10 Things to Check before Renting a Bike for a Training Camp
For many people travelling abroad for a training camp, especially their first one, there is often a question about whether or not they should take their own bike. This handy guide will help you ask ten questions to decide whether or not you should be using your bike or if you should be renting. We will cover all aspects, including costs, fit and other considerations.
How much does it cost for you to take the bike with you on the aeroplane? Some planes include it as luggage, others charge a sports fee, and some even allow it to be free.
Consider the luggage weight limits. Some airlines allow you to take a bike as long as it is within normal limits. Others allow you extra weight for the bag (E.g. 32kgs, not 23Kgs). This may impact your decision to take hand luggage and a bike box (putting additional items in your box), whereas others may take a bike, hold and hand luggage. (Check hand luggage rules before making that choice!)
How easy it will be to get the bike to the airport? Consider the size of the bike bag or box you are taking with you and if it will fit in your car, taxi or bus (if you’re taking any of those methods of transport).
How comfortable you feel on your bike and whether or not you think you will be more or less comfortable on a rental bike. Some people use a bike rental as a chance to ride a higher-spec bike and enjoy their time on the new bike. For other people, though, they only want to be on their bikes.
What are the specs for the quality of the rental bikes available? Maybe you can get almost an identical bike to the one you were already riding, or it may have a very different geometry. This is worth exploring as this will impact their likely fit. For example, if you have more of a touring road bike and the fleet of rental bikes are just racing ones, you may find it very different and uncomfortable.
What saddle type are you more comfortable with? Many people take a long time to get accustomed to their bike saddle. By choosing a rental bike, you are likely to be stuck with the saddle type it comes with rather than being able to have your own more comfortable saddle.
How tall are you? You may not find a bike that suits you if you are an extreme height. For example, if you are super tall or shorter, rental bike frames will likely be bought with the average size in mind.
Male or female? Often, fleets are bought trying to hit the average customer. This means most bikes are purchased for men. Female athletes are placed on small or extra-small men’s frames. Depending on your geometry, this may work for you or may not be suitable for you. It would be best to consider other things like the handlebars and handlebar grip size; crank sizes are often longer, too. These are all likely to be generic male fits rather than female-specific or even female-considered!
Do you have a race bike? Whether you have a race-specific bike or not may also change your decision to travel with your bike. Often, training camps are completed early in the season, and this would mean that if you took a race bike, you could spend more time on the race bike ready for the main part of the season. This will help you with handling and confidence. Additionally, this means triathletes should check that TT bikes are allowed on the camp. Most triathlon camps will permit it, but cycling ones may be more uneasy about it.
Are you racing abroad? If you are travelling abroad for your race and need to break your bike down into small pieces when travelling, going to a training camp gives you a chance to practice. This helps you have confidence in putting your bike back together while under the watchful eyes of the training camp staff. Additionally, it means you can practice travelling with all your race, kit and equipment, knowing and learning how it fits together, weight allowances, etc., which is a helpful practice run.
Whatever you decide to do with your bike, bring it or leave it, you will be juggling the three main factors: cost, ease/faff and comfort/performance. The best solution for each athlete will be a payoff of those three areas.
Philip is the founder of Tri Training Harder LLP. He’s a British Triathlon Level 3 coach, and has been coaching for over a decade and is involved with mentoring and developing other coaches.
Philip has have coached athletes to European and World AG wins, elite racing, many Kona qualifications, IRONMAN podiums and AG wins.
Alongside the conventional development through many CPD courses, he has also been fortunate enough to work alongside experts in the fields of Physiotherapy, Strength and Conditioning, Nutrition, Psychology, Biomechanics, Sports Medicine. Putting this knowledge into practice he has worked with thousands of athletes to various degrees, from training camps in Portugal and around Europe, clinics in the UK and online coaching.
Visit Philip's
Coach profile
We’re here to help
Tri Training Harder are one of the leading Triathlon coaching providers in the UK, using our wealth of experience to unite scientific and technological research with already well-established and successful best practices, to create a formula for triathlon and endurance coaching that works.
The result is an honest, dynamic, yet simple new way of constructing an athlete’s training to allow them to reach their potential.
If you’re planning your next season, just starting out in the sport or are looking for extra guidance at the very top end of the field, we are here to help, and our coaches would be delighted to hear from you. You can contact us via the website, and one of the team will be in touch.