FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

All participants whether renting, touring, or test riding must sign a waiver prior to their experience.

Minors must also have waivers on file. Their legal guardian must sign on their behalf.

Prior to any experience with The Flying Bike, our staff will provide an overview of how to operate the bicycle safely. If you would like to prepare for this orientation, please watch Pedego’s Features & Safety Orientation video.

Inclement Weather Cancellations

For cancellations due to inclement weather, we will issue a 100% refund or allow you to reschedule for another time that works for you. In the case of bad weather, our guide will contact you at least one hour before the start time to discuss your options.

• If there is light rain in the forecast, we will decide together at the time of the tour whether to ride. We provide rain ponchos and rain covers for the bike storage bags to help protect your belongings. 
• If you do not want to ride in light rain or the cold, we encourage you to purchase trip insurance. Trip insurance allows you to cancel your reservation for any reason up until the start time of your tour.

Cancellations

For all other cancellations, we ask that you please give us at least 48 hours notice so that we may open up your tour spots to other people who want to ride. Please call or email us as soon as possible if you have any concerns about keeping your reservation.

We offer a 100% refund if a tour is canceled by us due to rain. If there is light rain in the forecast, we will decide together at the time of the tour whether to ride. We provide rain ponchos and rain covers for the bike storage bags to help protect your belongings. 

• If you do not want to ride in light rain or the cold, we encourage you to purchase trip insurance. Trip insurance allows you to cancel your reservation for any reason up until the start time of your tour.

• personal water bottle
• rain jacket (if rain is in the forecast)
• light layers (if cold weather is in the forecast)
• phone or camera
• sunscreen
• Sunglasses

• Reservations are not required for bike rentals.
• If you are concerned about the availability of bikes for your rental, we encourage you to reserve your bikes a few days in advance, if possible.
• If you plan on renting cargo bikes, there is a limited supply, we encourage you to reserve your bikes a few days in advance.
• We encourage you to book your tour a few days or weeks in advance. We can add guests to a scheduled, partially booked tour up to 15 minutes before the tour time, as long as there is room for your party.
• Tours tend to fill up in advance. If you are worried about reserving space on a tour on your preferred day/time, we strongly _recommend _you book your tour a few days or weeks in advance.

Yes, the easiest way to alter an existing reservation is by calling our shop (828)-338-8484 and speaking to one of our staff members.

Yes, we offer cargo bicycles that can accommodate up to two small children.

We also have children’s seats that attach to the back of our cargo bikes for younger children who need seat belts.

We also offer a bicycle trailer that can accommodate up to two children. It includes seat belts and can be covered to shade it from the sun, bugs, or rain. It can be attached to any of our rental or tour bikes

Yes, Hourly Rentals start with a minimum of two hours.

If you are out on a rental and need to add more time to your reservation, you can call our shop at any time and we can add time in hourly increments.

Yes, we can accommodate many special needs/medical conditions. Please note your medical conditions when you make your reservation.

You can call our shop (828)-338-8484 and ask a staff member to talk through your particular needs and what accommodations can be made.

For our Tour with Tastings, please make note of any allergies or dietary restrictions when you make your booking.

Yes, we offer private tours for large groups  numbering more than 7 people.  Please use our contact form to request pricing and make arrangements for groups larger than 10.

For private tours for smaller groups there is a service charge added to the standard base price.

All bicycles have cargo bags that participants can use to store their personal items while on a tour or renting.

We are happy to help you book your reservation over the phone. Please call our shop (828)-338-8484 and a staff member will help you book your reservation and accept payment over the phone.

If you are encountering difficulty booking a reservation, please call our shop (828)-338-8484 and we can help you book over the phone.

You are welcome to bring a camera or Go Pro with you on your tour or rental. We do not provide helmets with Go Pro attachments, you will need to provide your own attachments.

If you are interested in employment at The Flying Bike, please visit the Jobs page of our website to fill out an application.

Please leave your drone at home if you are coming on a tour, but you are welcome to use it while stopped on your rental. Please do not attempt to operate your drone while riding your bike.

Customers can bring their dogs and/or cats on their bike rentals as long as they have a way to keep them safe.

Pets are not allowed on tours.

You are welcome to bring your own bike if you are renting with a group.

Generally, our policy is not to allow personal bicycles on tours, but we do make exceptions. There is no discount for bringing your own bike on a tour. Please contact us to discuss the possibility of riding your personal bike on a tour.

Yes, we sell merchandise and you are welcome to buy a souvenir either before or after your tour or rental.

We sell merchandise in our physical store location; we do not have an online store.

Yes, we have gift cards available for purchase. Please visit the Gift Cards page on our website to learn more.

No, there is currently only one physical location for The Flying Bike. Our address is 1 River Arts Place, Asheville, NC, 28801.

Yes, North Carolina has a 7% sales tax that is added to most transactions.

There are no extra fees added to your reservation when you book through our website or over the phone.

Yes, occasionally we will donate tours, for example, a free tour for two. For inquiries about donating a free tour for a good cause, please email us.

• Yes, we offer full repair service on all Pedego bikes. Please visit the Warranty page of the Pedego website to find out more about what is covered under your warranty.
• For Pedego bikes within their warranty period, we will charge a lower hourly rate for repair services. For warranty claims, we will communicate with Pedego to order and install all Pedego parts. Please visit the Warranty page of the Pedego website to find out more about what is covered under your warranty.
• For Pedego bikes involved in accidents, we will charge the standard hourly rate for mechanic service, even if the bike is within its warranty period.
• We do not repair the electrical parts of non-Pedego bikes i.e. electrical connection cables, LCD monitor, motor, or battery. We can service the parts of the bike that are not part of the electrical system.
• At this time, we do not offer bicycle repair services for non-electric bikes, but we recommend that you visit any of the shops that are members of the Western North Carolina Bicycle Dealers Association – WNCBDA.

Yes, we provide helmets and we require everyone to wear helmets while they are on a tour or renting a bicycle. Helmets are sanitized after each use.

If you would like you can bring your personal helmet to wear on tours or during rentals.

We are happy to help people take photos on their personal devices during tours or rentals.

We also ask for permission to take photos of participants during tours or rentals to publish on our social media accounts.

We do not sell the photos we take during rentals or tours.

You can book a tour or reserve a rental using our website or you can book a tour on the TripAdvisor website.

Our tours vary in mileage and duration.

• The Downtown Asheville Tour
  • 3 hours
  • 14.5 miles
• The Downtown Asheville Tour with Tastings
  • 3.5 hours
  • 9 miles
• The West Asheville River Arts District E-Bike Tour
  • 3 hours
  • 13.5 miles

You can always call our shop phone number (828)-338-8484 for assistance or call the phone number provided to you on the information card given to you by the staff member who helped you get set up with your rental.

There is no minimum weight for riders, but according to the manufacturer, there is a maximum weight of 250 for standard spoke wheels and 350 for MAG wheels (5 large steel spokes).

Gratuities for your tour guides are very much appreciated. We recommend tipping approximately 10% of your total booking cost.

We are open Monday – Thursday and Sunday 10:00AM – 4:00PM. We are open Friday and Saturday 10:00AM – 6:00PM.

We are open year-round.

Rental Guests

• helmets
• locks
• maps
• ponchos (if needed)
• scarves (if needed)
• gloves (if needed)
• buffs (if needed)

Tour  Guests

• helmets
• ponchos (if needed)
• scarves (if needed)
• gloves (if needed)
• buffs (if needed)

If you are running behind for a tour or rental, please call our shop (828)-338-8484 and let a staff member know.

If we have mechanical problems with a bike while on tour, the guide will call the shop and have a staff member bring a replacement bike to either the exact location where the tour is stopped. 

If the guide can ride the broken bike to the next tour stop, they will swap bikes with the participant and the shop staff member will meet the group with the replacement bike at the next tour stop.

1. 1. Hand sanitizer, buffs or masks, and gloves are available at our shop before the start of your tour or rental. A restroom is available on-site as well.
   2. At this time, we are limiting mixed groups to parties of 10.
   3. We ask that parties that did not come together keep at least a 6-foot distance between themselves and other guests and guides. In the case that less than 6 feet become necessary, we require that you wear a mask or buff. If you prefer to be with only your group members, please book a private tour.
   4. We are limiting indoor time as much as possible. Orientation at the start of your tour or rental will be done outside. Waivers will be signed electronically prior to arrival or with your phone on-site. Helmet pick-up will be near the door. Any time indoors, whether in the shop or during tour stops, will not be required. We ask that all guests and staff wear masks or buffs while indoors.
   5. Bikes are cleaned and wiped down with an alcohol-based disinfectant after every ride.
   6. Helmets are wiped down and sprayed with alcohol-based disinfectant after every ride. Tour participants may also bring their own helmets if they prefer. 
   7. Guests are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottles which can be filled with cold spring water at the shop. 
   8. A health screening section has been added to our waivers, to help ensure the safety of guests and staff. Both guides and guests will be screened before the start of the tour for any symptoms of COVID-19.

Our most popular tour is the Downtown Asheville Electric Bike Tour. For folks new to ebikes or people who do not like riding with traffic the River Arts Tour is a great choice as it is mostly on protected greenways.

Our preference is always to accept payment at the time of booking. If this is not possible for some reason, we can accept payment in full when guests arrive for their tour or rental.

We do not typically accept deposits, but we can do partial payments, one at the time of the booking and the other half when guests arrive for their tour.

All of the bikes in our fleet are pedal-assist class two electric bikes. For all of our tours, we use the Boomerang, Interceptor, and Stretch cargo bikes models of Pedego bikes. We can help you decide which bike is most appropriate for your needs over the phone or when you arrive at our shop.

For all of our rentals, we use the Boomerang, Interceptor, Element, and Stretch cargo bikes models of Pedego bikes. We can help you decide which bike is most appropriate for your needs over the phone or when you arrive at our shop.

Currently, our tours are only offered in English. You are welcome to book a tour if you don’t speak English, but you may enjoy renting a bike more due to the language barrier.

If you have not received a confirmation email and you booked a tour through our website, please contact us.

If you booked a tour on TripAdvisor’s website and did not receive a confirmation email, please contact TripAdvisor. We are also always happy to help liaison between you and TripAdvisor if you encounter difficulties, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

We recommend all participants wear comfortable clothes and closed-toe shoes.

Our shop is located at 1 River Arts Place, Asheville, NC, 28801. All of our tours and rentals depart and return to our shop, with the exception of larger, private tours which will sometimes request an alternate start and end location.

All of our tours and rentals depart and return to our shop. Our shop is located at 1 River Arts Place, Asheville, NC, 28801. We do not have multiple locations where you could rent or return bicycles.

Any one of our shop staff can answer most questions about tours or rentals. If you have any questions, are interested in learning more about our services, or would like to set up a custom tour, please contact us by phone or using the form on our Contact Us webpage.

We encourage all participants to use the restroom at our shop prior to departing on a rental or tour. If you need to stop for a restroom break, there are options to do so along each of our tour routes.

Our Downtown Asheville Tour with Tastings is a food tour designed to help you get a taste of all the amazing food that Asheville has to offer.

If you think you will need a snack during any of our tours, please feel free to bring a snack with you or purchase a snack from the selection we have available at our shop.

All of our tours are led by one of our expert guides.

Renters will not have a guide accompanying them on their rentals.

We have many tour time slots throughout the day, so if one is full, you can always look at other time slots as possibilities. If there is only one tour time slot that works for your party, but it is full, please call us at (828)-338-8484 to inquire about adding your party to that tour.

The fastest and easiest way to book your tour or rental is online. Through our booking software, you can see all available dates and times. You’ll receive a confirmation of your booking via email. If you would like to make a reservation with less than 24 hours’ notice, or for private or custom tour requests, please contact us.

Legally, you must be 16 years or older to operate an electric bike. Guides reserve the right to request proof of age of any rider. Riders should also be at least five feet tall to operate their own bike. Guests younger than 16 may ride as a passenger with an adult in their group on the back of one of our cargo bikes or in a child seat (for children ages 1-6 or up to 48.5 pounds). Please note: guests with children under seven will need to book a private tour. Children must be at least 1 year old to ride as a passenger.

Yes, we love kids! For guests ages 1-15 years, they may ride as a passenger with an adult in their group on the back of one of our cargo bikes. A variety of seat options are available, depending on the weight and stability of the passenger. For our youngest passengers (age 1-6 years or up to 48.5 pounds), we will provide helmets and Yepp Maxi child seats at no charge. If you have children ages seven or under, please book a private tour. Children must be at least 1 year old to ride as a passenger.

Click here to see photos of possible riding options with our Pedego Stretch cargo bikes.

Groups of up to seven may book a public or private tour. For groups larger than seven, please book a private tour, and we will provide a second guide for safety purposes. We can accommodate up to 10 individual riders on private tours.

The electric bikes will take all of the hard work out of your ride. We routinely have riders that span the spectrum of age and fitness. The main requirement is that you be coordinated and fit enough to balance a 55-pound bike. For people that would like to go on the tour but are not able to balance a bike, it is possible to arrange a ride on the back of one of our stretch cargo bikes that will be driven by another person in your party.

We provide instructions and a short practice ride before every tour. If a rider is not able to balance or complete the practice ride confidently, then we will either ask that they ride on the back of a cargo bike driven by another adult in their party, or that they accept a full refund and sit out the tour.

Yes! We take every possible safety precaution before, during and after the ride. We have chosen the routes to utilize bike lanes and greenways wherever possible. Our bikes are bright and very visible on the road and we provide helmets to all riders. We take care of our bikes and inspect them before and after every ride. We also provide instructions and a short practice ride before every tour, along with a quick review of bike laws and signals. If a rider is not able to balance or complete a test ride confidently, then we will either ask that they ride on the back of a cargo bike driven by another adult in their party, or that they accept a full refund and sit out the tour.

Tours and bike rentals leave from our shop located at 1 River Arts Place, Asheville, NC, 28801.  If you are driving, you may park in the free public parking lots located on River Arts Place. Please do not park in the parking lot for Curve Studios.

While we can’t be held liable for lost or damaged items, we are happy to hold your bags in our locked garage during your tour.

Yes. We make two stops during the tour that have bathrooms: the Grove Park Inn and the public pavilion at Pack Square.

There is no food included on our tours, but we provide filtered water for every rider. If you feel like you may need a snack during the tour, you are welcome to bring your own and store it in the provided bike bag.

Yes, a waiver will be provided and all riders must sign it before heading out on their tour. Minors must be accompanied by an adult who signs for them. Once your booking is made, you will receive an email asking you to sign a waiver before your tour. For more information or instructions on signing your waiver, please visit the Before Your Tour page.

For cancellations due to inclement weather, we will issue a 100% refund or allow you to reschedule for another time that works for you. For all other cancellations, we ask that you please give us at least 48 hours’ notice so that we may open up your spots to other people who want to ride. Please call or email us as soon as possible if you have any concerns about keeping your reservation.

The best way to ensure that a tour is available is to book online at least 24 hours in advance. Please call if it is less than 24 hours until the tour you would like to join. If you do walk up 30 minutes before a tour and space is available, we will be happy to have you join us.