Absolutely unacceptable experience at Nuts Outdoors. Our group rented E-bikes from Nuts Outdoors and were shocked by the complete disregard for participant safety. Staff made no effort to ensure bikes were the correct size for riders, and none of the seats were adjusted to proper height. Now I'm a reasonable person and I'm not expecting these guys to give each member of our group a professional bike fitting measuring knee lockout angles and such, but making sure they can reach the ground when stopping and are comfortable on a 50-60lb bike isn't asking for much. These are pretty basic safety measures you'd expect from any reputable rental service. Even worse, the brakes were wildly inconsistent: some bikes had hyper-sensitive brakes, while others had virtually none at all. It was a disaster waiting to happen. While I understand that, yes, we did sign liability waivers before participating. It should be noted that regardless of the liability waivers. It did not seem as though the staff had any interest in the ensuring the safety of the equipment being used by their patrons, which is completely unacceptable regardless of any waiver. One of our participants suffered a serious injury--a broken ankle--due to these unsafe conditions. When we contacted the business to request a refund for those of us who had to take a ride to the hospital and end the ride after about 30 minutes, we were met with hostility. The person on the phone berated us, used excessive profanity, and showed zero empathy or professionalism. Avoid this place at all costs. Safety and customer service are clearly not part of their business model. read more

Whenever we are in Galena, and the weather is nice, we like to kayak through Nuts Outdoors. It is always convenient, affordable, and an absolute blast! Also, it is one of the best ways to take-in the sights and beauty of Galena and the surrounding area! There are several options to chose from, including different lengths of time to rent, different styles and sizes of kayaks, and different routes. Not to mention the other equipment for outdoor adventures. There bike selection is outstanding! That being said, we always do the same thing: the 2-hour 9-11am single kayak trip. We also purchase the deal that starts right downtown Galena just down the street from Nuts Outdoors where the bridge crosses the Galena River. We love the convenience and the super-quick turnaround from store-front to water. Once you check-in at the store, you can walk or drive down to the dock, and the store worker meets you there with the boat, oars, and life-jacket (safety first)! There the staff person helps you into the boat and into the water. Just as a side note, the staff are always super friendly, helpful, and clearly experts. You are definitely in good hands. During our two hours, we paddle pretty consistently upstream for about an hour. We love the gorgeous views of the river banks, trees, and surrounding hills. We were SO LUCKY with the warm end-of-October weather last weekend that we were able to kayak and enjoy the fantastic fall colors! Wow! After the first hour, we like to kick-back, relax, have a drink, and float. We still need to paddle a little bit to make it back on time, but it is definitely relaxing. And so fun to take in the sights, sounds, and smells. Some highlights this time included blue jays, a whole bunch of cardinals, and the wind rustling the fall leaves. We've seen muskrats, large birds, and deer in the past! All this to say, if you're heading over to Galena and like outdoor adventures, don't miss out on a kayaking (or biking!) adventure with Nuts Outdoors! read more

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Silas Pepple was the most rude person I have encountered in a long time. Very anti police. Once he found out my brother was a cop he continued to be more and more disrespectful. He first said, after we were trying to figure out what we wanted to book, that "oh you're a cop, that's why it's taking you so long to figure this out". Then he said you're not so tough without your gun and asked if he had his badge, which my brother did. He then made the comment "oh good, we can take turns wiping out a** with it." then as we were booking he said "you're not getting a discount, I'll charge you 15% more actually." But then said "I'll give you a discount if you can get me out of a low level felony". We still decided to book (our mistake) and when he came out with the paddles my brother hit his head getting in the car and he said "I'm not gonna lie, that was pretty funny". That was the last straw and we asked for a refund. Instead of apologizing for the many comments he doubles down and said we were b***hes and can't take a joke. That's when we lost it and went off on him on how disrespectful he was being. He began to yell in the street. This is NOT how you treat any customers. We are not your friend and you shouldn't talk to people who are giving you money like that. Such an unprofessional place. Please reconsider doing business with this place. read more

for me and my wife no visit to Galena would be complete without bike excursion from Nuts Outdoors in Galena. they offer high quality electric bikes to rent and provide a map that takes you through the beautiful landscapes of Galena and ends at The Galena Cellars Vineyard where they come and pick up and return you to town . it's a 3 hour excursion and it's up to you how you care to spend your time. You could easily take the entire time to explore the scenery and take pictures or you could go straight to the vineyard and enjoy some wine or beer and take in the beauty there. I highly recommend a visit to the Council Hill Station which is a rich historic destination and is on the way to the vineyard, it's about a fifteen minute ride to the vineyard from Council Hill. I sincerely hope that you enjoy this experience as much as we do. read more

My wife and I wanted to rent out some bikes and cycle down by the river. We had no trouble finding nuts and the guys were really friendly. The bikes were awesome, they had really fat tires which we loved! Definitely recommend the store and the bike ride if you are in Galena. They also have a great selection of knives if you're into that! read more

We have rented ebikes in various parts of the country and the Bintelli Trend bikes were the best rentals we have experienced. Easy to use, great power, and a smooth ride. We had to text message the owner several times as our schedule was changing and the responses were very quick. As mentioned our schedule was changing and the staff was very accommodating with the rental timing. read more

We rented kayaks in late August. The staff was friendly and helpful and knew how to communicate. They were very cognizant and apologetic about running late. Downtown Galena was a zoo as usual so, I'm sure getting a school bus around is no picnic. River was low the first 1/4 mile or so but it was fun. My only complaint is the DANGEROUS put in spot on Buckhill Rd. I'm sure the owner of this outfitter must have sky high tax and liability insurance to pay but geez man! That put in spot is WAY TOO STEEP. How about some railroad tie steps for your customers so they don't continue to fall ass over ankle or slip and slide. Spend some money and make that put in safer!! read more

We love to use Nuts Outdoors for kayaking down the Galena River. They have been very helpful and understanding with all of our needs. We have brought friends with us on three different trips and Silas has been ever so kind and helpful . We have had him take us up river and drop us off so that the journey back is lazy and easy. We are all in our 60s. Each time we and our different groups of friends have had a wonderful scenic and fun time and the wildlife has been fantastic - great blue herons, bald eagles etc.. We highly recommend Nuts Outdoors. read more

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My group did the two-hour kayak float. This is such a lovely stretch of river- very calm and easy for a beginner. The staff was a little disorganized- we got on the river about 70 minutes after our scheduled time. I'm not sure if the scheduled time was supposed to be the actual put in time, or when we were leaving the building, because we didn't receive much information from the staff, including any information on how to kayak. The overall experience turned out great but the lack of clarity and disorganization left several members of our party feeling uncomfortable. Avery, the assistant, was sweet and accommodating. read more

The staff was incredibly friendly and personable! They accommodated our small group by offering a later time to kayak, when we arrived to town later than expected. The shop was super clean, kayaks and paddles in perfect condition, and the shop worker gave us great suggestions for what type of trip to take. Silas was fantastic, offering to take a group photo for us. Thank you, #NUTSOUTDOORS read more

They overbook their kayaks and aren't very accommodating when they can't provide the services you paid for. Poor customer service and an overall awful experience. The other outfitter in town is much better. read more

Fast friendly Service. Electric Bikes were well Maintained and Cleaned before use.

Had a blast on the E-Bike riding on the Galena Trails. Oddly enough my battery died about 3 miles out and the owner personally drove out and swapped my bike out, I was back on the trail within minutes. When you come to Galena you definitely have to stop by and rent one. read more

My girlfriend & I rented electric bikes and enjoyed the experience. I recommend you take it up to Chestnut mountain via the highway - not the hiking trail. You will get much better views and the ride will be easier. Don't be afraid of the paved road up. It's fun to ride the electric bikes. read more

My niece had her heart set on e-bikes. Our reservation with another vendor cancelled on us. Nuts outdoors to the rescue! Their equipment is tip top. Very happy with their service. Will definitely use them again. read more

It was disorganized, if you are doing this, please check with the owner first to make sure there is enough staff before you take the trip. The 2-hour trip with the bus is not a fit if it's your first time in a Kayak, several small currents that took me under and lost my Kayak. Do not take car keys with you, us and another group both lost them when our Kayaks overturned. read more