Boardwalk Bike Rentals — Local services in Santa Monica

I am a bicycle enthusiast and my wife and I rented a tandem on our honeymoon in Santa Monica. $18 dollars an hour, $50 deposit, and a cable lock provided "in case we wanted to stop somewhere"

First things noticed upon them bringing out the bike - both sets of handlebars and both seats were crooked, the kickstand drags on the ground, and the brakes pulled all the way to the handlebar without really engaging on the wheel. Despite the early red flags, we continued.

We rode 20 yards and immediately noticed that the chain was very squeaky and rusted, the brakes (when engaged all the way, barely slowing us down) screeched terribly, and both tires were dangerously under inflated. We pulled over at the next rental business available and inflated the tires to the recommended psi ourselves.

We rode for less than an hour because the bike was in such rough shape. On our return, we briefly pulled over just a 1/4 mile from the shop to run and touch the ocean. I strategically picked the most public bike rack I could find.

Gone for 5 minutes or less and boom, the 1/4in cable lock PROVIDED is cleanly cut and the tandem is gone. We picked up the cut lock from the ground and walked back to the shop.

The manager was at the counter, as well as the employee who helped us originally. I explained everything in detail. She insisted that this was "the first time this has EVER happened." In this area I find that impossible to believe. She apologized and asked for my credit card to charge $500 additional dollars for the incident.

I signed the papers upon rental, our hands were tied. We pleaded if there is anything they could do for us. That $500 will have a significant impact on the rest of our honeymoon activities.

Frustrated with the condition of the bike to begin with, frustrated that they think that piece of junk was worth nearly that much, and frustrated with the manager's customer service.

Manager - if you are reading this - buy some u-locks so no more honeymoons are ruined. Also reccomend making sure your rental fleet is in RIDABLE CONDITION because they are not. At least inflate the tires and make sure the...

This bike rental was the closest to where I parked but you will definitely get a better experience from a different store down the boardwalk. I rented a two seater bike. The bike was not in good condition whatsoever. The chain even fell off at one point and we had to fix it, a little maintenance to keep your bikes from functioning properly wouldn’t hurt ai. The worst of all was the RUDE behavior and tone from the old man in the photo. We had families that we wanted them to try riding the bike briefly in a safe area that was close to the bike rental shop. He then approached us and spoke in such a rude way. We learned that due to policy, they can’t ride it which is understandable but there’s always a better way to say things especially if you’re speaking to a customer. Aggressiveness is not needed but I guess he likes to ruin peoples day. Also, a lot of similar reviews seemed to be the same; poor customer service, scam like activity. It was very WEIRD and SUSPICIOUS that they needed to hold onto your ID & credit card as collateral and a deposit of $50 even for like an hr rental of their broken bikes. Not even anything fancy and how are you gonna require more money for a deposit than the rental hourly rate??! Make it make sense! If you see any suspicious activity in your account, it might just be them, who knows. Cash would make so much more sense which we asked the girl who helped us at the front but she said it’s their policy… would NEVER come back again and def DO NOT...

Second time renting a bike from them, both times a tandem bike. From the previous time I would have given them 4 stars, but this time they earned the fifth.

The regular bikes have no regular brakes, you have to pedal backwards to actually brake... which can lead to mishaps.

The bikes are not brand new, but that shouldn't be a problem, you are not participating in "le tour de France". For 10$ an hour (18 for a tandem) the price is slightly below the average. If you are nice you might be surprised with a lower fee at your return.

The process of renting is quite fast. Keep in mind you have to sign a couple of documents, leave a valid ID and make a 50$ deposit for each bike you rent.

The place closes at 0445pm, and the late fees are no joke: 10$ per ten minutes. Some of the pier's shops also close at 0500pm so don't...