BIKE RENTALS IN ELEUTHERA
DEXTER BOOTLE: Governors Harbour
One can rent bicycles, by day or by week. Check with Drexel Bootle. He lives behind the HG Christie Office in Governors Harbour. You can rent a 26" Beachcruiser. Weekly rentals run about $57.Phone: 242-332-2229
Gregory Town
According to Manager, Tom Glucksman: "We have 2 mountain bikes we rent here. They are both pretty high end bikes. A Specialized and a Marin. Both 21 speed, capable of handling the roads around here if the rider knows what he/she is doing!
See their Website The contact number is 242-333-3282
Daily rental is $20/day and $75/week.
Pete at "Rebecca's Beach Shop", Gregory Town: 1.242.335.5436
See his Website
"MICHAEL'S CYCLES AND BOAT RENTALS" on Colebrooke Street, Harbour Island
1.242.333.2384
Also, here is a post from the Newsgroup, that talks about bicycling in Eleuthera:
Bicycling on Eleuthera
Thanks to Richard Langworth, Rainbow Bay
malakand@batelnet.bs
RENTAL BIKES: Many resorts rent bicycles; there's a brand new fleet at The Cove in Gregory Town (itself pretty much a new resort). However, almost all rental bikes are heavyweight single-speeds, because cable bikes need TLC in salty air, which renters don't provide. Single-speeds are fine for casual riders, but if you like to rack up miles you will find yourself wishing for gears...
BRING YOUR OWN: Before I built our house, I used to bring my 1992 Trek 7900 hybrid in an Iron Man case, which is fairly painless way to enjoy quality rides, assuming you're spending at least a couple weeks (airlines charge about $100 each way).
LEAVING IT HERE: My Trek has lived on Eleuthera since 2002 and is holding up, thanks to stainless steel cables, lots of WD40, and gallons of White Lightning. One reason it survives is its carbon-aluminum construction; for obvious reasons, steel frames should be avoided if you plan to store a bike here permanently.
BICYCLE TYPES: Road bikes are not recommended unless you stick to the Queen's Highway, and even that can be rough on skinny tires. Hybrids are an excellent compromise between performance and ruggedness, but if you like off-roading, use a mountain bike. Bring spare tires and tubes; the hardware stores stock only a limited amount of MBK tubes and skins.
TRAFFIC: Eleuthera drivers are mainly courteous to bicyclists, but use a rearview mirror to be aware of what's coming up behind you. Also, look ahead--for kids driving pick-ups pulling out to pass without realizing you're coming the other way! There is no 911 here, though the Governors ambulance squad is first-rate (pack a cell phone). You must keep well left, of course. Long-term bikes should be registered: ten bucks at the DMV at Bett's Plaza buys a cool plate which makes you feel official...
ELEUTHERA LONG RIDERS is a club organized by Arrington McCardy of Hatchet Bay (242-335-0070). You qualify by riding 50 miles in a day. Arrington is a fine gent who will gladly ride with you, but be advised, he's good. He likes long rides and every so often he will start north from Bannerman Town around 3AM in moonlight, ending in Spanish Wells around noon, averaging 18+mph with a 24-speed Raleigh hybrid. That's cruising!
RIDING CONDITIONS: Eleuthera, while not quite the highest, is easily the hilliest island in the Bahamas, and every time you ride you need to check the current winds, which will either be in your face or giving you a push, depending....We often hitch a ride south and cycle north, since the wind is mostly out of the south or east--but not always!
The island is relatively flat south of Savannah Sound, but there are rolling hills from SS to Gregory (which has two killer hills of its own--great fun if you're heading north). It flattens out from Glass Window north. As Arrington says: "If you can ride here, you can ride anywhere in the Caribbean."