Don't buy new. Rescue one.
Tallinn is full of perfectly good bikes that nobody rides. We bring them back to life and put them in the hands of people who will.
A new commuter bike isn't the answer
Every year, thousands of bikes are abandoned in Tallinn cellars, courtyards and bike racks - while shops sell brand-new ones that each cost the planet around 250 kg of CO2 to make and ship. We think that's backwards.
Rescue Bikes works with local repair workshops to refurbish abandoned bikes and return them to the community - free, refurbished, or sold by the workshops themselves. Good for your wallet, good for the city, and far better for the climate.
of CO2 saved every time someone rescues a bike instead of buying new - a conservative estimate covering materials, manufacturing and transport.
Our values
Three simple beliefs guide everything we do.
Reuse over buying new
The greenest bike is the one that already exists. We keep good bikes out of the scrap heap.
Local workshops first
Every repair supports an independent Tallinn workshop and the people who keep our city rolling.
Open to everyone
A safe, affordable bike should be within reach for anyone - from students to families.
The roadmap
We're starting in Tallinn, but abandoned bikes are everywhere.
Tallinn
Launch with partner workshops, free rescue bikes and a refurbished range.
Estonia
Bring the model to Tartu, Pärnu and beyond with regional workshop partners.
Baltics
Expand across Latvia and Lithuania, sharing what works city by city.
Europe
A network of rescued bikes wherever bikes get left behind.