Bicycle hire

Hire companies

There are thousands of bicycle hire companies all over Britain. You can choose from a selection of bikes, and hire one for however long you need it. Some of London's royal parks (www.royalparks.gov.uk) offer bike-hire services if you just want to spend a day riding around the vast parkland.

Here's a list of some local bicycle hire companies in the UK:

• Afan Valley Bike Hire (www.afan-valley-bike-hire.com/) - West Glamorgan, Wales
• Biketrail (www.biketrail.co.uk/) - Devon
• Cycle Highlands (www.cyclehighlands.com/) - Aberdeenshire
• Keswick Mountain Bikes (www.keswickmountainbikes.co.uk/) - Lake District
• The Lock Inn (www.thelockinn.co.uk/) - Wiltshire
• Nevis Cycles (www.neviscycles.com/) - Inverness
• Pearce Cycles (www.pearcecycles.co.uk/) - Shropshire
• Zebra Cycle Hire (www.zebrahire.com/) - Jersey

Visit Yellow Pages (www.yell.com/) to find a local bicycle hire companies near your destination.

Cost

The average cost to hire a bike is around £60 for 1 month. Some companies require a minimum time for hire, and some will require a deposit, which you will get back when you return the bike (providing it hasn't been damaged). If the bike gets damaged while you're using it, you usually have to pay for the repairs. Special family and group rates are sometimes offered.