Hire bikes

• You will have the correct gearing for the mountains.
• None of the hassle of packing up and transporting your own bike.
• Costs may be comparable or cheaper than bringing your own bike (eg if you have two flights to get to/from your holiday) as airline charges vary.
• Some airlines do not guarantee to transport your bike if the flight is full.
• We safety check and maintain the hire bike during the week.
• We clean the bike at the end of the trip!
• You get to try a titanium frame with SRAM groupset.

Marmot Tours has invested in a fleet of 35 titanium-framed road bikes fitted with SRAM Force 22 groupsets. These custom built bikes have been designed for long, hilly days, with comfortable geometry and very low gears. It is a bold move away from carbon frames, but the flexibility and comfort of titanium makes it an ideal material for our style of holidays. As titanium is slightly heavier than carbon we have fitted our hire bikes out with high-quality, lightweight components. The frames are hard-wearing so stay in great condition, look like new and are more resistant to damage. Our hire bikes get great reviews from our clients - you can read some testimonials below. 

• Titanium frame with sloping geometry offers comfort for long days in the saddle.
• Titanium forks absorb shock better than carbon.
• SRAM Force 22 groupset is lightweight and reliable with smooth gear changing action. The brake hoods are comfortable (particularly for those with small hands) and it does not take long to get used to the 'double click' gear change.
• SRAM Force 22 is considered by many to be a higher quality groupset than Shimano Ultegra and has taken many features from the top-end SRAM Red.
• The brakes are set up to the UK standard - right hand is the front brake. We are unable to change this, so if you are hiring, please ensure you are comfortable with this setup.
• Gear ratios: Given that all of our holidays are in the mountains and we take on some of the steepest climbs (Angliru, Zoncolan and Mortirolo) we have fitted our bikes our with a with a compact 50-34 chainset and an 11 speed 11-36 cassette! 
• Mavic Aksium wheelsets are well built and strong wheels for reliable and safe descending.
• The bikes have a recommended retail price of about £2800.

We have six frame sizes available. Please check that we have a bike of your size before sending in your booking form by sending your height to us at cycle@marmot-tours.co.uk.

As we have a limited number of bikes of each size they will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

It is important to us that your hire bike is the correct size and feels comfortable. We will allocate you a frame size based on the size chart below.

If you are taller or shorter than the height range indicated in the chart (under 157cm or over 199cm) then we suggest that it might be easier for you to bring your own bike, to be sure you have something that fits you well.

If you have particularly long or short legs/arms then please look at the charts below in relation to the dimensions of your own bike to ensure that you are happy with the suggested frame size. If you would like a different sized frame then please discuss this with us at the time of booking.

We stock a range of stems with different lengths and angles which can be interchanged to help us set up your bike to a comfortable riding position for you.

We feel very confident that we can provide a comfortable and successful bike fit for our clients, however, if you are very concerned about exact bike fit and matching measurements to your bike at home, then we suggest you bring your own bike rather than hire from our fleet. That way you can then relax knowing that you'll be comfortable on your own steed!

Prices are based on a basic daily charge of £45/day (which includes a 10% fee for bike insurance). Bike hire is invoiced prior to your trip and no discounts apply. Costs are as follows:

Club des Cinglés de Mont Ventoux challenge (2.5 days cycling):  £112.50

Alpine Highlights mini-break (3.5 days cycling): £135

Best of the Dolomites mini-break (4 days cycling): £180

Raid Pyrenean and Swiss Alps (5 days cycling): £225 

Raid Dolomites (9 days cycling): £405

All other cycling holidays (6 days cycling): £270

• Helmet hire is not included, please bring your own. It is compulsory to wear a helmet at all times when on the bike.
• Pedals are not provided, if you have shoes with cleats then bring the pedals that you normally use with them. 
• If you have your own tried and tested saddle then please bring it along (optional).
• Hire Bikes do not come with a bike computer or GPS - please bring your own if you wish.
• Please bring your own lights, so that you can be safely seen while on the road.
• Two bottle cages are fitted to every hire bike, remember to bring your own bottles.
• Mini-pump, tyre levers and spare inner tube are provided with all hire bikes in a saddlebag.

We ask you to sign a form when we provide you with your bike, which details your responsibilities regarding the care and usage of your bike. Our guides will also sign a form detailing their responsibilities to the maintenance of the bike.

Your hire bike will have undergone a maintenance check prior to being handed to you and will be safety checked daily by the guides on your holiday. Any maintenance required should be carried out by your guides or a bike shop.

For me particularly the bike hire - best £200 I could have spent. Made so much of the holiday hassle-free. K. Allen

I also found the bike hire to be excellent. C. Brough

Excellent quality hire bikes which were very comfortable. S. Luther

Excellent - these are good bikes with ideal gearing. They are comfortable for a long day which is key and they handle well. You can feel confident about the fast descent with these bikes. This is my third time hiring and I will be again in July for the Raid Alpine. I wouldn't bother bringing my own on a Marmot trip. S. Lock

Excellent decision. Allowed me to travel light. and the cost of hiring a bike box a paying to put a bike on the plane would have been similar. A very nice bike to ride. Had quick bit of instruction from Scot on SRAM which I had never used before. No issues whatsoever.M. Parker

Excellent - Great condition for a hire bike. David was happy to swap the stem to achieve a ride position more similar to my own bike. Daily checks on the bike were a nice touch.O. Negyal

A great Titanium frame and it was interesting to ride a bike with a SRAM groupset, which worked very well. D. Rogers

Please note that our Marmot hire bikes are not available on our Tenerife and Gran Canaria holidays, where we use local bike hire companies.