Nextbikes will be taken off the streets of Penarth and Cardiff for two weeks, while 50 new e-bikes will be launched later in August.

The bicycles will be taken away for maintenance from Tuesday 20 July until 3 August.

Customers who subscribe to Nextbike will have their memberships paused during the two weeks the bikes are off the streets.

Later in August, 50 e-bikes will be added to the Cardiff fleet. These will join up with the existing e-bike scheme in Penarth.

Krysia Solheim, Nextbike managing director, said: "We know many people rely on our fleet of Nextbikes to get around Cardiff and the Vale, and we'd like to apologise in advance for the inconvenience that this short temporary suspension in service will cause."

From 3 August to 9 August, Nextbike will offer the first 30 minutes of every standard bike rental for free, and the first hour for customers with subscriptions.

Electric Nextbike stations will be installed in Cardiff at Crown Court, Wales Millenium Centre, County Hall, Penylan Library, and Llanishen Leisure Centre. Some stations already exist in Penarth, with two planned for Dinas Powys soon.

Ms Solheim said: "From the rental patterns we've seen over the last few months, we know most people have been using the bikes for leisure rides later on in the day, rather than using them for traditional commuter journeys.

"We're expecting this to change in the coming months as more people return to their place of work, instead of working from home. That's why we've planned the refresh now, before people begin their return to commuting back to work or school.

"We'd like to reassure customers that the disruption will be kept to an absolute minimum. We're advising customers to plan ahead to find an alternative way to travel around the city during the two-week period.

"To say thanks to our customers for their continued support and patience, we'll be giving away unlimited 30 minute rides on our standard bikes between August 3 and August 9 so everyone can try out one of the refreshed bikes for free.

"August will see the introduction of Cardiff's highly-anticipated e-bikes, with five stations initially being launched. This means you will be able to travel between Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan with an added electric boost, which is fantastic news for both areas."