3 week cycle trip - Buy bike, rent or borrow friend's bike

bp5678

I'm in a major dilemma.

I'm doing a last minute cycle trip this August with a friend, starting off in Dubrovnik (Croatia) and then going to Montenegro and Bosnia. I'll be living in my tent and therefore the bike will carry this, along with panniers, sleeping bag, clothes, and everything else I need to live. It'll be hot and hilly and a mix of on road and off (although mainly on road). Cycling about 100km a day on average.

I've not got a bike yet and running out of time. I have 4 options:

Option 1: Buy new bike through Cycle to Work scheme

This bike: https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-dacite-1-2018-touring-bike-EV318241

My company are signed up to the Cycle to Work scheme so the cost of the bike is paid in installments over a year. So for numbers sake lets say I pay back £100 a month for 12 months. The £100 is deducted from my monthly salary at work, but the advantage of this is that I end up paying less income tax since I'll effectively be earning less for a year.

Because I am signed up to that scheme with the bike company Evans, I'll have to get a bike from Evans' website: https://www.evanscycles.com/

I've been into their shop and they recommended the bike I posted above. It's obviously expensive (£950) although I do get it a bit cheaper than the price it shows due to the Cycle to Work scheme. However my flights don't have hold luggage so I'll have to pay £150 to get it sent over (cost is for there and back) and on top of this I'll have to pay the cost of the bike.

Option 2: Borrow my friend's bike

Obviously this wouldn't cost me apart from the cost of sending it on the plane as i've not paid for baggage (£150). The problem with this is the bike probably wouldn't fit me. I can adjust handlebars and saddle but if the actual bike frame itself is too small it could cause me injuries, make me tire quicker and cause aches and pains on the trip.

Option 3: Bike hire/rent a bike

I could rent a bike in Dubrovnik or anywhere on my cycling route early on. In fact I could rent from anywhere in Croatia even if it's far from Dubrovnik as they can often drive the bike down to me in Dubrovnik and I pay a delivery fee. Bike hire will cost about 400-600 euros (£360-£540). Advantage is I don't need to pay shipping/aeroplane luggage fee of £150. The disadvantage is that so much could go wrong: the bike hire person may not turn up at the airport, the bike is the wrong one, it doesn't fit me, the panniers don't fit, it's a scam, etc etc (there could be a million scenarios I haven't predicted).

Option 4A: Buy second hand

If I buy second hand I'd still need to send over to Dubrovnik so would have to pay aeroplane baggage fee. Chance that it could be a faulty/dodgy bike from Ebay and I can't get my money back. Or I get the bike online, try it and decide it's not for me and I can't get a refund. But the advantage is bikes lose their value a lot when second hand meaning I could get a cheap one that's still good.

4B: Probably unrealistic but I could try buy a bike off Croatian Ebay so I don't have to pay baggage fee (and get this sent to a hotel I could stay in for one night). Once I've bought the bike I put it on Ebay immediately so I could sell it hopefully before I fly home and not pay luggage fee for way back again (or try sell it to a Croatian bike store, Facebook marketplace etc).

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Any advice would be great because the clock is ticking! Thanks.

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Edit/Update:
I've decided it's silly to buy a bike and I will rent. I've enquired with rental companies and explained I'm carrying lots of bags/weight so the bike would need to be suitable and, I've been recommended the following bikes from different companies. Which do you think would be best/most suitable as I'm not an expert and not 100% sure what things I should be looking for:

Semi-professional mountain bike cube: https://www.cube.eu/en/2018/bikes/mountainbike/hardtail/aim/cube-aim-race-greynblue-2018/

Diamant bike: https://www.3etravel.me/rentals/

Musing hybrid: http://www.meridienten.com/page/hybrid-bike-rentals/26

Cube SL Road: https://www.bikingcroatia.com/bike-rental

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BUY SECOND HAND (unlikely option but won't rule it out)
https://www.njuskalo.hr/gradski-bicikli/univega-terreno-100-velicina-l-oglas-25940809

Dawes galaxy tour https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dawes-Galaxy-Tour-1999-touring-bike/202344671442?hash=item2f1caea8d2:g:rJAAAOSw95lbJ-sC

cubegame

See if you can get a bike from Decathlon in Croatia. Cheap, decent bikes without the hassle of taking it out there.

You could try in a UK store in advance.

bp5678

@cubegame - Thanks although I'd still have to send the bike back on the plane which will be nearly £100.

photome

You asked the same question back in May, so not that last minute.

Did you follow up any of the suggestions back then

CardinalWolsey

My recommendation would be to hire a motor-bike or even car when you arrive in Croatia. I've just hired a small SUV for £100 for the week (albeit from Zagreb, not Dubrovnik). The fact that you don't have a bike currently presumably means you don't regularly cycle. You said

It'll be hot and hilly and a mix of on road and off

and I would be worried about your ability to walk on day 2, let alone ride a bike

bp5678

I've decided it's silly to buy a bike and I will rent. I've enquired with rental companies and explained I'm carrying lots of bags/weight so the bike would need to be suitable and, I've been recommended the following bikes from different companies. Which do you think would be best/most suitable as I'm not an expert and not 100% sure what things I should be looking for:

Semi-professional mountain bike cube: https://www.cube.eu/en/2018/bikes/mountainbike/hardtail/aim/cube-aim-race-greynblue-2018/

Diamant bike: https://www.3etravel.me/rentals/

Musing hybrid: http://www.meridienten.com/page/hybrid-bike-rentals/26

Cube SL Road: https://www.bikingcroatia.com/bike-rental

---

BUY SECOND HAND (unlikely option but won't rule it out)
https://www.njuskalo.hr/gradski-bicikli/univega-terreno-100-velicina-l-oglas-25940809

Dawes galaxy tour https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dawes-Galaxy-Tour-1999-touring-bike/202344671442?hash=item2f1caea8d2:g:rJAAAOSw95lbJ-sC