Bad idea?
You mean - will they be trashed?
Hired a Nukeproof Mega from Torico last summer and that was spot on.
Only heard good things about Torico, though I believe some of the other places can be a bit hit or miss.
Depends how long you're going for, probably cheaper to take your own.
My missus hired a Nukeproof DH bike from Torico and a Morewood DH bike from Drug Sport Vital. Both were absolutely fine, though the Nukeproof was in slightly better condition.
I bought a secondhand frame with more travel, built it up and then sold it on afterwards. Great if you are very good at stripping/building yourself- Not cost effective if you arent spannerish.
One thing I did find out- I sold my beloved Blur 4X that I felt at one with because apparently it didn't have enough travel on the rear. The one I built I didn't get on with it at all on the trip. I'd have been more relaxed on something that I knew.
Unless you are on a XC race bike, run what you bring IMO. Maybe treat it to slightly longer forks if possible but thats it.
One of our gang hired from Torico last year and they seemed very good, bikes were in good nick and he could swap bikes every other day and take either a Mega or a Pulse depending on what riding he was doing.
Haggle! They will do you a deal.
We've hired this year, with the costs of plane transportation, then a set of Dual Ply Minions etc and the wear and tear on the bike it was much easier, cheaper and simpler to hire. Hiring for 3 riding days was only £155. Considering the flight costs was £75 and a pair of tyres is £80..then essentially it's the same price. Plus this way when i've got rocks clattering off my downtube i'm not wincing every time wondering how many chunks of paint have come off 🙂
Like all questions, the answer depends, plenty to think about ...
If you have a suitable bike that you are used to riding then take it, being on an unfamiliar bike in the toughest terrain most of us ride can be a bit intimidating.
if you are going for a long weekend then hiring makes a lot of sense, as it does if you don't have a suitable bike. The Alps are very tough on bikes so your own bike will take a beating. The hire shop will charge you for breakages so if you stack the bike you'll pay.
If you're going to rent it's worth checking stock available and reserving in advance, you can ask them to change the brakes around as the French have front/back brake levers on different sides to us
When I'm on holiday I want a bike I know, rather than risking getting one I don't like or having to spend time figuring out a new one, so I take my own. It can work out expensive though, I tend to take out a bike and bring home a repair bill...
