Riding in Boston

[Team Murray]

Does anyone know where I can rent a nice road bike in the Boston area? I will be staying in Cambridge and then Lexington?

[jzisk]

Oh wow, that takes me back. Sheldon Brown and Ben Olken ("Lawee"), two erstwhile mentors at the shops in Cambridge back in the early 70's. And Lexington High School, long time ago alma mater. Nice Chinese restaurant in Mountain View, too, back in the early 60's. I feel old. I'd better go ride a good 50 miles this afternoon, the elusive fountain of youth.

There's a nice shop in downtown Lexington-- but I don't know if they rent.

[buddybikes]

There a tons of members here in bean town area, post your size. Big difference riding out of Cambridge than lexington other than(in my opinion) still less than desirable...take care few miles outside 128 and get up throug georgetown and north shore back roads.

[merlinmurph]

Size?

[pasadena]

Cambridge bike shop is a good place to start. They were really helpful.

Near the Aquarium, Urban Aventours Bike Rentals = they are great people.
They have a shop and rental next door.
I bought a bike there, great guys and service.

Make sure you get setup with a good U-Lock. Bike theft is HIGH in beantown, and especially Cambridge.

[eBAUMANN]

i cant think of a single place that rents "nice" road bikes...what size do you need? I might have something I could spare for a few days if you can fit on a 57-59cm top tube.

[leftyfreak]

Both Quad Cycles, www.quadcycles.com, in Arlington, and Bikeway Source, www.bikewaysource.com, in Bedford, advertise road bikes for rental at $80 a day. I've never checked to see whether these qualify as "nice" but it wouldn't be too hard to give them a call to find out what they have.

Maybe www.ridestudiocafe.com would let you take one of their Sevens for a day-long demo.

When are you planning to be here? How are you getting around when you're here? With some advance warning, you might even get a chance to ride with some of the local weirdos...I mean, Paceline members!

[Team Murray]

I ride a bike with 56-57cm top tube.

[Team Murray]

Oh wow, that takes me back. Sheldon Brown and Ben Olken ("Lawee"), two erstwhile mentors at the shops in Cambridge back in the early 70's. And Lexington High School, long time ago alma mater. Nice Chinese restaurant in Mountain View, too, back in the early 60's. I feel old. I'd better go ride a good 50 miles this afternoon, the elusive fountain of youth.

There's a nice shop in downtown Lexington-- but I don't know if they rent.

You bring up a great point. During college, I use to work at the Bicycle Exchange for Richard and Ben Olken. I'll give Richard a call and see if he still knows someone to borrow a bike.

[vertebraille]

Urban Adventours (www.urbanadventours.com/) in the North End rents Giant, Masi and Kona road bikes. They include a helmet, flat kit (you'll just pay for tubes/Co2 if you end up using it), and lock. You can also rent pedals for a bit more. Definitely give them a call to see what's available.

[cachagua]

Bicycle Exchange...

Lawd, take me back! Bicycle Exchange in Harvard Square, wasn't that where Robert Celerier used to work? Bought 2 Serottas and a Fat Chance from him, some time back in the Paleozoic.

Lexington and points west -- great riding, if you get out that way. Enjoy!

[benb]

As others said if you're out west Ride Studio Cafe might be your best bet they have a pretty decent selection of Sevens to fit just about anyone and they will swap saddles/posts/stems to get you setup well. They are really, really nice with this program as they're basically using it as goodwill/advertisement for Seven. Any time they're running events they let people ride demo bikes in the events.

Bikeway Source (I live down the street) carries Cannonade and Giant. I'm not sure what is in their rental fleet, I almost suspect they'd rent you something off the sales floor as I test rode some bikes there and they seemed to have some mileage on them. Bikeway Source is at the western end of the Minuteman bike path and is a convenient stop.

ATA in Concord also has rental bikes. They probably have some nice stuff, they don't carry anything that isn't fancy other than Giant, but the one time my wife and I rented a bike there (a MTB for her) they did seem to have more pedestrian stuff to rent, though the bike we rented was really nice for her.

[jzisk]

You bring up a great point. During college, I use to work at the Bicycle Exchange for Richard and Ben Olken. I'll give Richard a call and see if he still knows someone to borrow a bike.

Nice. What year(s)? That was a great job for a kid with passion for bikes.

[Team Murray]

Nice. What year(s)? That was a great job for a kid with passion for bikes.



I was MIT class of 86. I'm going back for my 30 year reunion. I worked at Bicycle Exchange and Ski Market to get pro deals. Back in the day, I had a Peugeot carbon fiber built with Mavic SSC.
I also had a Team Murray I bought from Andy Weaver who was a grad student in architecture. That's where my username comes from. Since then, I've owned 7 Serottas.
While working, Craig Calfee came in with prototype number 1. I sold him a BB for it.
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160531/523a1ba0e7fb1e01c1df7e1694236b4f.jpg

[jzisk]

I was MIT class of 86. I'm going back for my 30 year reunion. I worked at Bicycle Exchange and Ski Market to get pro deals. Back in the day, I had a Peugeot carbon fiber built with Mavic SSC.
I also had a Team Murray I bought from Andy Weaver who was a grad student in architecture. That's where my username comes from. Since then, I've owned 7 Serottas.
While working, Craig Calfee came in with prototype number 1. I sold him a BB for it.
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160531/523a1ba0e7fb1e01c1df7e1694236b4f.jpg

Nice. Sheldon was my 1st boss-- The Bicycle Revival, River St., Cambridge, 1971. Then Ben/Richard. Then Mike Farney at Lincoln Guide service. All this while returning from the brink of desolation as a quasi dropout, to end up at Swarthmore etc. A little later, I worked under Al McDonough, starting bikes in earnest at the original EMS. Some gorgeous rides and interesting nascent genius builders in that time. Fun at the least, and deep learning with the ancillary total obsession and koan-like devotion at best. What a long strange trip, as he the dead said.

[Team Murray]

Thanks for everyone's help. I was able to borrow a Specialized Tarmac from a MIT Cycling team member. With that bike I did two rides, Cambridge to Lexington, and Cambridge to Concord.
I was also able to demo two Seven bikes from Ride Studio Cafe.