Everything people ask before booking
Questions and answers
Hiring, delivery, tours, coaching and money. If what you need is not here, ring the shop. It is usually a thirty-second answer and we would rather give it than have you guess.
Hiring a bike
Do I need to book in advance?
Yes: book at least 24 hours before the bike is handed over, which is your delivery time or, if you collect from the shop, 10:00 on your first day. That gives us time to service and set up your bike. It also matters because of sizes: each frame size is a separate bike, so we cannot promise your size will be free if you walk in. The calendar on each bike shows exactly what is available. Need a bike sooner? WhatsApp us on +357 97 941 140 and we will see what we can do.
What is the minimum hire?
Three days. Most visitors take a bike for the week.
Is a longer hire cheaper?
10% off the bike from 5 days. It comes off the hire itself, automatically, as soon as the dates add up to that. There is no code to enter. Delivery and extras are not discounted.
Which days can a hire start and end?
Monday to Saturday. We are closed on Sunday, so the handover has to be on an open day, but you can ride straight through Sunday in the middle of a hire without it costing you anything or shortening the booking.
Is there a deposit?
A €100 refundable damage deposit, in cash, taken at handover and returned when the bike comes back. It is separate from the hire itself: it is not a part-payment, and nothing is deducted from it unless the bike comes back damaged.
What kind of bikes are they?
Cube and Eddy Merckx road bikes, and an Orbea hardtail mountain bike for the Cape Greco tracks. Every one is serviced in our own workshop between hires. The full fleet, with rates and sizes, is on the bike rental page.
What comes with the bike?
A serviced bike set up to your height, with bottle cages, plus a floor pump, a spare inner tube and tyre levers. A saddle bag is not supplied, and neither are bottles. Bring a bag if you would rather carry the tube on the bike than in a pocket. Helmet and pedals are add-ons at the booking step.
What do I hand back, and what can I be charged for?
Everything that went out with the bike comes back with it (pump, spare tube, tyre levers), and the bike itself comes back clean, dry and working. If you used the spare tube, it is replaced at €10. Damage beyond normal wear comes out of the €100 deposit; anything else is returned in full. The rental terms have the exact wording.
Can I use my own pedals and saddle?
Yes, and we would encourage it. Fitting your own pedals costs nothing and it is the cheapest way to make a hire bike feel like your own. If you would rather not travel with them, pedals are an add-on at the booking step and you choose the system you use.
What should I bring?
Helmet, shoes, pedals if you have them, and your own cycling kit. Helmets can be hired if you would rather not pack one. Bottles and a saddle bag are not supplied, so bring or buy them.
Delivery and collection
Do you deliver, and what does it cost?
We bring the bike to you and collect it at the end. The price is per trip rather than per day, and it is charged each way. The times below are when the van is with you:
- Protaras €20 each way €40 there and back09:00–10:00
- Ayia Napa €25 each way €50 there and back09:00–10:00
- Larnaca €60 each way €120 there and back06:00–07:00
That covers the trip and the first bike. Each extra bike on the same run is €5 more, each way, so three bikes going to the same address, on the same day, at the same time, travel as one van.
Those times are when the van is with you, and they are before the shop opens on purpose: the driving is done first. Pick your slot as you book.
Our shop is in Paralimni and collecting a bike yourself costs nothing: come in before 12:00, and drop it back before 12:00 on your last day, so there is time to fit it to you and check it over. Riding somewhere we do not list (Limassol, for instance) is usually possible; ring and ask.
Can I collect from the shop instead?
Yes, and it costs nothing. We are at 285 Protaras Avenue in Paralimni, open 10:00 to 13:30 Monday to Saturday. See contact and opening hours. Come before 12:00, on the way out and on the way back: we set the bike up for you before you leave with it, and check it over when it returns, and neither is a five-minute job.
We are a group at the same hotel. Do we pay per bike?
No. One trip is one charge, covering the van and the first bike, with a small addition per extra bike. Bikes going to the same address on the same day at the same time travel together. Different addresses or different times mean separate trips.
Paying, changing and cancelling
How do I pay?
By card online, including Apple Pay and Google Pay. You can pay in full, or pay half now and settle the balance on arrival. One thing to know if you choose the half option: it applies to the hire itself. If you have added delivery, that is charged in full when you book, so the amount taken now is a little more than half the total.
What if I need to cancel?
Tell us at least 72 hours before the hire starts and we will credit what you have paid against a future booking. Inside 72 hours, or if you do not turn up, the payment is not returned or credited. Please read that as it is written: a credit is not a cash refund.
What if I bring the bike back early?
The unused days are not refunded or credited. If your plans are uncertain, book the shorter hire and extend it. That is nearly always cheaper than booking long and cutting it short.
What happens if the bike is damaged or stolen?
You are responsible for the bike and its accessories for the whole hire. Damage is charged at the cost of repair or replacement, including labour; a stolen bike is charged at what it cost us to buy. The €100 deposit covers the small end of that, not the whole of it, which is why travel or bicycle insurance from home is worth having.
Tours, camps and coaching
How do I know which group I fit into?
There are two. Group A is fast and competitive: high pace, held to it. Group B is a steady endurance ride that can be long, with the scenery and a stop. Tell us honestly what you ride at home and we will put you in the right one; being in the wrong group spoils the day for you and for everybody else.
Am I fit enough for a guided ride?
Almost certainly, for the social ride. It is designed to be enjoyable rather than a test. The full-day rides are long days. Every tour lists its distance and climbing on its own page, and if you are unsure, ring rather than guess.
Can I bring my own bike?
Of course. Building it back up after a flight is a workshop job rather than part of a tour, but it is a job we do. See the workshop. We have also written up whether it is worth flying with a bike at all: fly with your bike, or hire one.
Do I need insurance?
Yes. Arrange travel and medical cover before you travel. We cannot carry that liability for you. If you ride a lot at home, check whether your existing bicycle policy already covers you abroad; many do.
Do you only coach cyclists?
No. Swimming, triathlon, gym and personal training, youth and outdoor training all run from the same base, in person or written for you wherever you are.
Not answered here
Ring the shop and ask
We are open Monday to Saturday. Anything unusual (an odd frame size, a long hire, a group, a route you have read about somewhere) is a faster conversation than a form.