Bikes to borrow

We started with a desire to meet the demand for rental bikes. An employee of a DC bike shop noticed people wanted to rent, even though the shop had ended renting a year earlier. With a polite request to the owners to field the rental calls independently, the employee began a business experiment.

Strictly from forwarded calls of local DC shops, which also didn’t rent bikes, the new entrepreneur and shop employee had fun & made a return on the investment. No car (thanks Zipcar), no building and no frills. Just a website and a reputation of good bikes by word of good shops. Every two years the fleet was replaced and doubled.

Like all shop employees, part of the fun of working is having the types of bikes you wanted to ride, so great bikes were always in stock. Racing bikes, city bikes, and eventually, cargo bikes. Accessories like iPhone holders for the handlebars and HD action video cameras were added to the mix.

In 2012, with over 50 bikes to choose from, Bikes to Borrow makes its deliveries with its own electric car. We are well represented online socially. We support Wounded Warrior’s ride as well as visiting triathletes. In recent years, our repeat business is what has most surprised us and we thank those of you who keep coming back.