Bikes, Inishmore

When you arrive in Inis Mór, you have a lot of different ways to explore this island. Most people will choose for walking or renting a bike.

When you walk you have to consider that it takes you a few hours to go to Dun Aonghasa and that you probably don’t visit much of the island.

When you rent a bike, you have more time to explore the island and you see more things then the walkers and the people who go with the traps or minibuses.

The other options are the pony’s what the locals call a “trap”. A local is driving with you in this trap towards the main attractions.

Then you have also the mini busses that bring you also to the same main attractions. When you don’t have the whole day these are maybe the best solutions, but the bikes give you a lot of freedom to explore this beautiful island.

When you leave the boot, you will see those traps and mini busses waiting to collect their passengers, just choose one if you want to go with them. When you walk pass them, you will find the bike rental offices.

Because Inis Mór is very small (14 km long and 3 km wide) it is excellent for exploring this island by bike, you can do the exploration on your own pace and see the things you want to see.

When you leave the boot, you will see those traps (pony and buggy) and mini busses waiting to collect their passengers, when you walk pass them, you will find the bike rental offices. There are several offices where you can rent a bike, so you will have no problem in finding a bike for yourself. All the bikes have gears, some have a suspension and I have seen even tandems riding over there.

Make sure that they adjust your steer and saddle before you leave. Some you can adjust yourself. You will get a lock and a key so that no one can ride away with your bike, but don’t forget to take the key out of the lock when you are riding. It can fall out of the keyhole.

The rental price is 10 euro and you have to give also a deposit of 10 euro for the bike. But this deposit you get back when you return your bike.

When you arrive at Kilronan I can assure you that you will not be stuck for a means of transport. Rows of minibuses are lined up at the quay waiting for passengers, and when you have managed to get past the busdrivers you will next have to make your way past the pony trap ranks, to finally get to the bicycle hire, which I recommend you should take advantage of if you are only visiting Inishmore for one day. You will be able to explore most of the island within a few hours with a bike.

Bicycles cost 10 Euros per day plus a 10 Euro deposit.

This bicycle hire is next to the harbour. I cannot remember anymore how much we paid, but it was eight years ago so it would be old price anyway. First I got a bike of which the gears were not functioning and when I went back to ask for another one they made me feel it was my fault that it was not working! I hadn't ridden it for a meter at that stage!!!

We paid 6 IEP a day at the Aran Bike rental in the white shed right of the pier when arriving in 2001. Be careful - men's bikes' saddles are really hard here, the island is more hilly than you think and as soon as you leave the main road there's offroad paths....

In 2005 we went to the other rental company, ladies' bikes were much more comfortable and prices were not much more than before the Euro came. The normal price is 10 Euro, we got a group rate for 8 Euro.