Renting a bike allows you to explore a new part of your city or country. You can discover neighborhoods, see sights, and experience culture on a bicycle that you would not have otherwise had access to. This form of transportation is eco-friendly and can be a fun alternative to bus or metro rides.
Bike rental can be provided by bike shops as a sideline to their main business or it may be the core of the company. Often these companies also offer bicycle-share programmes. In these types of systems customers can use bikes for a few hours or even a whole day. These are popular with tourists and visitors.
Unlike the first generation of a bike-share programme, in which bikes are unlocked and left where they land, these second-generation schemes require users to register with the company using an app. Users must also agree to certain terms such as where and how they will park their bicycle. They must keep the bike within a designated area or pay a fee. This helps the company control the number of bicycles and prevent vandalism and theft.
Aside from providing bikes for rent, these companies often offer services such as cycle maintenance and repairs. They can perform basic work such as a free initial consultation, cycle cleaning, power washing, and lubrication, or more complex services like frame swaps, re-builds and custom paint. They usually offer a variety of brands such as tokyobike, Jamis, Surly, All City and Linus.