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Renting a bike while traveling can be more of a headache than taking one along.
I take mine with me just about everywhere...
I ride the weirdest bike on the planet, though. It's a carbon frame hybrid bike, so that the combined weight of the bag, pump (can't fly with CO2), tools and shoes is under 50 pounds. So it can go as "oversize luggage" or "sporting equipment", depending on which category is cheaper for a given airline.
I wrap the frame in pool noodle sections, it mounts into the frame in the bag, and the bag has roller blade wheels on casters. It goes anywhere, and it is amazing how small a car you can rent as long as the back seat folds down.
That bike goes everywhere...
Last edited Sun Jan 21, 2018, 10:48 PM - Edit history (1)
And, yeah, anything can happen to luggage. I had it catch up a day late to me once, but no major disasters yet.
I usually squeeze in some riding during the course of a business trip, and the hassle of finding decent bike rentals, fitting their schedule into your schedule and, frankly, getting something reliable, can be aggravating. On the scheduling thing, if I decided to throw in a Saturday someplace, then I want to hit the road earlier than the shops are open. That requires a multi-day rental (and dealing with getting the bike to where you are or vice versa), and making sure you can return it before they close on Saturday, and then flying out Sunday morning. Plus, if you have the bike with you right there at your hotel or whatever, then it's a whole lot easier to get in some early morning / evening rides just because you are somewhere new, and a bicycle is the best way to get to know a place.
With multi-day rentals in some places, then even having a airline which is fee-crazy (or being able to avoid fees through loyalty programs or credit card affiliation), you can come out ahead on cost; and the hassle of packing and unpacking is frequently less than the hassle of arranging a bike rental. Even if you have, say, good concierge services where you are staying, their idea of a "rental bike" and your idea of a "rental bike" can wildly differ.
Although, once in a while you get to try out a pretty cool bike. My workhorse is an upgrade from a machine I really got to like in the Al-frame version from a frequent rental (although that guy is kind of upset he can't ridiculously overcharge me for renting from him anymore, but I do plug his business on TripAdvisor, so there's that). But a friend of mine took me up the coast from Santa Monica past Malibu, and we rented from, obviously, one of many fine bike shops in that area. So, I got to try out a Trek Madone model that was like the difference between driving the family car and getting into a Lambo. You'd *think* about going faster, and the thing would just accelerate like it was patched into your spinal cord.
Plus, I like having my bike in the pictures from the rides...... even if it's just a few miles from home, like today:
