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Best Places To Rent Outdoor Gear In The Sacramento Area

Buying the gear for all of the outdoor pursuits that are within range of us can get to be pretty pricey. This is especially true if you are just interested in finding out if you actually enjoy a particular activity. Kayaks, skis, snowshoes, tents, SUPs and bikes can put a big dent in your budget. The best way to find out about some of these pursuits is to rent the gear first. If it's a wash out, you haven't busted the bank. If it's a hit, then you can consider buying the gear. Until then, here are some places to rent the gear to suit your needs.
Bicycles Plus
705 Gold Lake Drive #320
Folsom, CA 95630
(916) 355-8901
www.onlinecycling.com

Bicycles come in all kinds of shapes, sizes and configurations. Things in the two-wheeled pedal world have come a long way. If you already own a good bike, and want to upgrade, what do you upgrade to and at what price? If you don't own a bike, what will you get? Both questions are dependent on what kind of riding you do or are likely to do. Just buying a bike that looks good to you may be a big mistake. The best thing to do is to talk to the bike folks at Bicycles Plus, take a test ride and then rent a bike like the one you tested. You'll find out soon enough if you're headed in the right direction. If you just want to ride a bit, renting is better than buying.

Sacramento State Aquatic Center
1901 Hazel Ave.
Gold River, CA 95670
(916) 278-2842
www.sacstateaquaticcenter.com

You've seen those happy people in canoes, kayaks and on stand-up paddle boards. You'd like go for a float too, but you have no boat or board. Buying one just isn't on the list. Head over to Lake Natoma and rent from the CSUS Aquatic Center. You don't have to have any experience. You'll get a life jacket, which you need to wear, along with whatever it is you need to rent. Lake Natoma is generally calm and hardly ever crowded on the water. Pedal boats, one- and two-person kayaks, canoes, SUPs and hydro bikes are all on the menu. Take advantage of the many classes that are offered. You just may find a new passion on the water.

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South Shore Bikes
871 Emerald Bay Road
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
(530) 544-7433
www.bikes.southshorebikeandsnow.com

You want to find out what mountain bikes are all about, but you don't own one. Head up to Tahoe, where there are a multitude of trails suitable for beginners and for the truly crazy very advanced riders. The bike folks at South Shore Bikes are all expert riders and they know the trails in Tahoe. Their rental fleet runs from comfort, paved trail, townie bikes, kids bikes and up-to-date downhill mountain bikes. Each rental comes with a helmet and a map. Keep in mind that the people you rent from here know the trails and can guide you to the type of trail you'd like to experience. Added bonus: you will be riding in an amazing place with the beauty of Lake Tahoe all around you. When the snows come, the bikes are replaced by skis.

Hope Valley Outdoors
Pickett's Junction
Intersection of Highway 88 and Highway 89
Hope Valley, CA 96120
www.hopevalleycrosscountry.com

Cross country skiing and snowshoeing have peaked your interest; so has the price of the gear. Hope Valley Outdoors is easy to get to, and it has the gear you need to have a great day kicking and gliding or trekking about in the snow with snowshoes. Joyce Coker runs the business out of a Yurt. It's seasonal, and by the time the snow flies, the Yurt is up, warm and fully stocked. Lessons are available. XC skiing in Hope Valley is fantastic. The rental prices will fit your budget, and the skiable terrain in Hope Valley runs from mostly flat to some pretty steep mountainside slopes. There is limited cell phone coverage here, and no land line. Make contact prior to going through the web page.

Related: Best Holiday Escapes Near Sacramento

Charles Ferris is a freelance writer who has lived in the Sierra, halfway between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe, for the last 37 years. In 2010 he retired from teaching after 36 years . He and his wife hike, kayak, cross country ski, snow shoe, ride mountain bikes and road bikes, year round. His work can be found at Examiner.com.
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