Looking to hire a small or medium FS ebike for my 14yo son (*) for a Saturday in May. Alpine bikes have some XL ebikes for hire, but nothing smaller. I-bikes have a small hardtail. So, where else could I look? Another possibility would be to hire before we go and take that but I’m not so keen as it will mean a 2 or 3 day hire. We’ll be driving up from the midlands, possibly via Sheffield to pick up a friend.

Also, do they still run an uplift at Glentress? Does it go any higher than the top carpark?

(*) he’s very much an uplift-assisted kind of bike park rider.

you want to hire an ebike and get an uplift? I’d put your son up for adoption.

I’d put your son up for adoption.

Come on fella, Rule 1.

OP does it have to be an e-bike? As noted you will be uplifting…

Might be worth booking on to the uplift at Innerleithen if you’re mostly looking for uplift assisted bike park level trails.
The uplift at Glentress goes to Buzard nest car park. Check the Adrenalin Uplift site for more info.
Have you spoken to someone at Alpine bikes? It seems unlikely that they would only have XL demo bikes.

It’s only about a ten minute ride from the cafe to the Buzzard’s nest car park.

(OK, maybe longer than that but the time always seems to just fly past).

Ignore the uplift bit as that’s clearly a distraction 😂; that’s a fall back if no ebike available.

Where else might I be able to rent a small/med fs ebike around there?

Spoke to alpine before I posted this only two ebike currently in service both xl 😳

I think Rutland have a scheme where they post the bike to you.

Leisure Lakes do ebike hire. Could you pick one up on your way to Glentress from one of their shops?

The bike shop at Glentress have e-hardtails too. I saw a small wifey riding one at the weekend, it wouldn’t have been an XL

I’d save the headache and hire him a small hardtail or full bounce and ride up the hill..it isn’t difficult (as many 8 year old last week showed me!), just requires a good conversation.

The headache of them moaning about having to pedal up the hill will be shorter lived than the one you’ll get and keep getting when you need to go hire them again and again…

Not what you want to hear but the climb will make him a better rider and it won’t kill him.