Bike Rentals in Burlington, VT:
E-Biking Along Lake Champlain
If you’re looking for a fun outdoor adventure in Burlington, Vermont that doesn’t involve hiking a mountain but is still something the entire family can enjoy outside renting bikes or e-bikes is a perfect option. We rented e-bikes from Local Motion in Burlington, VT and enjoyed a 20-ish mile bike ride along Lake Champlain. It was absolutely amazing!
Renting E-Bikes in Burlington, VT
I highly recommend reserving your bike rental in Burlington, VT during popular travel seasons. We didn’t reserve ahead of time and somehow got lucky that they had three e-bikes left (win!). Local Motion offers a wide variety of bikes, including traditional bikes, e-bikes, bikes with trailers or tagalongs for kids, and adaptive bikes. This makes it a great option for families looking for an inclusive outdoor activity in Burlington.
If you’re planning a trip to Burlington, VT, I suggest checking availability and reserving in advance so you don’t miss out on this fun and easy adventure.
What It’s Like Riding an E-Bike
With an e-bike, you can pedal like a traditional bike or use pedal assist, which helps you go faster with less effort, perfect for longer rides. The e-bikes offer different assist levels such as eco, sport, and turbo. If you’re nervous (like I was), you can easily control your speed and comfort level. Once I got going, I wasn’t scared at all and now I can’t wait to do this again.
If you’re renting e-bikes with kids, keep in mind that riders must be at least 16 years old to rent with an adult and 18 years old to rent on their own.
Riding the Island Line Trail Along Lake Champlain
One of my favorite parts of this Burlington bike ride was cruising along the Island Line Trail, a mostly paved, off-street bike path that follows Lake Champlain. Along the way, you’ll pass picnic areas, swimming spots, small hiking areas, and even a playground, making it a great ride for families and casual bikers.
When the main bike path ends, you’ll briefly ride through a neighborhood. There are signs, but you’ll want to pay attention, or you might accidentally add extra miles to your ride. Somehow, we didn’t get lost this time, which honestly felt like a small miracle.
The Causeway and Adirondack Views
Once you reach the causeway, the pavement ends and turns into mostly crushed gravel. The Colchester Causeway is incredibly scenic, with Lake Champlain on both sides and stunning views of the Adirondack Mountains across the water. This section of the ride is about four miles one way and was longer than I expected, but absolutely worth it. The nice thing about the entire bike path is it is relatively flat, plus any hill is no big deal with the e-bikes!
At the end of the causeway, you can take a bike ferry to South Hero, VT. We skipped it this time because we were running out of rental time, I was getting hungry, and we still had to bike back to Burlington. Clearly, this just gives us a reason to come back!
Where to Eat After Biking in Burlington, VT
After your bike ride, I highly recommend grabbing lunch at American Flatbread in Burlington. And maybe a maple creemee because after 20 miles on a bike, e-bike or not, you’ll definitely have earned it.
