How to rent a bike in St. Petersburg (2015 updated)

So many rent services emerged lately providing shiny (or not so) bicycles for travelers! I've updated this post in August 2015 as I see new people coming here.

Be prepared: Russian cities does not provide yet special bike ways or paths. People on bikes choose themselves how to ride through the city: to frighten the pedestrians or to be frightened by car drivers.

Both walkers and car drivers de not really welcome bikers on their roads (I mean both motorcycle and bicycle riders). The safest way to ride a bike is to go to the city park or to wide embankments of Neva river. But do not lose hope. Many people ride bicycles in the city, and you can join them.

I've left here only those services which provide english versions of their websites (considering you'd like to have English-speaking person helping you with bike rental). There surely are many more. Ask your hotel/hostel reception for recommendations.

But for example and for price checks...


Official city bike sharing system
https://www.spb.velogorod.org/?lang=2

They have many bike queues at 90 spots in the city. Bikes are being rent automatically due to availability. Prior registration on the website/ in the app needed.




Friends hostels rental
http://www.en.friendsplace.ru/services/bikes/

There are several hostels named Friends and they do support bike rentals. There are discounts on bike rentals for those who live in Friends. They also have some guided bike tours but no information is available online, you have to ask.


VeloTour & RentBike
two companies of bike rentals/bike city tours in the same building
http://velotour-spb.ru/eng & http://www.rentbike.org/en

Address: Stolyarnyy pereulok, 10, not far from Sennaya/Sadovaya metro stations, in the quiet and central city district

Timetable of VeloTour: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Timetable of RentBike: 24/7!


Velograd
helmet & lock for free with every bike, many different bikes available
http://velograd.com/eng/bikerental/
bike delivery: 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.


Skatprokat
They also offer guided bike tours.
http://www.skatprokat.ru/rent/price/?lang=en

Address: Goncharnaya st, 7
10 a.m. - 10 p.m.


Velorodeo
Take a bike and ride all the Peferhof park (bike tours also are available)
http://www.velorodeo.ru/english


Jet-Set
restaurant and bike/scooter/roller skates/skateboard rent at the nice (but a bit crowdy) leisure island-park
http://www.jetsetsport.ru/index_sport.html (no english version, so please use Google Translate)

Address: right next to the metro station Krestovskiy Ostrov, see the map at their website

Timetable:
mon-fri 12 a.m. - 11 p.m.
sat 11 a.m. - midnight
sun 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.



Also, ask your hostel/hotel staff about bike rents, they could recommend you something closer.

Have a smooth ride!


1 comment:

  1. To return your bike, you have to put your card again above until the message tell you to put the bike inside again. lej en cykel

    ReplyDelete