If you’re an active traveler and like to ride trails all over the country/world, you may have noticed a bike problem. You’ve got two choices:
- You can take a bike with you which is okay if you’re driving but a pain when flying, or
- You can rent a bike when you get to your destination.
I prefer the second option for many reasons:
- It’s less of a hassle.
- I enjoy meeting the friendly bike rental people.
- In the long run, it’s sometimes cheaper to pay a rental fee than a shipping/airline fee.
- It’s nice to talk to someone local @ the bike shop for information, directions, & tips.
- I get to try out different bikes.
Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to find fully stocked rental shops in some of the trail areas. It’s especially hard to find bike shops that have recumbent bikes. I don’t have to have a recumbent, but I love trying them out, and they’re especially nice on long trails when you have to pack a lot of gear (which I usually do). On one our trips, my daughter & I got to try a tandem recumbent bike while riding our bikes on the Withlacoochee State Trail in Florida. It’s been one of my most enjoyable trail experiences since I started riding rail trails. And that’s saying a lot considering how much I enjoy all of the rails-to-trails offerings.
