Started April 27, 2007
Updated
May 27, 2007
April 28, 2007
Concerned about safety? Emergency health care is free and available to all regardless of whether or not you are a resident. For help dial 03 (or 030 from your cell phone). If you speak no Russian, ask passers by to make a call or, if the case is hopeless, to properly shoot you. Consider appointing me to arrange your burial in Russia or the shipment of your body home (see From Small Errands to Serious Services).
Bike rental in St. Petersburg
Their page is in English so communication probably no
problem. Located right by the Moscow train station. The rate is around
$15/day.
Just found
Bike rental in Moscow
Russian only, located at the Exhibition Grounds, $20+/day
for a basic bike.
The purpose of this page is to test the market and to see how it works. Sorry. The offer, however, is real and you are welcomed to borrow my bike. If the concept proves itself I'll be getting several bikes and perhaps something more serious like several bicycles and a couple of 49cc scooters (expected rate $25/day). And perhaps even a shitbox of a car that you can leave anywhere and not worry about dents and scratches (probably $35/day plus mileage at 25 cents/mile).
This idea originated during my own recent trips to Rostov-on-Don and St. Petersburg, where I wanted but could not find some real basic and cheap vehicle. In Odessa, Ukraine I did rent a 49cc scooter, which made a huge positive difference to my perception of teh city. I'm one of these people who get claustrophobic without wheels but what sort of wheels these are does not really matter that much. I wonder how common this sentiment is among the travelling public..
Here comes the sales pitch:
- Don't get stuck in traffic
- No need to subject yourself to the rush-hour crowds in the subway
- Tried figuring out recently installed access control system in streetcars? I couldn't. Keep your life simple, ride a bike.
- Don't contribute to air pollution. Enjoy the sense of moral superiority over motorists.
- Save on transportation costs
- Stay fit
- Go anywhere on the whim of the moment
- Immerse yourself into real life
- Explore the crooks and crannies of Moscow
- Pickup and drop off in the center of Moscow
- Cheap to rent, not the end of the world if you lose it. If it works I'll be offering bikes with replacement value of no more than $200.
- Whatever.....
The bicycle presently available is a classic 10-speed with half of them amputated for reliability and ease of use. Has anyone seen the front derailer that really works? That's why I took it off. The bike is fitted with lighting, reflectors, a loud horn, and a chain with a lock.
If this pilot project indicated there is an interest in bike rental, I will be getting more. These will include:
- An old-fashioned standard, my favourite
- A folding bike
- A 5-speed folding bike
- A mountain bike (of the sort I detest but you people seem to like)
If the bike rental concept works in Moscow, I'll do the same in St. Petersburg and get a scooter or two as well. But let's see first how the humanity reacts to this test offer.
Write paul_voytinsky@yahoo.com or call me at +7-910-932-5546.
Pasha
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Accommodation in Moscow (real offers starting at $15/night)
Accommodation in St. Petersburg (real offers starting at $10/night)
The City of Staritsa, Tver region