DO NOT GO HERE!!!!!! There are so many options in this area to rent a bike, and there is no need to waste your money at Ventoux Bikes.
I rented 5 bikes for the group I was with. Three of the bikes were in good shape and the other two (my bike included) had definitely been dropped a few times and were not shifting all that great. My bike had some pretty significant scratches on the drive train side, and the rear derailleur was chewed up from a previous crash. Before leaving the shop, I took a few pictures of the bike and the damage.
In any event, the next day I was off to summit Mount Ventoux from all three passes in one day. I had been looking forward to this ride for years. On my second pass up, I notice a clicking noise from the back of my bike, and was about to get off to check the cause when my hanger (piece that connects your derailleur to the bike frame) broke. I had to hitch hike to the top of the mountain and get picked up from a friend. Needless to say, I was unable to finish my ride.
I called Ventoux Bikes to let them know what happened and that I would be coming in the next morning to pick up a new bike. I was disappointed, but at the same time mechanical mishaps are part of riding. I was nice when I came in and explained what had happened. The owner proceeded to be a complete jerk about the event and didn't even apologize for what happened or for releasing a bike that was not in good working order. He said I probably damaged the bike when I put it in my car and tried to blame what happened on me. After I showed him the pictures of the original damage he said, "Okay I wont charge you for the damage." I've been riding competitively for over a decade and know how to take care of bike, and was really disappointed in how the owner handled this situation.
He gave me a new bike to ride for the remainder of my trip and the new one had scratches all over it. He spent two seconds looking over the bike before he gave it to me, and said it was in good working order. I rode it around the block and the shifting was off on the bike. I brought it back in and he seemed annoyed that I asked him to adjust the derailleur to get it shifting correctly and to adjust the fit of the saddle. After everything was in working order, I took the bike outside of the shop and started taking pictures of the damage on it. I wanted to make sure I was not going to be blamed for prior damage to the bike. The owner came outside and said he was going to CALL THE POLICE on me if I did not stop doing that. At this point, I lost it and told him to call the police and tell them that he was a crappy business owner and is putting people in danger by renting out bikes that are unsafe and poorly maintained. We went back and forth for awhile and he finally went back into his shop.
Probably one of the weirdest exchanges I've ever had. Other than the original mishap and the way the owner handled the situation, everything else about riding Ventoux was amazing. It is such a cool area and there are a ton of bike shops to rent from, so I would advise against going with this guy, or if you do, make sure to check your bike thoroughly and take pictures of any prior damage. read more
