Let’s talk about riding bikes. Why? Because the world is going crazy and riding helps me keep my sanity. It’s good for my health too. Plus bikes are fun.
Why ride a bike when you’re on a trip? For one, it’s a great way to explore a new place. Plus I need my exercise and I get tired of doing the treadmill at the hotel. Reminds me too much of my career: I work my ass off, I never move forward and it gets harder the longer I do it.
I actually bought a cool little folding bike a while back with the intent of taking it on trips with me. It was on close-out at the outdoor co-op so I didn’t pay much for it. The problem is, our jumpseat policy at work requires bikes, golf clubs, skis and such to be loaded in the belly compartment. Turns out to be more trouble than it’s worth. Plus at damn near 30 pounds it’s a lot to drag around with me on a trip. Don’t despair though. The fenders and sealed hub gearing make it a great little bad-weather training ride. I rode it all through the winter.
You can actually install couplers on a full size bike that allow it to be taken apart and transported in a case. This is an expensive option, adding around $1000 to the price of a bike. Someone suggested I do this to my 1995 Bianchi and I said not only no but hell no. That Italian frame is a work of art and I’m not taking a hacksaw to it!
That leaves me with either a bike-share or a rental bike when I’m out on the road.
Bike sharing apparently has been around longer than I thought, at least in Europe. In the US it has slowly been gaining popularity over the last two decades. I see more and more cities adopting it when I’m out and about.
Most bike-share bikes seem to follow the same pattern. First off, they usually look different from regular bikes, probably to deter theft. They usually have wide tires, heavy frames and sealed components. Usually a three-speed internal hub. Most seem to have a basket or luggage rack of some sort. I’m sure you could hurt one if you tried, but they’re pretty beefy.
To rent one usually involves putting a credit card into an ATM-type screen that unlocks a bike from the bike rack. I’ve seen other systems but this seems to be pretty common. Since these are meant as alternative to driving, there are usually penalties for keeping the bike out too long (30 minutes seems common). They want you to ride the bike to your destination and then turn it in. That ensures a constant supply of bikes at the bike stations. Long story short, these are great for getting around but not the best choice for a serious training ride.
Rental bikes run the gamut. Depending on where you are, you can probably rent anything from a beach cruiser to a tandem or recumbent. They also run the gamut in terms of quality. I’ve rented high-end road bikes that were equal to or better than what I have at home. I’ve also had some that were a bit iffy and everything in between.
Price wise I’ve seen beach cruisers rent for as little as $15 and top-end road bikes at over $100. The average seems to be around $40 for a mountain bike or hybrid.
Our LAX layover is in Marina Del Rey and the hotel has cheap rentals on beach cruisers. I take one out for the day and attempt to set the beach cruiser land speed record down to Redondo Beach and back for a total of 25 miles. Note that those wide seats may look really comfy, but on a long ride they’ll start chafing you in places you really don’t want to be chafed.
I like the simplicity of a beach cruiser. Reminds me of the first bike I had as a kid. Just jump on and start pedaling. No worries about clipping in or shifting gears. Not much fun on a hill, but the beach is pretty flat.
Going fast on a beach cruiser is like the old saying about dancing with a pig. Yeah, you can do it, but the pig won’t like it and you’ll just look silly if you try. Still I make good time and manage to avoid any collisions.
I’m amazed at how many people will just wander onto a bike path without so much as looking. Either they’re oblivious or they just don’t care. I know it’s my job to yield but they’re putting an awful lot of trust in my brakes.
Speaking of brakes, Mrs. Kong apparently had never seen a coaster brake before her first ride on a cruiser bike.
“Honey, where’s the rear brake?”
“It’s just like the bike you had when you were a kid!”
“I didn’t have a bike when I was a kid!”
“Oh. Then it’s just like the bike you didn’t have when you were a kid!’
(That’s me. Always trying to help.)
Our San Francisco hotel is right on Fisherman’s Warf and there seems to be a rental place about every block with a sign that says “Bike the Bridge!”
Mostly these places cater in renting mountain-bike/hybrids to tourists. I’ve used them once or twice and they seem more interested in getting you in and out quickly than anything else. Be sure to give that bike a good once-over before heading out the door. Good advice for any rental.
I’m looking for something a little more serious today. They direct me to a place a few blocks away where they keep their good road bikes. It’s not cheap, but they set me up with a really nice carbon fiber road bike that’s pretty close to what I ride at home. If I plan on renting a road bike, I usually bring my own gear with me: helmet, gloves, shoes, lights, bell. A good rental shop will set the bike up with the pedals you want. I normally ride with clipless SPDs. The cleat is recessed into the shoe, so when you get off the bike you don’t have to walk like an elf.
My plan is to cross the bridge and head up to Tiburon for lunch. If I feel good I’ll ride back for a 30-mile or so round trip. If not, I have the option of taking the ferry back.
If you ride across the bridge, keep in mind that it’s pretty congested. Be ready for people to stop abruptly for photo ops. The path narrows as it goes around the towers so be careful.
I make it up to Tiburon with no problems. This seems like the place to ride on the weekends because darn near every cyclist in the Bay Area is here. I have a quick lunch and head back towards the bridge.
If you’ve ever done this ride, getting back to the bridge from Sausalito can be a challenge. Especially for us flatlanders from Central Ohio. Coming out of Sausalito you have two options: a very steep but relatively short climb and a longer but still pretty steep climb. I go for the longer route and find myself totally outclassed by the hill. After about the first mile I’m beat and I’m not even halfway up. I’d trade my left you-know-what for a triple chainring right about now.
Out of power, out of gears and out of ideas I stop to rest. Several riders shout encouragement as they go by and I press on after catching my breath. Repeat a couple more times and I finally make it. That was painful but the view makes it worthwhile.
The next month I find myself with a couple of 60-hour layovers in Boston. Seniority is a wonderful thing. A little research tells me that Boston has several nice bike paths and at least one bike shop that offers rentals.
They set me up with a very nice aluminum frame road bike. Except the people working there were all from Ireland so it was “aluminium”.
I find aluminum frames to be a bit stiff riding but the bike was fast and responsive. Lots of fun when I could get out of the congested areas and really let it run.
There is a beautiful path that follows both sides of the Charles river west from downtown. Note that it’s very congested with joggers and pedestrians near downtown but opens up a bit as you get closer to Cambridge.
I make a quick stop for lunch in Cambridge. Park the car bike in Harvard Yard….
The Charles River Greenway will take you as far west as Waltham. About 13 miles from downtown. I’m trying to get 50 miles in so I loop back towards Cambridge.
From Cambridge, if you follow Massachusetts Avenue north you can pick up the Minuteman Bikeway. For all the horror stories about Boston drivers I find it to be a pretty bike friendly city. I find the drivers fairly courteous. It only takes one to ruin your day, however, so stay alert.
The Minuteman Bikeway reminds me of our rail trails here in Ohio. It runs northwest from Cambridge all the way to Bedford. It’s flat, well paved and scenic. It gets congested in a few spots but you can go fast if you’re careful.
Of course, this being Boston, I get lost on my way back to the bike shop. I end up making my way back on city streets. Fortunately it’s a Sunday and traffic is pretty light.
So think about renting a bike on your next trip somewhere. You can cover a lot more ground than on foot but you can go places a car can’t. Plus it’s fun.