Cycle hire

Parkey
Parkey Posts: 303
edited November 2007 in Road beginners
Most of my riding is currently off-road and so I own an MTB, but I am considering whether at some point to get myself a road bike. This is not least because my girlfriend and I are considering taking part in some fairly long road rides in the future and I suspect that fitting slick tyres will only go so far.

Before I end up spending large sums of money I would really like to get some idea of what the difference between the two types of bike feels like. My question is whether anybody knows if there is anywhere in the UK that offers day hire of road bikes?
"A recent study has found that, at the current rate of usage, the word 'sustainable' will be worn out by the year 2015"

Comments

  • willbevan
    willbevan Posts: 1,241
    wasnt going to reply as not directly answering your questions....

    I was out with a group of friends couple of months ago, two of us riding very simalar bikes, one with normal chunky tyres, one with slicks....

    I was borrowing one of these bikes and had the one with the slicks on to start with...

    Now none of us were fit, but with doing a lot of running before i was the most active out of everyone and was leading the pack... flying off up the hills etc...

    Half way round switched with the guy that had the MTB tyres on, oh my what a difference....

    I had to work harder just to stay at the back of the pack... let alone in front of anyone (like i say though none of us where fit in the group of 4)

    You can pick up some slicks online for under 20 a pair....

    Now i did recently change from a rigid mountain bike to a road bike for my comute to work, ah what a difference. My ride was talking just under 19 mins to get into the office, first ride on the road bike was near 16....

    Okay the gearing shocked me a bit, as even with a compact on the road bike, the gearing isnt anywhere near as low as my road bike, and wish i had got a triple but ah well.. my legs will get stronger :)
    Road - BTwin Sport 2 16s
    MTB - Trek Fuel 80
    TT - Echelon

    http://www.rossonwye.cyclists.co.uk/
  • JWSurrey
    JWSurrey Posts: 1,173
    It's frighteningly expensive, but they will at least refund your hire fee, if you decide to buy....
    http://www.triandrun.com/page.php?id=9

    Last time we tried though, they had none in stock, and to be honest for a hundred quid you could buy a basic road bike at an auction/Ebay!

    Most good LBSs will let you test ride on - there have been mentions on here of all day test rides. I appreciate that if you intention is not one of immediate purchase, that you'd prefer to hire though.

    I think there's a bike shop in the New Forest near Lyndhurst that hires road bikes - I remember that they hire out tandems. Sorry, the name escapes me - will ask wifey when she returns.

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