Gear rentals in Santa Cruz

THE 5 BEST Santa Cruz Gear Rentals

Gear Rentals in Santa Cruz

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What travelers are saying

  • Paul O
    Payson, AZ11 contributions
    Current eBikes provided a great 3 hour ride along the beach and Boardwalk in Santa Cruz. All was ready for us at check-in, instructions were thorough, brief and complete about bike operation and easy to following riding instructions got us off to a fun adventure. The staff is very knowledgeable about the bikes and local attractions. I would strongly recommend them for ebike rentals and look forward to renting from them in the future. FYI, the cruiser bikes are new and the latest mid drive Bosch technology.
    Written February 6, 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • SRCG
    Santa Rosa, CA1 contribution
    Trudie is a wonderful and patient "facilitator" and the equipment was excellent. She gave us an excellent orientation to kayaking and paddle boarding and safety, and gave us recommendations for route, wind issues, turn-arounds, etc. I've been SUPing for 15 years and this is the best rental place I've ever used. Thank you!
    Written September 13, 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Staffan G
    1 contribution
    Highly recommended bike shop with a good range of all you need including rental options. Easy to find parking behind the building.
    Written April 3, 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Matt M
    1 contribution
    In short: Spokesman’s customer service is simply lawless. I live in Reno, NV and drive over 600 miles round trip specifically to Spokesman for my biking needs.

    I know of no other industry in which I have so consistently encountered universally horrific customer care. I have MTB raced for many years and always dread needing anything from a bike shop. Spokesman is the antithetical example. I’ve fixed and purchased bikes here and it has been not just the pleasure it should be, but exceptionally impressive.

    Spokesman has consistently provided me the best customer treatment I have ever experienced. Their efforts are impressive, so much so that this is the first review I have ever taken the time to write... Spokesman is the only bike shop to go to.
    Written January 11, 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • zerolex
    New Jersey57 contributions
    Most beach town bike rental shops will have you covered if you want "beach bikes" or something to casually spin around a boardwalk, but you will be out of luck for mountain bikes. We were looking for serious bikes for 2 adults and a child to use on the Natural Bridges Monarch Trail. Cycle Works had us covered.

    Not only were the bikes they rented to us perfect for the task and in great condition, the staff was beyond superb! They made sure we had good fits, helmets (included with rental) and a lock (included with rental). One of the staff even loaned me his GoPro mount because I left mine at home. All I can say is A+.

    We returned the bikes pretty muddy and they actually seemed happy at the fact that we used the bikes for the intended purpose. If you're looking for rentals, Cycle Works is your place.
    Written August 8, 2017
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Dimitri D
    1 contribution
    I had a wonderful day with Darrin during the guided MTB ride. Everything was very well organised and really professional. I would recommend them to everyone!
    Written July 15, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions about Santa Cruz


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Forum posts were selected by looking for forum titles asking specific questions and taking the top showtopic page by total pageviews as the optimal topic.
So I havent seen this post recently. Debating the merits of staying in Santa Cruz vs Capitola.

We are are a sports team of 15- 16 yr old boys traveling from Orange County ,ca to the area in end of July. Games can range from being in Sc, Aptos, cabrillo and San Lorenzo. We will be in the area for four days with some down time in the evenings.

Hotels are expensive in both areas. Looking into the Fairfield inn in Capitola (rates ave ~$300 but with breakfast & bocci ball court) with some of chain restaurants like chipotle & mall nearby.

The other option to to get a hotel in SC possibly Hotel Paradox in the higher end (~$330 but no breakfast) or Holiday Inn or Hyatt place same price as FI.

Pls lmk your thoughts of what would be a better city SC or C?

Would like a hotel where parents & kids have a nice common area to congregate during down time.

Also would like to have the boys have access to fun things to do during down time & have access to good food options since 16 yrs old boys playing sports are always hungry.

Will the team with 30+ people be frustrated trying to get into a non chain restaurant in Sc?

Hotel P is off the beaten path & expensive but has nicer facilities like pool area with nice lounge area. Is the hotel worth the extra $?

Any appreciate suggestions on the hotel I mentioned or any others that I have may have overlooked.

Thank you for your advice.
Answer: There is not much for boys that age in Capitola. Its core is a small village with boutique shopping. The hotel itself is on busy 41st Avenue, not very near the village. The mall you speak of is considering going out of business and turning into something else. It has a couple of semi-fast food restaurants. It is not something the boys could walk to from the Fairfield Inn, or has anything of interest to them, IMO.

The Holiday Inn Express in Santa Cruz is not near anything for the boys except Denny's :~). It is on Ocean Street as you come into the town. The Paradox is a new remake of a Holiday Inn and it screams 'businessmen'. It is also on Ocean Avenue, but further down and just across San Lorenzo Park (about two or three blocks) from the main street of town, Pacific Avenue, with lots of restaurants of various kinds, two movie theaters, ice cream parlors, a cookie company, pizza, etc.

Have you looked into the Dream Inn? This is of the same quality as, or better than, the others but near the Wharf and a block from the Boardwalk, an old fashioned historic amusement park with no admission charge.

The hotel has a pool and faces a beach. Surfing lessons happen there. There are volleyball nets set up on part of the beach near the Boardwalk. During the summer there are free movies and concerts and aerial acts at various times on the main beach there. Of your choices, I really think this is the best. It is not inexpensive, but I think it might be in the same ballpark as the Paradox. The boys *could* walk to Pacific Avenue from here, but it is about 8 or 9 blocks to the main area .

The Hyatt is new and I know nothing about it except its location. It is on the west side and not really convenient to activities for the boys.

I am going to give you a link to a traveler article on Santa Cruz. Trip Advisor has stopped supporting these, so there is a disclaimer that the information may be outdated. The information in this article is not outdated. I will be re-writing it to put in my own files.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g33048-c133677/Santa-Cruz:California:Santa.Cruz.Sights.And.Activities.html

Good luck and let me know if I can be of help....

Edit. The Paradox is not in a "shady area of town". Yes, homeless people do hang out in San Lorenzo Park, but there is no reason for the boys to go there. If you should pick that hotel they can walk on city streets, quite safely, to get to Pacific Avenue...
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