Renting bikes in Europe - Germany?

[HappyAnika]

Has anyone rented a road bike in Europe before? My husband and I will be in Germany in the fall and would like to rent road bikes for a day or two to ride in the Black Forest region. I'm having trouble finding any information on rentals, and I want to make sure we'll be able to rent road bikes (as opposed to cruisers). Also, any ideas on how shoes might work? Should we bring our own? I'm afraid of cleat/pedal compatibility issues. Any information on how to find a shop, what to bring, etc. would be appreciated. Thanks!

[DebW]

This won't be real helpful, but I did rent bikes in 2004 on the Chiemsee in southern Bavaria. It's a resort area on a lake, so they catered to tourists and not serious cyclists. The bikes were mostly upright cruisers with 7 speed internal gearing. Some had derailleurs and drop bars. We did a 1 1/2 hour ride around the lake on roads and paths, took a ferry to an island, then rode back. I did spend a couple days in the Black Forest, but didn't bike there. There were lots of forest paths that looked suitable for mountain biking, and the roads weren't very busy so I'm sure road biking would be nice. In northern Bavaria I noticed bike route signs along many of the farm lanes. One odd thing we discovered over much of Germany was that many of the smaller hotels wouldn't take credit cards - you had to visit an ATM and pay cash.

Regarding the shoe issue, why not take your own pedals along with your shoes.

[Grog]

Not really helpful either but I was in France this spring and had the hardest time finding a road bike to rent. I was in Grenoble (60 km from the Alpe d'Huez) and called EVERY SINGLE BIKE SHOP in the whole area. I found ONE tiny mechanics place that had four road bikes for rent. I jumped on the one that was closest to my size.

Right at the Alpe d'Huez there was a rental shop but getting there to pick up the bike and then riding there again to give it back would have been very inconvenient (especially since it was still snowing up in the mountain).

So call everywhere before hand, send emails to regular bike shops even if they don't say they rent bikes. Who knows? You might find someone willing to lend you their winter bike or something, too. You can always try the tourism office. In Grenoble it was helpless though...

Bring your own pedals (and a pedal wrench, just in case) and shoes, it's the simplest thing. I was happy to have mine.

p.s. Don't get discouraged by people that tell you nobody does that (every bike shop I called told me that). You'll eventually find somewhere.

[Bron]

I've had this question from people in Munich. It seems to be quite difficult to rent road bikes over here. Trekking-style and mountain bikes are easier.

Anika, have you thought of renting a mountain bike instead? There must be lots of fun trails in the Black Forest area.
Do you know where in the Black Forest you are going? I can have a look on German websites for you if that's any help.

Bron

[HappyAnika]

Thank you! Actually all of what you've said is helpful. Duh, about the pedals, those are small and easy to pack, great idea! I guess we might have to be more flexible and be willing to rent mountain bikes if necessary. We are thinking of staying in either Baden-Baden, Freudenstadt, Villingen, or Freiburg. We'll have a rental car to explore the area, but would also like to cycle some. I don't speak a word of German (well, maybe one, bier :D), so looking at German web sites aren't much help. Bron, if you have some spare time and are able to find any bike shops in the area with an e-mail address that would be fabulous.

Thanks everyone!

[Bron]

Well, I thought this would be an easy one.....

Anyway, I have found one place in Freiburg who claim to rent out everything including tandems.
Here's the link (all in German, sorry):
https://csbuero-gw49.dyndns.org/mobile/goto/fahrradstation/radverleih

however, they had mixed reviews on the racing-bike forum where I found the link. If I find a minute, I can call them and ask what they actually have there.

Cruisers and mountain bikes can be rented in just about every town, the word you are looking for is "radverleih".

Be aware that it is not usual to rent out helmets, so it might be worth taking your own.

I'll let you know if I find anything else.

Bron

[mimitabby]

I spent a day in Ferrara, Italy. As you enter the town you see giant signs that say "City of bikes"
The city is flat and so is the surrounding area. the town is also filled with narrow streets, not good for cars but good for bikes. So you drive into town in a car and park in a huge lot on the outskirts. As you exit the parking lot, there is a bike rental place. The guy helped me adjust the seat so it fit me, and I was off!
the bikes were all 1 speed bikes, but they were new and light and came equipped with locks. I didn't see any roadbikes, but it was sure fun to join the folks on the bikes in a town where bicyclists were seen as friends and family instead of targets.