👋 Hello, We are a family planning to ride the Shimanami Kaido and are interested in renting electric bikes, but are having trouble understanding the rental process.
We have both older and younger riders in our group, so think electric bikes will be the best option. While traditional bicycle rentals seem relatively straightforward, finding accurate information about electric bike rentals has been challenging.
Does anyone have any experience or advice to share? Thank you!
Here’s what we understand so far:
- We plan on going one-way from Onomichi to Imabari
- Our older (60s) and younger riders may find the full distance on regular bikes daunting. Is this a fair assessment? Is the ride manageable if we allow plenty of time, or would shorter island-hopping segments be more enjoyable and feasible?
- We know that both public and private bike rentals are available, but we’ve had trouble accessing the public rental website. How does public electric bike rental work, and can we make reservations in advance?
- For public bike rentals, we read that bikes can be dropped off at several terminals, but it seems electric bikes can only be rented and returned at Onomichi and Itoyama. Is this correct?
- For private rentals, we’ve heard that we might have to pay for a return delivery, even though some companies, like Giant, have locations on both sides. Are there any shops that allow drop-off at different locations?
- For private rentals, we’ve noticed that electric bikes never appear as available when trying to reserve from online stores. Does anyone have experience renting electric bikes from private shops?
- We also observed that many rental shops are closed on Tuesdays for a business holiday. Does this affect public rentals as well?
by rantinghobo
