Road Bike Rentals in Santa Barbara

All of our road bikes have lightweight carbon frames and mid-level to high-level components, but the Specialized Tarmac is more geared towards performance than comfort. The main contributor to this is the frame geometry. The Tarmac will have the rider in a more aggressive and compact posture while riding. Additionally, the gearing is ideal racing or fast, flat group rides with a mid-compact crankset and 11-28 cassette. Our favorite pick: The Specialized Tarmac SL5 Comp.

Gibraltar is an epic 6.5 mile climb gaining nearly 3000’ at an average grade of 8%. Depending on where you are starting your ride and whether you are adding in Camino Cielo to make it a loop, you are looking at a lot of time in the saddle with plenty of elevation gain. Therefore, most people want a comfortable bike with a low gear for this type of ride. Our Specialized Roubaix and Trek Domane options are stocked with vibration damping features that will allow you to go more miles with less fatigue. Furthermore, the endurance frame geometry is also intended for long mileage days, placing the rider in a more upright position than the Tarmac or other race geometry bikes. The gearing will vary between models, either 11-32 or 11-34 which is preferred for big climbs. Disc Brakes are also a plus with any long descent. Our favorite pick: 2020 Trek Domane Disc SL 6.

Again, the Specialized Roubaix and Trek Domane will be the go to recommendations for high mileage rides. Comfort and compliance are key if you are spending hours in the saddle. The Roubaix and Domane will have vibration damping technology to soften the road chatter that can cause fatigue over a long period of time. The Domane and Roubaix geometry is tailored for endurance riding. With a lower bottom bracket, shorter reach, and higher stack, this option usually makes for a more comfortable riding experience. Additionally, the Roubaix has “future shock” technology; 20mm of travel below the stem, smoothing out the ride without compromising efficiency. Go with our most lightweight model to maximize efficiency and comfort: 2017 Specialized Roubaix SL4 Comp (Ultegra Di2/105)

Best for smaller riders: 2017 Specialized Comp Ruby (48 cm)

Most lightweight: 2017 Roubaix SL4 Comp (Ultegra Di2/105) and 2016 Specialized Roubaix EXPERT (Ultegra / Dura Ace)

Best value bike on a budget: Roubaix Sport

Best bike to experience Di2 shifting and Disc Brakes: 2020 Roubaix Comp and 2018 Specialized Roubaix Expert Ultegra Di2 w/ Hydraulic Disc

All of our road bike rentals are meant solely for riding on the pavement. The tires do not have the width or traction for gravel riding. Howerver, we do have hardtail mountain bike rentals for gravel/fire roads.

We offer multi-day road bike rentals if you are looking to go on a little journey! A couple details to keep in mind- We cannot install any rack systems on our road bikes, so ultralight bikepacking is the only situation these bikes may work for what you are trying to do. Secondly, we do not rent locks out with our road bikes due to their high value. The bike must be with you at all times and stored indoors overnight. Given these points, our hybrid bikes may be a better solution if you are looking to tour. We can install racks on our hybrids and we will provide you with a lock for daytime use.

You will notice a recommended rider height range for each size of bike listed on our rentals page. These ranges are usually fairly accurate. Also, there are a few adjustments we can make to fine tune the fit (stem length/angle and seat fore/aft). We will always have you test ride the bike you have reserved to make sure it is a good fit before you head out. You are also welcome to email any fit measurements you may have ahead of time.

Santa Barbara has a plethora of road bike routes for every type of rider. Whether you are looking for minimal elevation along the coast or epic climbs up to the ridge line, we have recommendations for you. Check our Bike Routes and Maps page. Under our Road Bike Maps link, you will find 4 of our favorite routes for road cyclists. At the bottom of the page you will find Garmin Connect files for each of these routes. Rent one of our Garmins for turn-by-turn directions and additional route recommendations.