Hamburg: Stadtrad fleet will be upgraded and receive digital locking technology

The bicycle fleet of Stadtrad Hamburg is being gradually modernized. Traffic Senator Anjes Tjarks and Deutsche Bahn Manager Jürgen Gudd presented the first retrofitted bikes on Monday. They can still be rented by scanning a QR code on the frame. However, there is no need to pull a lock cable out of the rear wheel anymore. Also, locking the bike at the station upon return is no longer required. Ride breaks can also be made via the app. Additionally, the new bikes will be equipped with silver front baskets. Whether a bike is available is indicated by an LED display on the lock.

"Stadtrad is a Hamburg success story and is as popular with the people of our city as it is with our guests. To ensure this remains the case, we want to maintain high quality and continue to modernize the fleet," said Tjarks. With the simplified rental process, Stadtrad becomes even faster and more convenient to use, said Gudd. At the start, more than 200 bikes have been retrofitted. By June, half of the fleet should be modernized, and by the end of the year, the entire fleet. The new locking technology has been in use in other Deutsche Bahn bikesharing systems since 2021.