Tartu bikeshare bikes outfitted with winter tires
Starting Wednesday, Tartu Bikeshare's regular bikes will be outfitted with studded winter tires. While its popular electric bikes will be remain in use until temperatures fall steadily below freezing, the regular bikes will be available over the winter season as well.
Studded winter tires were installed on 250 regular bikeshare bikes by Tuesday which should serve to make them safer to use in winter conditions, according to a city government press release.
Roman Meeksa, head of the Tartu City Transport Unit, which manages the bikeshare, nonetheless warned that winter tires aren't some kind of magic that will keep a bike upright at all times.
"One must be careful and critical of their cycling skills in winter and especially in slippery conditions," Meeksa said. "We definitely recommend wearing a helmet."
According to the city, the bikeshare's 500 electric bikes will remain available for use until temperatures drop steadily below zero. At that point, the electric bikes will be stored for the winter, as charging in below freezing temperatures could damage the bikes' batteries.
Tartu Bikeshare debuted on June 8. Since its introduction in Estonia's second largest city, users have pedaled a total of over 1.88 million kilometers with its bikes.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
