When planning a cycling holiday a key consideration is what bike to ride. Whilst some people choose to travel with their own bike the majority opt to save the plane fare & hassle of lugging a bike box around and rent instead. Renting a bike can be daunting – so many colours, models, sizes, groupsets, […]
When planning a cycling holiday a key consideration is what bike to ride. Whilst some people choose to travel with their own bike the majority opt to save the plane fare & hassle of lugging a bike box around and rent instead. Renting a bike can be daunting – so many colours, models, sizes, groupsets, braking systems, frame materials, companies etc etc. But, renting a bike is a golden opportunity to try something new or even test ride the bike of your dreams.
By asking yourself these simple questions you can decide which bike to choose from all the options out there. Given our location this will be focused on Girona Bike Hire but should help choose your perfect rental bike wherever you’re traveling to!
What Type of Cycling Would You Like to Do?
It sounds obvious but if you know what terrain you’ll be riding on this is a big part of the puzzle & you can start to narrow down your bike hire options:
- Road – Girona is a hub for road cycling in Europe. Professional road cyclists choose to make Girona their base for training and racing. Quiet roads, respectful traffic a huge variety of terrain & route options make road cycling the most popular type of cycling in Girona (and as a result one of the most popular types of bike hire in Girona).
- Off-Road – Girona also has a network of gravel roads, mountain bike trails and family-friendly bike paths. There are plenty of bikes to choose from in the off-road category, depending on which type of terrain you’d like to explore.
- City – Cruising around the city and Devesa park on a bike is a cool way to see the city. You could even consider taking a 40 min train to Barcelona and bike around there too. This is a great option for families and groups of ‘normal’/non-cycling people. A Brompton has to be the ultimate city machine – it’s great fun to ride & is completely foldable – perfect for carrying on and off trains & into cafès and restaurants (for more info make sure you check our guide to cycling in Barcelona!)
Road Cycling: What Type of Cyclist Are You?
Ok, so you’ve decided you want to explore Girona’s beautiful roads. Let’s take a deep dive into the world of road bikes and see how to separate the options so you can choose the perfect rental road bike. Road bikes tend to fall into three broad categories and are best suited to different types of cyclist.
- Lightweight – The Climbers Rental Bike: For cyclists who love to climb then a bike designed around the ability to climb will maximise the enjoyment of the ride.
- Top Pick: Factor O2 Ultegra Di2 – ok, so it’s a treat but we think a Factor 02 rental is the ultimate climbing machine. With a precision engineered Factor 02 frameset, Black Inc carbon wheels, bars, seatpost & stem & the high performance lightweight groupset that is Shimano Ultegra Di2 this is a machine that flies uphill.
- Best Value: Ridley Helium X Ultegra – if the Factor’s way out of budget there’s no need to panic. Enter Ridley’s lightweight sensation that is the Helium. Aptly named this is a beautiful frameset which heads skywards with ease.
- Comfort – The Endurance Bike: For riders who love long days in the saddle on varied terrain the endurance bike is the way to go. These bikes tend to offer a more relaxed geometry giving the rider a more comfortable position, best for long days in the saddle.
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- Top Pick: Ridley Fenix Ultegra Disc – The Fenix is Ridley’s answer to Paris-Roubaix. Designed to absorb the shock of the cobblestones the Fenix promises a smooth, sweet ride. Disc brakes offer powerful braking & the ultegra groupset promises perfect shifting.
- Best Value: Ridley Fenix 105 – the same as above but with rim brakes and Shimano 105 groupset. Perfect for a smooth ride for those on more of a budget.
- Fast – The Aero Bike: we don’t recommend this type of bike for cycling in Girona. With a more aggressive geometry & added weight for the aero features this is a bike that will neither climb particularly well or be that comfortable for a long day in the saddle.
Off-Road Cycling: What Type of Terrain?
If you’re heading off road the key consideration when renting a bike in Girona is to decide what type of terrain you’d find most enjoyable – this will best help you to select your steed:
- Gravel – A good definition of a gravel road is anything that a car can be driven down, any more technical and gravel riding starts to head into mountain bike terrain. A gravel bike has wider tyres and more tread compared to a road bike – offering better grip off road. A gravel bike has a more relaxed geometry than their cyclo-cross counterparts. Make sure your rental bike is geared for the rides you’re planning to do: the steep trails around Girona tend to need a larger cassette that what might otherwise be normal. Get an introduction to gravel cycling in Girona from our ESC tour guide Peter Gaskill.
- Top pick: Basso Palta – ‘Palta’ is Italian for mud & this is a high-end carbon gravel bike which thrives in dirty conditions. With a specially designed fork and shock-absorbing seatpost enjoy a stable and comfortable ride. There’s also space for up to three bottle cages – great for a hot, off-road bike-packing adventure.
- Trails & Single-track – If you’re planning on tackling more technical trails then consider a mountain bike. A hardtail will cope with most of what Girona has to offer. A full-suspension is pretty niche and not widely available to rent in Girona.
- Top pick: Ridley Ignite – A lightweight 29’er hardtail designed for cyclocross competition, this is an ultrafast bike for ultimate off-road fun.
- Bike Paths – Girona has a network of bike paths, the most popular being the Via Verde, stretching from San Feliu at the coast to Olot in the foothills of the Pyrenees. A hybrid bicycle is best suited to these trails. Equipped with wider tyres than a road bike for extra grip on the gravel and a super comfortable upright position. Hybrid bikes often come with a rack for carrying bags – perfect for stashing a picnic for when you reach the beach!
- Top pick: Ridley Tempo Disc – a comfy, versatile bike for enjoying bike paths & roads alike. This bike comes in female specific & men’s geometry & comes equipped with a rack for carrying your bags.
- Add Some Gas: Orbea Keram Comfort Electric – turbo boost your ride and take the edge off the climbs with this dreamy electrified hybrid. Equipped with a rack you can carry everything you need for a lovely day out on the bike.
If some of the rental bikes mentioned above have piqued your interest you can check our range of rental bikes in Girona here and we also have some of them available for purchase if you’re really tempted!
What About Renting an Electric Bike in Girona?
The trend of electric bikes is booming here with electric bike rentals on the up. Sales across Europe are up & more & more people are turning to electric bikes and it’s no surprise why. Electric bikes offer many people the opportunity to ride a bike in places they never imagined they could physically cope with. Electric bikes mean groups of friends & families with riders of different abilities can ride together and enjoy shared experiences. Electric bikes are a serious amount of fun.
- Top Pick: Orbea Gain M20 – this is a very special electric road bike. A carbon frame & ultegra groupset mean this bike oozes quality and puts Orbea at the forefront of electric bike design. The battery is discreetly hidden in the downtube meaning the bike doesn’t stand out in a field of non-electric bikes.
Bike Hire Girona – Choose Your Bike!
If you’re in Girona and looking to hire a bike we hope the above guide has given you some useful information about the types of rental options that are available and which one would suit you best. If you’ve any questions about which rental bike is for you then give us a call now on +34 972 649 131 or contact us online for more info.
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