About Us
Like many island enterprises Barra Bike Hire is a small, family run business. We originally set up in 2013 / 2014 when we invested in half a dozen hire bikes to provide for guests staying in our self-catering apartment and the self-catering holiday let 'across the road'. In those days the availability of hire bikes on the island was patchy at best. Since then we have invested significantly in our fleet of bicycles and we now have a varied and diverse range of bikes to cater for most needs.
Our fleet of bikes consist of:
Local Hire Bikes: A range of hybrid, road and mountain bikes that are suitable for use on Barra .... and day and short duration trips to Eriskay and South Uist. Bikes come with a small emergency kit consisting a spare inner tube, puncture repair kit, multi tool & tyre levers and a pump. Most of this fleet of bikes have a basic pannier rack.
Pedal Assisted E-Bikes: These are definitely the 'business'!!!! An e-bike will give you the option of a significant power boost to your bike ride around the island. The guarantee is that once you have mastered the gears and the power settings - they are not complicated - you will easily be able to explore the whole island and you shouldn't have to get off and push up any of the hills. The e-bike mantra is "faster, further and for longer". The bikes we use are Cube Hybrid Touring Pro's. They have a range of up to 25 miles on 'Turbo' setting or 60+ miles on the lower 'Eco' setting.... and on the 'Off" setting you can peddle for as long as you like. The gearing and size of the cassette chainrings mean they are efficient and easy to peddle even when they are switched off.
Hebridean Way Bikes: These are a fleet of specialist bikes that are set up and prepared for undertaking the Hebridean Way Challenge ride. From Vatersay in the South for 185 miles to the Butt of Lewis at the very northern tip of Lewis. Bikes are high spec hybrid road bikes. They are Giant Roam (mens frame) and Giant Liv Rove (womans frame). All bikes are prepared with sturdy pannier racks, optional front suspension, road tyres, mudguards, hydraulic disc brakes, puncture repair kit, innner tube, basic tools, pump, front & rear lights and come with a lock. Anything else you think you will need then please feel free to suggest.
Below you can read more about us as individuals, and scroll down for some testimonials from people who have enjoyed our hire bikes, or if you have hired a bike from us we would welcome your feedback via the form at the bottom of the page.
Tony Flanagan
I first visited the Hedridean islands back in 1984 and became a regular visitor to the islands virtually every year since. For many of those years we travelled as a family up and down the islands in a VW campervan (with bikes on the back). My career, spanning 36 years, has been as a teacher / outdoor adventure activity instructor working in schools, outdoor centres, the Joint Services and running my own Outdoor Training & Activity Company. I have worked with people of all ages and abilities and been fortunate enough to have travelled and worked in many marvellous parts of the world. Between 2007 and 2016, before moving to Barra, I worked for Lancashire County Council as an Educational Visits and Outdoor Education advisor and during the last five years of my time in their employ I was Head of Centre for two of Lancashire's four Outdoor Education Centres.
“Having worked in the Outdoor Industry all my working life and having been involved in biking activities as a family passion throughout that career what better place to now live and work.”
Throughout my career to date bikes have featured prominently as a pass-time and a family passion. My two sons have grown up with bikes and have carried their love of biking and the outdoors into their full time employment. Both now in their thirties they are both professional mountain bikers as sponsered bikers, film producers and biking skills coaches and guides having travelled to every continent to follow their passion and pursuit of adventure.
Kay Flanagan
[coming soon]
Testimonials & Feedback for Barra Bike Hire
Between the two of us we aim to provide you with the best possible service we can and to make our bike hire and wider cycling support services the most customer centred and customer focused possible. If you have any feedback / comments that you think will help us to improve this central aim them please do pass them on to us.
Feel free to use our feedback form below to pass on your comments.
Alternatively you can find us on Trip Advisor ......
Thank you.
Hi Amy Kate I would like on the going coming Barra bike Thank you Brighde 1/5
Raghanll
Thanks Tony for 3 days ebike hire . The bikes were excellent and at the ages of 82 and 78 years we biked 60 miles though Eriskay and South Uist and all round Barra with absolutely no problems. Thanks for delivering the bikes to our B&B and for explaining how to use them to us who had never used an e-bike before. Easy to understand and after a short learning ride we were off and away! A wonderful way to explore such a beautiful area. 5/5
Richard Collins
We’ve just returned from a 24hr whistle stop trip to beautiful Barra. Tony from Barra Bike Hire met us at the community hub with our 4 e-bikes, the bikes were superb and the friendly service even more so. Our afternoon hire allowed us to see a lot of this beautiful island, getting to amazing beaches etc, can’t recommend Tony and team highly enough ????????????????????????????????. Thanks very much, Wendy 5/5
Wendy
Thanks to Tony and Barra bike hire for the bikes and support on our challenge to cycle the Hebridean Way. In May 2019, 4 of us lads decided to cycle the route and flying in to Barra, with bikes already there, was by far the easiest and cheapest way to do it. Tony made it incredibly easy to hire 4 good bikes with panniers and kit, and helped us arrange a pick up from the Butt of Ness back to our last nights accommodation in Stornoway, with the bikes being returned to Barra by his Stornoway counterpart Alister. Top class support from start to finish. Thank you Tony and Alister. 5/5
Simmy
Can’t speak highly enough of Barra Bikes. Tony provides a first class service, and does his utmost to accommodate his customers’ requirements. His fleet of bikes are ideal for the cycling around the islands and are well maintained and equipped. A pleasure to deal with. Thanks 5/5
Nigel Austin
Tony couldn't have been more helpful or more patient. He made the beginning of our holiday stressfree and set us up for a lovely time. 5/5
Elaine Hughes
We were staying at the house across the road and my brand new bike broke completely on a hill and Tony came over with his tool kit and put it back together for me I thought I was going to have to take it back to Glasgow like that. The next time we were in barra we came in by the plane because it is quicker and we hired brilliant bikes from tony that fit the terrain of the isles I also tested out the electric assisted bikes which are great if you struggle with the biggish hill. I am looking forward to one day doing the hebridean way with Tony and Kays support. I cannot rate them highly enough and barra is such a friendly island. 5/5
Sarah Jane Stewart
With a broken dérailleur in Oban (on a Sunday), we thought our long awaited cycling trip was in jeopardy. That was until we contacted Tony at Barra Bike Hire. We explained our problem over the the phone, and Tony arranged to meet us at the ferry wharf. Arriving in picturesque Castlebay, Tony greeted us and soon my bike was on his portable mechanic stand. It didn't take long to realize we had found the right man for the job. Tony sacrificed his Sunday evening (with a planned dinner to attend) to graciously help us out. With a bit of luck, he had the exact part needed, and within an hour we were happily cycling south to Vatersay. You will not find better customers service in Scotland, or even in the entire United Kingdom. Thanks again Tony, we had a wonderful time cycling north to the Butt of Lewis and hope to return to Scotland soon. 5/5
Andrew and Lesley MacDougall
My Wife Amanda and I spent a fabulous week on Barra in October. Tony delivered two e-bikes to our door and showed us how to use them. We loved the bikes, they were so easy to use and took us everywhere. Tony is very easy going but really does know his stuff. You will not regret using Barra Bike Hire. Great bikes, well maintained and all the advice you could need. Thank you Tony. 5/5
Dave & Amanda Barrell (Yorkshire)
Had a really lovely time, the bikes were great and the island is stunning. 5/5
Mike Hayes
