How to rent a Bike in Barcelona: Best Tips & Advice

How to rent a Bike in Barcelona: Best Tips & Advice

Barcelona is home to some of the world’s most beautiful man-made and natural landmarks. As a tourist, you can visit and appreciate the exquisiteness of these exceptional landmarks, but it is also your responsibility to leave back as little as possible carbon footprint during your discoveries.

Taking every measure possible to leave Barcelona better than what you found it is the responsibility of every tourist. This will ensure that future generational from all over the world will also have a similar opportunity like you to discover Barcelona’s beautiful beaches, exceptional architectural works, exciting football culture and so much more.

A simple yet cost-effective measure you can take is to bike around the different attractions found within the city of Barcelona. This will reduce your carbon footprint significantly. According to research from the University of Oxford, cycling has a carbon footprint of 33 grams of CO2 per mile traveled. This is way lower than that of a fossil fuel car, taking public transport, and dare I say it even walking.

With this in mind, I bet now you are wondering how I rent a bike in Barcelona. No worries, this article has got your back as we discuss how to rent a bike in Barcelona: Best tips & advice;

1. Learn about Barcelona’s biking rules and regulations

Guàrdia Urbana transit police officer – Wikipedia

This is at the top of the list because it is something many of us assume, but it is very critical. Honestly, you do not want to spend your enter vacation moving from a cell and courtroom in a country where you barely understand its traffic regulations.

Take your time to research in depth about Barcelona’s biking rules and regulations. Get to know how to identify the city’s cycling lanes, where they are located, and how to get to them during your sightseeing as you move from one attraction to the other. This is very important since cycling on areas reserved for pedestrians is a fineable offense in the city of Barcelona.

Also, do not assume what is considered okay in your country is also okay in Barcelona. A good example, in at least 45 USA states it is legal to have both ears plugged with music as you cycle, but in Barcelona, you are only allowed to listen to the hustle and bustle of the city. If you are found listening to music you can be fined upwards of €200.

In all of this, it is important to remember ignorance is not a defense in any court, so do your due diligence.

How Safe is Riding a Bike in Barcelona?

2. What type of bike do you prefer

A moped-style e-bike – Wikipedia

Initially, bikes used to be two-wheeled machines that required you to pedal them, but thanks to technology, the term bike can be used to describe a broader variety of two-wheeled machines. You are not limited to only manually powered machines, but to also electric powered machines such as the e-bikes.

E-bikes are designed with a lightweight motor that assists the cyclist. They are great for covering longer distances as the bike’s motor gives you a little boost, eliminating the additional manpower needed. Manual bikes depend on the cyclists pedaling to move. A person’s physical fitness greatly affects the bike’s performance, meaning you can cover longer distances with it if you have the energy and endurance to pedal over a long distance.

Within that broad classification of bikes, bikes are also designed for specific use such as hiking off beaten paths, cycling within a city, and so much more. Put this in consideration when selecting your bike, since you don’t want to find yourself on an offbeat road with a utility bike. Also learn about the different e-bike options to find the one that best suits your physical needs.

For a great experience, try to be very specific on the type of bike you want and have at least three options to choose from.

3. Compare the pricing to your budget

Business concepts, cost-cutting – Unsplash

The average starting cost of renting a bike in Barcelona is around €6. This might seem like it is very cheap, but bear in mind different factors may cause the price to vary depending on the type of bike, the duration the bike is in your possession, the bike rental location prices and so much more.

Before allocating your budget for the bike rental, do your research on the different prices offered by the various rental bike shops in Barcelona. Try different gear combinations from their websites or apps and get an approximate price. This will allow you not to under or over budget your expenditure.

You can also take advantage of the different Barcelona biking tour packages available as well as any discounts on offer. Limiting your expenditure will not limit your experience of the city of Barcelona. This is because the rental bikes on offer in Barcelona tend to be quality and effective bikes, since they want good reviews to attract more and more clients.

In general, budgeting is important during any vacation since you are able to keep a good track of your spending while at the same time not worrying about overspending. You do not want to go back home penniless and in debt just because you could not stick to your budget.

Five Bike Routes you can do on your own in Barcelona.

4. Research online reviews

Social media on mobile phone by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Find out what other people who have used the rental bike serves in Barcelona have to say about it; what do they recommend or war you against. Online reviews allow you to avoid the mistakes made by your fellow biking tourists while at the same time maximizing your experience since you also get to learn of the tricks and strategies they have suggested.

Do not simply rely on what you see on a company’s website, since it will mostly praise itself and not highlight any of its shortcomings. In some cases, there are websites that rarely updated their content, so the information they provide is not up-to-date with the company’s day-to-day activities. Or in extreme cases a company’s website may offer bike rental services but in actuality it is a scam website.

Be very wary of the information you access online. Try to use different verified platforms to do your research on the different Barcelona bike rental services. It is very rare to find only positive feedback about a company, but select an option that has a considerate amount of positive review on the exact product you want. For example, if you want to use an e-bike to explore Barcelona look out for positive reviews of a company’s E-bikes, negative mountain bike reviews do not really concern you.

5. Identify the different bike rental locations

Bicing station and bikes in Barcelona – Wikipedia

The question now is where do you find the different bike rental locations in Barcelona? Check out our article on bike rental locations in Barcelona. It provides in-depth information on the best rental bike locations in Barcelona and where to locate them.

As you read on the differential rental bike shops available in the city of Barcelona, make sure to select the ones that you can easily access, and the rental bike shop should have various drop-off points for you to choose from. Look through their catalog and find out the different types of bikes they have to offer and if they offer your preferred choice of bike.

When you settle on your preferred choice, make sure to make a reservation. Making a reservation will make sure that what you have selected is not given to someone else and will be available when to go get your bike. Reservations can be made online or via phone calls.

Top 10 Barcelona Bike Rental Locations.

6. Enjoy your bike ride

Two cyclists enjoying a bike ride – Unsplash

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Finally, you have reached your destination, and it is time to enjoy your much awaited bike ride. You can either go to the actual shop which you had selected to collect your bike. While at the shop, don’t forget to get a puncture repair kit and find out more about the bike you have selected.

Instead of physically going to collect your bike, you can make arrangements for the bike to be dropped off at your current location. Once the bike is dropped off, take a spin on it to make sure everything works well and if you can any concerns, the person dropping off the bike can address them.

With a comfortable bike in your possession, have fun exploring the different exceptional landmarks and attractions the city of Barcelona has to offer.

Best Places to Ride your Bike in Barcelona.

7. Remember to share your experience

A person working on a laptop – Unsplash

Once you make your final stop with your rental bike, take a deep breath and get yourself to a relaxed and safe location and share your experience online when it is still fresh. Credit the different parties that made the experience livelier and more exciting.

For the sake of this article, make sure you give your honest opinion on your bike experience, what type of bike you used to explore specific areas, what tricks you learned along the way, and something new you learned concerning your biking experience around the city of Barcelona. This will greatly help the next person who wishes to visit the city of Barcelona.

Here are the top tours to take while visiting Barcelona.