Something I wanted to do when I visited Sacramento last winter was to explore the bicycle trail along the American River.
To rent a bicycle before I left, I had to search for bike shops, check if they were close to the trail, then call to compare prices and determine if they actually would have bicycles in stock.
Now a couple of midwestern cycling enthusiasts are making it easier for bicyclists who want to get a ride in on their business or pleasure trips. They've created an online service — RentABikeNow.com — that enables cyclists to rent bicycles in 144 cities in the U.S.
One-stop
The one-stop online-shop connects cyclists with companies and shops that have bicycles for rent. The cyclist simply choses a destination and date, then compares types, sizes and costs of bikes that are offered by one or more shops. The reservation is made online.
The bike rental service also has partnered with bike route mapping sites that include maps on the printed confirmations if the customer has specified places to visit in the destination city.
Founders
The concept is the brainchild of George Gill, who owns a marketing firm in Chicago. He brought on another bicycling fanatic, Ray Schuhmann of Louisville, to help bring the idea to fruition.
According to company literature, Gill is the president/founder and Big Wheel. Schuhmann is co-founder and Chief Torquenology Officer. They both log thousands of miles year on their bikes.
An article last fall in BizJournal Green reported that the business model calls for bicycle retailers to pay a setup fee to join the system, although that was being waived for some of the early participants. RentABike also takes a commission on each rental.
Prices
The bike rental locations set their own prices and RentABikeNow charges an additional fee; it's $5 for 1 bike, $8 for 2, etc.
It's a good idea to read the “fine print” at RentABike's FAQ page. There are liability issues, late fees, cancellation policies, security deposits and other details that are necessary to figure out when renting bikes to the public. For instance, what happens in the event of a flat? (Best to carry a cell phone and call the rental agency directly.)
Special corporate discounts are available for companies that encourage their employees to ride bikes to work.
Some bike accessories like helmets and panniers are also available at some of the shops.
Availability
RentABikeNow has contracts with outlets in 37 states so far. They promise that more are on the way.
For instance, I checked to see if I could rent a bike in Bellevue, Washington. The bike rental offered was in Seattle, about 8 1/2 miles away. The outfit had hybrids in small, medium and large sizes available for the date I chose.
Elsewhere, Kestrel road bikes were offered for rent, but they were a lot more expensive. Some outlets have other brands of road bikes, as well as mountain bikes, kids bikes, tandems and recumbents. It all depends on the location.
Useful service
This seems to be a good idea for the business traveler. You can fly into a city and catch a cab to the local bike rental shop instead of renting a car to get around town. Then you use the bike to explore the city you're visiting or run errands or do business.
Also, if you're visiting an old friend in another town or even doing a charity ride away from home, this could be a good way to have a bike without the trouble of packing up your own and shipping it.
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