Get started with a rental e-bike: there is now a rental in Jachenau too

Created: 04/25/2022, 06:30

By: Andreas Steppan

Chonthicha (35) and Stefan Draxl (38) have opened their Jachenauer e-bike rental shop at the perfect starting point for a bike tour to Lake Walchensee or the surrounding alpine pastures.

© Arp

Those who set off on a bike tour these days often do so with electric assistance: the trend towards e-bikes is unbroken.

And because many do not want to buy such a comparatively expensive two-wheeler right away, the business of e-bike rental has also become well established in the region.

Jachenau/Lenggries/Bad Tölz – When the couple Chonthicha “Joy” and Stefan Draxl opened their e-bike rental shop in Jachenau’s Mühle district on April 8th, the external conditions were not ideal.

"It snowed through that weekend, so there wasn't much going on at first," says the 38-year-old business owner.

But the situation changed very quickly.

"Even if we still had a cool east wind at times, we had customers every day," reports Draxl.

E-bikes are particularly popular with holidaymakers

As expected, in addition to many locals, holidaymakers in particular have asked about the e-bikes.

Tourists from the Black Forest and Berlin were there, and a 74 and 69-year-old couple from Westphalia, whose adult children came on the bike tour with their own "normal" bicycles.

Most of them start a lap around the Walchensee, the Draxls report.

Those who "drive through it quickly" need one and a half to two hours for the 34-kilometer loop.

Draxl believes that there is still too much snow at the moment to head towards the surrounding mountain pastures.

Jachenauer rental could also bring relief to the traffic situation at Walchensee

For the summer, the couple is considering renting normal bikes as well.

Especially on hot days, this could be a small relief for the often overcrowded parking lots on the south bank.

Then it could be an alternative for the day trippers to park the car at the rental station and cycle the remaining 3.3 kilometers to the lake.

In Lenggries at the "Flow Valley" there are 60 bikes on offer

While the Draxls started with a fleet of 15 e-bikes, a few kilometers further in Lenggries "Altwirt" Robert Werner has a larger portfolio with a total of 60 two-wheelers with his e-bike rental "Flow Valley".

And according to Werner, even these are not always enough to meet the high demand.

In addition, he wanted to be "well sorted by size" and: "There are sometimes larger groups."

By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular Bad Tölz newsletter.

Werner has three types of e-bikes on offer: trekking bikes are suitable for rather “harmless” tours such as the Isar cycle path, the Walchensee circuit or a trip to Vorderriß on paved roads or forest paths.

For example, if you are heading towards Tegernsee via the Hirschbachsattel, Werner recommends the "hardtail" e-bike, which has front suspension and four-piston brakes.

And for those who want to tackle challenging trails, the "Altwirt" has the full-suspension "Enduro" e-bike in its range.

After each use, the bikes must be fully serviced

In any case, he only has the "highest quality models" in his fleet.

Gears, chains and brakes have to withstand daily use and some rough handling by customers.

In Werner's opinion, this is not possible without having your own mechanics and workshop.

"The e-bikes have to be completely serviced every time." One or the other load would still be too much for the hardtail and enduro bikes: They are approved by the manufacturer for use by people with a maximum body weight of 136 kilos.

"Otherwise the guarantee expires," says Werner.

No one is allowed to drive without a helmet, and instruction is also standard

It is also clear to him: "We don't let anyone ride without a helmet." And prior instruction and a practice lap are also standard for him.

"Everyone can go up - but it's more difficult going down," Werner points out. You have to consider that an e-bike weighs 20 to 25 kilos and pushes you accordingly when going downhill.

In contrast to e-bikes, conventional bicycles are only “rarely” asked to be rented.

"People want to have a good time on vacation," says Werner.

And taking your own e-bike to your travel destination is too tedious for many.

A rental bike costs between 30 and 55 euros per day

Depending on the model, it costs between around 30 and 55 euros to rent an e-bike for a day in the region, and there are some discounts with a guest card.

Of course, you can also rent the speedsters in a whole range of bicycle shops in the Isarwinkel.

Andreas Kies, managing director of the "Bike Boutique" at Tölzer Vichyplatz, has various trekking and mountain bikes on offer.

He is “not dissatisfied” with the demand.

"Now in April it's slowly starting to happen." According to him, customers like to make their way along the Isarradweg, to the Blomberg or to the Lenggrieser Hütte, for example.

After a short briefing and size adjustment, you can start, says Kies.

Some people wanted to try out an e-bike first before buying one.

Tölzer Stadtwerke have stopped their e-bike rental

In the meantime, the Tölzer Stadtwerke have discontinued their e-bike rental.

They only had four two-wheelers in their fleet anyway and originally wanted to arouse interest in e-mobility.

That is no longer necessary today, says Managing Director Walter Huber.

"People now have their own e-bikes, and demand has fallen sharply." In addition, two of the municipal utility's e-bikes were stolen, "and it was difficult to buy more in the fall".

Robert Werner confirms: Due to delivery problems, many manufacturers have currently imposed a freeze on new customers.

And the Draxls also say: The start of the business was only successful because they happened to meet a wholesaler.

You can find more current news from the region around Bad Tölz at Merkur.de/Bad Tölz.