You’ve seen the bike of your dreams, and would love to have a bike test drive before buying it – but will bike shops let you test drive it? Some might, but usually you only get a meagre five minutes or so to try it out on the street. We know that just isn’t enough time to get a real feel for how it would be riding it every day.
That’s why ListNRide’s test-ride experience is so useful – it’s been designed so you can try out a whole range of bikes and brands, over hours or even days, to help make sure that the bike you want to buy really is your dream bike.
For starters, test-rides help you find out if you feel comfortable riding the bike, and whether it’s the correct size for you. They can also help you familiarize yourself with all the bike’s features, such as the brakes, gears, suspension, or e-motor controls for e-bikes, which can be unfamiliar at first. By taking your time and asking questions, you can better understand the bike you want.
Rather than riding a bike for only a few minutes outside a store, we think the only way to truly experience a bike is by riding it thoroughly with a proper test-ride. That’s why ListNRide works with innovative brands to give you the possibility to test a bike, whether for an hour, a few days, or even a week, at your desired location.
There are plenty of advantages to taking a test-ride – not only can you test your dream bike at your leisure (plus your ride will be insured), but you can also get lots of advice about the bike, and what’s more, quite often a bike brand will give you a voucher at the end of the test drive, if you’re really interested in buying it.
If you’re going to test drive a bike, we recommend booking one for at least a day, so that you can test-ride it on your usual commute to work and home. The longer the test-ride period, the more familiar you will get with the bike, which will further convince you of its quality. If you have any questions about the bike, you can always ask our brand ambassadors during the handover.
If you’re wondering how to test ride mountain bikes, road bikes or any other bike, a good place to start is to treat the test bike as if it were your own. Adjust the handlebar, pedals, tyre pressure, seat and suspension to fit your usual riding style.
Test the bike on roads or terrain you would normally ride, and when you go for a test ride, treat it like a real ride, which includes wearing your bike-riding gear and helmet. Furthermore, why not consider testing not just one bike, but perhaps two or even three?
Renting bikes is a great way to try bikes of all varieties, too, before you think about buying a new one – ListNRide rents out more than 80,000 bikes around the world, from mountain bikes, to e-bikes, city bikes, hybrid bikes, cargo bikes, custom-made bikes, kids bikes, and more.
And whether you love going on cycling holidays through the countryside, cruising city sights over a long weekend, riding exhilarating mountain trails, or speeding out on a road bike, don’t forget that hiring a bike makes a lot of sense as an alternative to buying a new bike or long-term bike leasing.
Especially when you consider the stress and hassle of trying to transport and use your own bike – it’s so much easier to simply hire your ideal bike at the location you need.
It can be difficult enough to view high-end bike brands such as Canyon in real life before buying one, let alone get a chance to test-ride them. However, with the ListNRide test-ride program, you can book your own bike testing experience and discover the ins and outs of high-specification bikes before you go ahead and commit to buying a bike online.
Here are just five of some of our test ride brands you can try for free:
Handmade in Amsterdam, these ultra-sleek electric bikes pack all the punch of an e-bike into a classically stylish bicycle. Featuring state-of-the art technology, such as a powerful and quiet e-motor with automatic gear shifting, they give one of the best e-city bike riding experiences available.
Free one-hour test ride or rent from €19 per day, depending on location
No other bike folds up like a Brompton – simply fold or unfold in less than 20 seconds and off you go. Bromptons have long been a favourite for commuters who combine cycling with taking the train or car, as the lightweight bikes fold up quickly and can be taken on trains for free. There’s even now an amazing new electric bike (e-bike) option.
Free one-hour test ride or rent from €19 per day, depending on location.
Handmade in Cologne, these compact modern cargo bikes have the flexibility of a city bike, yet are strong like cargo bikes. Mulis are perfect for transporting children and dogs, or doing the weekly shopping – everything is possible. The bike’s foldable cargo basket makes it one of the few cargo bikes you can take easily on the train, too. A powerful e-cargo bike version is also available.
Free one-hour test ride or rent from €25 per day, depending on location.
Perfect for on- and off-road cycling, UBCO e-bikes are small-sized but extremely rugged all-wheel-drive electric utility bikes. Ideal for extended, off-road camping trips, the bikes have a battery range of up to 120km, plus can carry up to 150kg, so you can take lots of camping gear and equipment with you while you explore the great outdoor.
Free one-hour test ride or rent from €30 per day, depending on location.
Made for daily commutes to work or school, Bonvelo’s stylish singlespeed and fixie bikes really look the part in the urban jungle. For speedy urban riding in mostly flat cities, it’s great to use just one gear, and city traffic poses no problem for these dynamic, agile and durable bikes. With four frame sizes available, and eight stylish colour variations, you can take your pick to adapt the bike to your style.
Free one-hour test ride or rent from €12 per day, depending on location.
E-bike brands appear on the market every month, so it can be tough to decide which one would be most suitable to your needs.
With ListNRide, you can get a ‘real-life test-ride experience’ of owning an e-bike. This means you can take an e-bike away for a lengthy trial, so you can check how well the bike rides on your daily commute, how comfortable it is to ride, and whether the battery capacity is enough for the distances you’re riding.
What’s more, you can even test drive multiple electric bikes to help you compare them, such as considering their varying e-motor systems – for example, checking whether you prefer the Bosch, Bafang, or other e-motor motor system – as well as generally finding out everything you need to know, before you consider buying or renting one.
When you’ve booked a bike for a test ride, it’s natural to be nervous about it being damaged or stolen while its in your hands. But don’t worry, all ListNRide’s test rides and bike rentals in the European Economic Area (EEA) are covered by Laka bike insurance, so you can have peace of mind while you’re out testing your dream bike.
So what are you waiting for? Book a bike test ride today! Here’s how you can test ride bikes with ListNRide.
And how can one easily rent a bike? Here’s how to rent your ideal bike or e-bike, in four easy steps
And by the way, if you own a bike, here’s how you can make money by renting out your bike on ListNRide.
