Taking your own bike vs renting a bike on vacation.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by ojingoh

Bring your own bike. It's the focus of your trip. Sounds like great memories on tap, memories that you'll cherish. Seems weird to do it on a rental whip.

Back in 2017 I debated taking a telescope to the Solar Eclipse. You don't need to bring a telescope to experience an eclips, just show up and put on the glasses.

Then I realized, welp no, I'm an astronomer, this is a big deal, I'm going to experience this my way. I brought my scope.

🍻

[avalonracing]

I try to get out to California a couple times a year to get away from the Maryland heat and humidity or the Maryland cold and humidity. Usually I take a bike but on my last trip, I borrowed one. It was a brand new mid-level Ridley gravel bike which I now call the "Demon bike". Even though the contact points were the same according to my measurements the bike was just wrong. It was impossible to get the brakes adjusted (frame was probably faced wrong) and the bike just rode like crap. I think the tubes must have been made from solid aluminum. The demon bike ruined the riding part of my visit. I'm going to continue to ship one of my own bikes out for now on no matter how much of a hassle it is.

[weisan]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

I really, really hate futzing around with assembling a bike.

Then you got to pick Option B [Rent a bike], buddy.

There's no free lunch.

Just finished packing for a trip.

It's a hassle. But to me, it's part of the fun.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by weisan

Then you got to pick Option B [Rent a bike], buddy.

There's no free lunch.

Just finished packing for a trip.

It's a hassle. But to me, it's part of the fun.

Yikes! Way too complex for me.

[weisan]

I figured.

Or you can bring me along and I will disassemble and assemble your bike for you...

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by weisan

I figured.

Or you can bring me along and I will disassemble and assemble your bike for you...

I’ll ask my friend about extra mileage

[572cv]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

It looks like mid-late October. We’ll be based near Nice. I’d like to do a “Cezanne Loop” in Aix-in-Provence if I could swing it as well.

A fine time of year to go. Usually. Though climate change has France looking at a polar temperature plunge late this week, with snow at higher elevations in the Alps and the Pyrenees, and frost warnings all over…except along the Mediterranean coast where you will be. We have been to the Nice area a few times, staying in Tourette sur Loup once, Bar sur Loup another, and over more westerly in Tourtour too. The riding from Tourette or Bar around through Vence, and up the col de Vence to Coursegoules, then through the towns up high, down again anywhere you like, westerly, was wonderful. From Vence you can also go across the river to Aspremont and up and around anywhere you like. The ride you initially mentioned, to Eze and along the coast direction Monaco and Menton, then up and around from Nice is iconic.. It was all great fun.

If you go over to the Tourtour area you will be looking across at Mt St Victoire and Cezanne country, and there is loads of riding in that valley too. Tourtour is among a certain number of towns officially labeled as «*les plus beaux villages de France*» . https://www.les-plus-beaux-villages-de-france.org/fr/
These are worth noting as interesting destinations or way points on a ride, pretty and often (though not always) with a good resto or cafe or marché and generally a lot of care and history in the community. Tourtour is lovely.

Back to Tourette sur Loup, there was a bakery on the town square with absolutely killer good lemon tartelettes, among other treats. A great quick energy boost on a ride.

Finally, in Bar sur Loup, in the town square, is a statue of local hero Admiral de Grasse, who led the French fleet that held off the English in the Battle of Yorktown, making a huge difference in the Revolutionary War. For me, these kind of markers and makers who intersect with our history are really interesting.

[MO Will]

I don’t travel often - my work is a little overwhelming and travel adds to the stress as it takes like a week to catch up. But when I do travel I really prefer my own bike. For me - takes like a month to feel comfortable on a bike, so rental never lets me bond with the bike. I just bought one of the new generation aero bikes and a new case where the integrated handlebars don’t need to be removed. Fine for the US, but if I was going to France I might consider taking an old bike with a smaller case. I like the idea of leaving a bike at your friends house!

[RacerJRP]

I always prefer my own bikes for the obvious reasons. Fit, components, etc. That said, we have a big trip coming up this winter, covering 500+ miles over 10 days, in another country, where we are going to rent bikes.

We discussed with the renter/ tour guide exactly what bikes we will be on, so we have geo chart and know it will be Ultegra 11spd mechanical. We will bring our own cranksets, so we have our preferred length, pedals, as well as our own saddles, and of course I'll bring a couple stem lengths, just because that's how I roll. The only part we will have to "deal with" is the bar width, but that's fine for the type of riding we will be doing. Should get them dialed in quite quickly once we arrive.

Chose this route just for the ease of not having to travel internationally with multiple bike bags through multiple connecting flights, etc. Plus the tour company is setup to service their equipment, not ours, it's an A-B route, etc.

So slightly different situation for OP, but just throwing out as a point of reference.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by 572cv

A fine time of year to go. Usually. Though climate change has France looking at a polar temperature plunge late this week, with snow at higher elevations in the Alps and the Pyrenees, and frost warnings all over…except along the Mediterranean coast where you will be. We have been to the Nice area a few times, staying in Tourette sur Loup once, Bar sur Loup another, and over more westerly in Tourtour too. The riding from Tourette or Bar around through Vence, and up the col de Vence to Coursegoules, then through the towns up high, down again anywhere you like, westerly, was wonderful. From Vence you can also go across the river to Aspremont and up and around anywhere you like. The ride you initially mentioned, to Eze and along the coast direction Monaco and Menton, then up and around from Nice is iconic.. It was all great fun.

If you go over to the Tourtour area you will be looking across at Mt St Victoire and Cezanne country, and there is loads of riding in that valley too. Tourtour is among a certain number of towns officially labeled as «*les plus beaux villages de France*» . https://www.les-plus-beaux-villages-de-france.org/fr/
These are worth noting as interesting destinations or way points on a ride, pretty and often (though not always) with a good resto or cafe or marché and generally a lot of care and history in the community. Tourtour is lovely.

Back to Tourette sur Loup, there was a bakery on the town square with absolutely killer good lemon tartelettes, among other treats. A great quick energy boost on a ride.

Finally, in Bar sur Loup, in the town square, is a statue of local hero Admiral de Grasse, who led the French fleet that held off the English in the Battle of Yorktown, making a huge difference in the Revolutionary War. For me, these kind of markers and makers who intersect with our history are really interesting.

Thanks for the great travel tips! Nice has always been at the top of the Bucket List.

[Wunder]

Originally Posted by CAAD

It's really not even a question, if it's a vacation, a bike is coming with me. Both domestically and internationally. I will not rent a bike because I usually don't plan my destination around cycling, but always find places to get plenty of miles in via local groups and ride with GPS. I do have a dedicated "travel" bike. Aluminum, rim brake, room for 32s, full mechanical. Goes into an Orucase airport ninja. I have become pretty efficient when it comes to packing. For 2 weeks I can get away with just my bike bag and a carry on. We don't have issues with taxi cabs, train luggage racks, and rental cars.

My travel bike (recently aquired) is the same except steel frame. Packing my Cervelo into an Airport Ninja was a challenge with the internal cabling with minimal slack and concern over damage in flight hence the aquisiton of a travel ready bike.

My general rule is if the primary focus of the trip is cycling I bring my own bike. If the primary purpose is something else and I only plan to ride for a small portion of the trip I'll rent if I can.

[tv_vt]

When I was first starting to think seriously about biking vacations to ride in the mountains in Europe, I looked into rental bikes and found limited options in my size range (for a 6'2"). There were also places I wanted to go where bike rentals weren't available at all. That pushed me over the edge to order a custom Hampsten S&S bike. And led to getting a steel Serotta for my wife and shipping it to Bilenky and getting the same couplers put on that bike.

We have so many great memories of trips with those bikes now. They've worked out fantastically.

[OtayBW]

Judging from your posted link, it looks like you will have NO PROBLEM getting better than a decent bike as a rental. Likely the gearing will be there, and I'm guessing you'll find something with enough wiggle room to get your needed fit specs, especially if you reserve ahead of time. Bring yer saddle and pedals, you're golden....

[livesadventure]

Sounds like a no-brainer to me to bring your bike on this trip. Metal frame and mechanical shifting rim brakes pack super easily, you won't have to take too much apart or put too much back together. Just bring a small torque wrench for your cockpit.

If I'm riding just a day or two on a trip, a rental is a good excuse to cut down on my luggage and to try something new. A dedicated bike trip should be on the bike that's perfect for you.

Most airlines these days make it super easy to fly with bikes internationally. I'd recommend a bag like the Evoc. The compact size makes transport to and from the airport much easier than the Scicon you are looking for in the Classifieds, the major packing difference is removal of cockpit which is relatively minor.

[wooger]

Renting is not even a consideration for me - as a tall rider, rental bikes all come with stock bars that are clownishly wide and the fit is awful, with cramps and aches in totally unexpected places.

I'd also have to take my own saddle & pedals in any case, and helmet, and tools/pump.

I'm still messing around changing things when I arrive and before leaving, and having a non-ideal experience the whole time.

For me, already in Europe, the cost of renting (and flying with) a bike box works out almost the same as renting a bike, so there's no monetary consideration.
Cheaper if you fly with the right airline & already own or can borrow a box.