HUNDREDS of Glasgow’s pink hire bikes will be replaced in a couple of months with new state-of-the-art models.

There are presently 435 bikes at 43 stations across the city and they will all be renewed and an additional 65 provided bringing the total to 500.

By the end of the year there will also be an additional 10 bike stations in the city.

Within the next few years a further 500 bikes will be introduced at 94 new sites making the scheme operator nextbike’s biggest in the UK.

The new bikes will have a safety feature which projects a “ghost bike” several yards ahead on the road warning other drivers and pedestrians a cyclist is approaching.

They will also have a new locking system and will feature improved GPS tracking which will make it easier for nextbike to locate any which have gone missing.

Some of the additional bikes which are to be introduced will be at new bike stations in some of the less well off parts of the city.

More than 17,000 people have already registered for the hire scheme and that number is expected to soar when the bikes are introduced to new locations.

Nextbike managing director Julian Scriven said: “I think it is important we make the bikes available to as many people as possible and particularly those who are economically disadvantaged.

“Bike share is the cheapest way to travel round Glasgow and if we can put bike stations into areas where people have less money it will help the community.

“Milton Keynes presently has 500 bikes but when Glasgow has 1000 bikes it will be the biggest scheme in the UK.”

Anna Richardson, the city council convener for sustainability and carbon reduction said the cycle hire scheme had proved hugely popular.

She added: “As a regular cyclist myself, I am thrilled the city’s network of hire locations is expanding and there will be more bikes on offer across the city.

“The existing bikes are also being replaced with new models which is great news for users.

“I am particularly pleased some of the new hire locations will be outside the city centre and in communities which will make the scheme more attractive to commuters from these areas.

“Cycling has so many benefits, both for the city as a whole and for those who take part.

“Easy, low cost bike hire can help reduce carbon emissions by giving people a real alternative that can often be quicker and more convenient than driving, especially for shorter journeys.”