renting bikes instead of traveling with bike
Originally Posted by
spectastic
For those of you who travel a lot and like to ride where you travel, have you considered not shipping the bike, but instead renting one at the place you're traveling to, even if it's for up to a week?
I've not traveled much with my bike, but I'm considering future traveling. It's kind of expensive and cumbersome to ship bikes back and forth.
Most road bikes have similar geometries, and you can probably bring your own stem, saddle, shoes, possibly even handlebar to make the rental bike fit exactly like your regular bike.
Anyone have experience renting bikes? How did the experience differ from shipping it?
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
… traveling for business or pleasure is alway disruptive to my usual healthy routines so cycling is how I "stabilize." Besides, IMO, it is the best way to explore a new area.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
Do you bike on vacation?
I try to include cycling in on every trip away from home, even including those to go away to professional conferences. Since I don't fly, it's easy to bring my own bike in the SUV.
Usually on my trips, conferences or family activities take precedence, and I only get to ride in the early morning for maybe 10 to 20 miles. So if I don’t bring my own bike,
I’m usually satisfied with a hybrid-type rental, a bike-share bike, and I have on occasion borrowed my brother’s heavy duty hybrid.
If I were to follow the rule of ”N+1,” I would consider a folding bike to take in the car, or on the useful Amtrak Rail in the Northeast Corridor.
Here in Boston, my LBS,
Back Bay Bikes, located conveniently on the Green Line Subway in Back Bay does rent quality hybrids and road bikes, and I think will attach pedals at least.
A major hassle of renting, is to locate and inquire about rentals, in a city you don’t know, find your way to the shop from where you are staying, and return it and get to your departure point.