Renting a car is one way to see a new city, but for a real close-up and a little exercise, how about renting a bike?
A Web site launched earlier this year, www.rentabikenow.com/, helps travelers find two-wheeled transportation in 168 cities in the United States and Canada. It works with 200 bike stores and counting, putting site users directly in touch with the rental inventory at independent bicycle stores large and small. Users select the city where they are headed, and receive a list of available bikes from cruisers to mountain bikes. Some bike stores offer tandem and recumbent bikes, too.
It can be hard to find a bicycle to rent when you are going on a trip. Not all bike stores rent bikes, and hours, bicycle styles and rental rates differ widely. That is the need that RentaBikeNow.com is aiming to deal with. It also collects surveys from every user to rate the stores and their service.
To rent a bicycle on RentaBikeNow.com, users pay a $5 to $8 fee, make a deposit and then pay the balance when they pick up and use the bike. The site also provides some mapping and route advice. And the bike listings show a photo of the bike that users are reserving online, plus store hours. All the bike stores must offer helmets; some rent, others offer them for free.
The cost of renting the bike itself usually runs about $40, said George Gill, the site's president and founder, based in Chicago. Gill has seen rental charges that range from $15 to $100.
That means that bike rental isn't always much more economical than renting a car. But rolling down the street on two wheels instead of four is healthier, easier on the environment and fun, noted Gill, 45, who himself rides 4,000 miles a year for health and relaxation.
"It goes back to that fundamental sense of freedom," he said. "You're truly in touch with the world around you, whether that be nature or the local people in the town you're visiting."
RentaBikeNow.com, started in April, has agreements with 200 bicycle stores in 40 states, and Gill is hard at work looking for more. The site has 20 rental locations in California and 11 in Florida.
Renting a bike makes sense if you don't have the time or ability to ship your own bike where you are going, said Winona Sorenson at Adventure Cycling Association in Montana, a 44,000-member group aimed at inspiring people to travel on two wheels.
"For me, it's a fantastic way to see a city up close," said Sorenson, the media director of the association. "I get to spend time outside."
And if you travel by bike, you will never have to hunt for a parking space again.
■ Comments and tips can be sent by e-mail to cybertrip@ap.org
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