If you’re looking at other people’s e-bikes with envy, you may have thought about renting one to try it out. If you’re going on vacation, you may also think that renting is a good idea. What better way to get around town? So, can you rent an e-bike?
You can rent an e-bike for anywhere from a few hours to days at a time. It typically costs $10-30/hour, or $100/day. It’s important to determine whether renting or buying is more cost effective for you. If you’re renting for more than 5 days at $100/day, you could just buy an entry-level e-bike.
So what does renting an e-bike look like? What do you need to know before you go looking for a rental service? Moreover, are their app-based services that offer even more convenience. We’ve got all those answers and more; just read on!
Can You Rent an Electric Bike?
There’s plenty of reasons why you might want to rent an e-bike. Sure they’re awesome, but they’re also quite expensive. Renting gives you the chance to try an e-bike out without the huge upfront costs. But, can you even rent an e-bike?
You can rent an e-bike! Plenty of rental services across the world carry e-bike rentals in their inventory. While it’s most popular in areas with high demand, like urban centers and tourist destinations, some areas might not have a local service. Check your city to find out.
Often, the e-bike rental process is quite simple. Additionally, it will probably cost a lot less than you might think. Some companies will even offer services through easy-to-use and convenient app-based rentals.
These rentals can be for a few minutes to a few hours, so super short-term rentals to get from one area to the other are possible.
If you’re traveling and looking for longer-term rentals, local rental shops are probably your best bet. There, you can find daily rates to accommodate any vacation length.
What’s The E-Bike Rental Process Like?
You’ll find two main rental processes. In a more traditional rental service, you’ll go to the shop and usually use a credit card to make the purchase in person.
You can usually rent online too. You’ll need to pick the bike up. For modern app-based services, you find a usable rental bike on the street and use the app with your credit card to make the purchase on the spot.
As you can imagine, both have their benefits. If you’re thinking about renting for less than a day, those app-based services can be great.
For more than a day, a local shop will probably provide the extra services you might need to feel comfortable. Also, if you’re searching for specific types of e-bikes, a rental shop is a better option.
How Much Does it Usually Cost to Rent a Bike?
When it comes to price, don’t expect to get a price similar to that of a regular bike rental. The addition of the motor is always going to increase the price.
But by how much? Well, that will depend on other factors like who you rent it from, what type of bike you choose and where you are.
You can rent a bike either by the hour or by day. Generally, expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $30 per hour, or $100 per day for longer-term rentals. You might find lower prices in different areas depending on demand.
Can You Rent E-Mountain Bikes?
In most circumstances, it might be hard to find specific brands and types of e-bikes. So, if you’re looking for an e-mountain bike, what should you do?
E-mountain bikes are available as rentals. You’ll need to find a rental service that will provide them for you, but they are available. Try for mountain outfitters.
It’s all going to depend on the shop’s selection. In areas where e-mountain bikes are in demand, like areas with lots of outdoor riding trails, you’ll be sure to find the right bike you’re looking for.
Always see if you can either check out their inventory online or give them a call. Most places will be more than happy to walk you through your options.
Is Renting an E-Bike Better than Buying One?
If you’re finding yourself renting often, it might have crossed your mind to buy new.
So how does buying a new e-bike compare to renting? If you had to rent for a while, you’d think it would be cheaper in the long run, but for how long?
If you’re weighing out buying a new e-bike over going with a rental, it’s a matter of simple math. It will cost you around $100 a day for an e-bike rental. If you rent for more than around five days, you could outright buy a new budget e-bike for that price.
A bike, like this TotGuard E-Bike (on Amazon), costs around the same price as your average e-bike rental for five days. While renting still has advantages, like being convenient and environmentally friendly, when it comes to costs, there’s a limit to its effectiveness.
Can You Lease an Electric Bike?
If you’re thinking about long-term rentals but don’t want to buy, what are your options? Well, you may have considered if leasing is an available choice. While you can find plenty of daily rentals across the world, what about long-term leasing?
Leasing isn’t a very popular service for e-bikes, but it’s sometimes available.
Some rental companies may offer discounts for long-term rentals, and some companies will offer to lease but only in certain areas. But those cases are few and far between.
How Does E-Bike Leasing Work?
Leasing would be similar to renting. You would most likely need to offer a credit card on file and pay a monthly fee. Some businesses may offer different processes than that, and may require you to come by every so often for routine maintenance.
You may have to get some sort of insurance, too. Since e-bikes can be expensive, the company would probably want some kind of policy in place to keep their inventory safe.
It may also require some kind of liability insurance on your part in case of an incident. This will depend highly on where you are and who you are leasing from.
What Does a Monthly Electric Bike Rental Cost?
This will depend highly on where you’re getting your bike from. Since most rental services won’t offer a service like this because of a lack of demand, it’s hard to say. One service, Revel, offers a rent-to-own program that sits at around $100 per month.