Going on a holiday - should I take my own bike or rent one?

Familiar bike vs. new experiences, transport costs vs. rental. Is it worth bringing your own bike for a cycling holiday, or will a rented one suffice?

One day, you look at your local roads and realise they are no longer enough. Then you start browsing the web. Canary Islands, Dolomites, Mallorca, Croatia… Sounds exciting! But what about your bike?

There are only two ways to solve this.

The Alps on your own bike

My first cycling holiday abroad was in the Alps (specifically the Dolomites), where I took my own bike, even though a rental service was available. There were several reasons for this.

Your own bike is simply your own bike. I had its geometry proven over years and knew that I could spend hours in the saddle of my bike without my back giving out after a short while, and without wriggling like an earthworm on every climb.


It took me some time to fully trust my Superior X-ROAD on descents – and this isn't always the case when I get on a new machine.

At the same time, I know it perfectly, even from a service perspective. Before a holiday of this type, for example, I usually replace the brake pads and, if necessary, the chain. And last but not least, I managed to save several tens of euros that I would otherwise have spent on rental.

What mattered most, however, was the fact that there were just two of us, and we had a large car available (last year a Citroen Jumpy, this year a Toyota RAV4). This allowed us to pack relatively well and fit everything in.

The second thing was the distance. The Alps are close enough to where I live, so I didn't have to fly there. And a plane ticket can make a solid dent in the budget.


Travelling by car and taking your own bike also has other advantages. We always settled in one location and rode everything around, but last year's Dolomites serve as an excellent example here. On the first day, we rode around the town of Cortina d’Ampezzo, then a few more rides from Arabba, and the holiday finale awaited us in Slovenia.

Of course, a bike could also be rented in individual towns, or transported by one's own or a rented car – but at the cost of higher expenses and probably also worries about damaging someone else's property.

Flying to the Canaries with a rented bike

Last year, I managed to do some riding in the Canaries. This picturesque archipelago is less than 4,000 km away as the crow flies. Of course, that doesn't mean you can't take your own bike there.

But again, I'll tailor this to my own situation. When transporting a bike by plane, it needs to be at least partially disassembled and packed into a box, or into a travel case (which I didn't own, so that would be an extra investment).

My SUP has an integrated cockpit and internal cable routing through the handlebars and frame. And anyone who has ever tried to disassemble and reassemble such handlebars knows that it probably won't happen without a few choice words. 🙂

However, let's say I pack the bike and pay for it (currently, prices vary by airline, but you can expect at least €60), but that's still not a win.


A few times I was lucky enough to see how luggage is loaded onto a plane. When I add the possibility of loss… I quickly decided that I would explore the Canaries on a rented bike.

The advantage was that I was going to a popular cycling destination where it's possible to rent a bike almost on every corner. And that might not be the rule in some countries. At the same time, every rental shop offers a wide range of machines, and that can also be an advantage in a way. If you have a dream model in mind, there are probably no better test days than a week-long holiday.

And maybe, on the contrary, you'll find out what kind of bike you definitely do not want. Like me. 🙂


But back to the topic – no one forces you to rent a 'Specialized' in the highest possible configuration. Models at affordable prices with good groupsets and equipment are also available. However, it must be emphasized that a rental is a rental.

For example, I ended up with a size 58 bike – when ordering, I only filled in my height, without the option to choose a specific size. Although they replaced it with the correct size halfway through the holiday, as a bonus I got squealing and air-filled brakes, a buckled wheel, and a 'wobbly' bearing in the front wheel. I'm not making this up, it really had lateral play! 🙂

What I wanted to say by this, is that rental bikes can have their quirks, especially regarding their technical condition.

An undeniable advantage of renting is also a certain freedom. If you're going to a location where both road and mountain biking are popular, you essentially just need to bring your own pedals and cycling shoes. And then simply rent one bike for the first half of the holiday and another for the second half.


Conclusion? There's probably no definitive answer, and you always have to decide based on the specific holiday.

✅ DO take your own bike and go by car

• if you're going on holiday locally
• if you want to ride a familiar machine
• if you want to be 100% sure of the technical condition

❌ DON'T take your own bike and go by car

• if the car size doesn't allow it, or you don't have a bike rack
• if you don't plan to ride the whole time (e.g., a family holiday)

✅ DO take your own bike and go by plane

• if you're travelling far
• if you're planning on bikepacking (from point A to point B)

❌ DON'T take your own bike and go by plane

• if it would be complicated to pack your own bike
• if you own an expensive machine
• if you want to try a different (usually more expensive 🙂) bike model for a few days

What's most important in the end? Whatever you ride, don't forget to thoroughly enjoy it! 🙂