Renting and Riding Bicycles in Five Countries

 Paris Training Race at Longchamp

During my five-week trip in Europe and Israel, I rented five of the six bikes I rode. The sixth bike I left at the monastery where my Cold War Army roommate is Bruder Timotheus in Darmstadt, Germany.  Each bike and rental is as different as the country in which I rode.

This was not the trip I planned. Originally I was going to ride as much as I could of the length of Israel, but my knee swelled up and hurt a lot on the day before the flight to Europe.  I rested my knee the first few days and rode with less intensity, but still had a great trip.   

PARIS

In Paris, I primarily rode the daily training race atLongchamp.  There is a two-mile road around the perimeter of the horse-racing track called L’hippodrome in the southwest corner of the city.  Every day that road is closed to traffic from 10am until sunset.  Groups of bikes and solo bikes ride the circle. Every time I could, I rode the circle, joining various groups of riders and riding their speed. The last day I rode there I did a dozen laps on a windy day averaging 19 mph.  There is a Strava segment on the 3km circle that is 21km.  Strava told me I averaged 31.7km/hr.  another time I rode a couple of laps at 14 mph with five riders in their 70s. 

One of the days I rode to the west suburbs of Suresne, Rueil-Malmaison, Chatou and Saint Germain-en-Laye.  The ride is hilly, beautiful and on a variety of roads. 

I rented the bike from Paris Bike Company in Malakoff on the south side of Paris. They rent high-end bikes for tours and by the day.  Sam Weaver, the owner, is an American who was a bike dealer in America and now has a shop for tours. He does custom bike fit for local clients. He speaks French well with a very American accent.  His rental rate for a carbon race bike with helmet, pedals and water bottles is 70 Euros for the first day and 30 Euros for additional days.  Importantly for me, the additional days do not have to be sequential.  I was in and out of Paris a half-dozen times during the five weeks I travelled.  I rented the bike for a couple of days, went to Israel and Latvia for two weeks, rode another day, left for Germany, ride two more days, went to Germany again, and then rode one more day at the end of the trip.  The bike was ready each time. 

JERUSALEM

In Jerusalem I rode different directions out of the city. In Jerusalem, leaving the city means riding steeply downhill for miles. And, of course, riding steeply uphill all the way back. In fact, the steepest parts of the ride in and out of Jerusalem are the first two or three miles.

In Jerusalem, I rented another carbon race bike from another American with a bike shop.  Moses, owner of Bike Way, is even more relaxed that Sam about the bike.  I had the bike I rented in Jerusalem for five days. When I returned it, Moses asked how many days I rode. I said four—I skipped riding one day. He charged me for just four.  His rate is $35 per day.  In February I will be in Jerusalem for eight days. I told Moses I would need a bike then, but between tours I was doing and the rainy season, I did not know when or how many days. He told me to take the bike when I arrive. When I return it, tell him how many days I rode. He will charge me for just those days. It may be just three days. That’s okay with him.

RIGA, LATVIA

I visited all three of the Baltic states in four days there: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, but only rode one day in Riga, Latvia.  The other days it rained. A friend who lived there was surprised I even had a three-hour window to ride one day. He said it rains or snows from October to April.  The Baltic states are flat and forested with the narrow roads common all over Europe. In the city of Riga there were bike paths along the river and I saw some bike lanes in the city. There was also cobblestones and very narrow streets in the old city.

In Riga, Latvia, I rented a touring bike at Riga Bike Tours and Rent.  In November there was only one shop renting bikes. The high temperature the day I rented was 35 Fahrenheit. It was the only day it didn’t rain.  I rode for about 90 minutes along the river until I got thoroughly cold.  The rate for the day was 7 Euros, but he only charged me five for the short ride. 

BERLIN

In Berlin, I had another one-day rental. Again, not a lot of options in November when the high temperature was in the mid 30s. The rate was 20 Euros for a day or an hour. I rode around the center of the city in the area of the central park called Tiergarten.  Two years ago I was in Berlin in July and the bike culture was evident everywhere.  There are bike lanes, bike paths, bike racks, and people riding fast and slow in suits and spandex all over the place. It is a really bike-friendly city. 

LUXEMBOURG

In Luxembourg, I rode one of the city bikes.  They were easy to use. For three Euros I could ride the whole day.  I rode up and down a long hill to a medieval village in the middle of the city, below city hall.

In 2017, I rode from Belgrade, Serbia, to Lviv, Ukraine, and part of the way back to Germany. I rode a Surly steel bike with flat handlebars and an 8-speed gear set in the rear hub.  This was the first—and last—time I rode with panniers. Carrying gear on a bike is Heaven for some people, but not for me.  After the ride across Eastern Europe, I spent a week with an old friend in Darmstadt, Germany.  He is a monk. I donated the bike to the monastery.  

On this trip, when I visited my friend Cliff, the bike was there and ready to ride. I rode to nearby Frankenstein’s Castle. It’s a beautiful road, climbing steeply up for three miles of smooth switchbacks. It was repaved in 2016.  After the slow climb up, I had a fast ride down.  The Brothers at the monastery prefer their touring-style bikes and only occasionally ride the Surly. So it is there when I visit and for other visitors who might want a faster ride than the balloon-tire bikes the Brothers ride.

I have ridden in more than 30 countries on five continents over the past 20 years, including most of the countries in Europe between Portugal and Ukraine. I am not a careful person.