half and transported easily.



Here is an example of a St. John Swissbike in action in the daylight.

Here is a London Ambulance Service bike that is used at Heathrow Airport. The small pouch attached to the rear box carries a spare inner tube.



The rear view of the bike, showing the the wording ‘working in partnership with BAA’ and the large rear blue flashing led.

LJ57 UXU is a Vauxhall Vivaro that is used by LAS’s Cycle Response Unit for transporting bikes and related equipment to events. It carries a basic LAS livery.

Here a St. John Ambulance medic cycles through a chicane of cones at a demonstration event in Smithfield Market, City of London.



Another St. John medic has removed the equipment from the rear of his bike and is passing under a low obstacle at speed as part of the same demonstration.

An example of an ambulance responder bike with two panniers and a rack-top bag. It carries the familiar green and yellow checkered colour of ambulances.

This privately operated ambulance cycle is heavily equipped. It has the usual medical equipment on the rear and front panniers. The whole bike is decked out in yellow with green stripes.v



On the handlebars is a vast array of equipment. It has a mirror, a small and a large siren, white lights, blue constant light, blue flashing lights and even a bluetooth Tomtom Rider sat nav. It’s no wonder the brakes have been upgraded to cope with the weight.

Here is a London Ambulance bike with sponsorship by Openhouse.

This is the first ambulance cycle in the UK. It was ridden by London Ambulance’s Tom Lynch in a trial during the summer of 2000. The cycles used have evolved greatly from this starting point and units have sprung up all over the country.

In August 2006, a two-month trial began using cycles to respond to 999 calls in The City area of London. This follows from the success of established units in the West End and Heathrow. Here are two of the four medics with their bikes.



… As an emergency call comes in by mobile ‘phone from the control room, one medic makes a quick note of the details and then checks the route on the map.



… Both the paramedic and technician then head off to take the fastest route to the patient, cutting through traffic and side streets.

Here is a paramedic cyclist practicing riding down steps with a heavy load on the rear of the bike.



And the same person practicing riding up steps! The key is to maintain forward motion by approaching at speed, pulling the handlebars up and continuing to pedal up the steps. Spotters on the steps are ready to lend a hand if the rider can’t make it to the top.

This St. John Ambulance cycle response unit is used in London to reach patients in areas that are not easily accessible by traditional road vehicles.

This is Pat Andrews, a cycle response unit paramedic with London Ambulance Service. Behind him are the famous London landmarks of Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square and Big Ben.



A closer look at the bikes used by the LAS medics. Notice the large yellow box on the back (with removable bags and oxygen cylinder) and the small bags on the front.

This is the equipment used by the London Ambulance Service’s skateboard response unit (which is part of the cycle unit). The photo shows the ambulance back-pack with essential emergency care equipment, as well as the protective equipment worn by the skater. The board is in European-standard ambulance yellow with LAS wording, crest and NHS logo.



The skateboard and equipment in use. Following on from the success of the cycle unit, a trial of responding to emergencies in inaccessible areas by skateboard was started. The top side of the skateboard is not liveried due to the high-grip surface.



Another view of the skateboard in use, being ridden by an emergency medical technician. A more traditional ambulance can be seen in the background. The information concerning this venture was released to the press on 1 April 2004, and yes it was an elaborate April fool!

Heathrow airport was only the second in the world to have an ambulance cycle unit (Vancouver was first). Here EMT Gerard Robinson and Duty Station Officer Alan Payne switch on their blue flashing lights inside the terminal for press photos. The cycle unit and this press call were covered by BBC’s ‘Airport’ television programme.



The same two ambulance cyclists cycle past the tails of British Airways planes. It is a big advantage to be able to respond to medical emergencies at speed both inside and outside the buildings.

Paramedic Neil Roberts on the TENYAS Life Cycle takes a look around.

A group of London Ambulance Service cyclists listen to words of wisdom from veteran ambulance service cyclist and instructor Mark Inman.

Here a LAS cycle response unit is joined by a very similar St. John Ambulance version.

This photo shows two West Midlands St. John cycle responders being briefed at a large outdoor event.



The same cycle team also meet up with some colleagues in a Challenger 4X4.