This review is for "Tubing" down the Gunpowder River with Monkton Bike rentals…read more The only real nit to pick is parking... The lot for Monkton Bike rental only holds about 7 or 8 cars and the public parking area at NCR Station Trail next door only has about 20 spots and fills up early even on weekdays. So arrive early (before noon) to avoid any parking hassles. Also, to reviewer Cindy M who lost her mind because hauling her "beer cooler" 30 minutes to the river entry point was such as hassle... If she had taken 2 seconds to review Monkton Bike's website or the Tubing instructions clearly posted on the wall inside the Monkton Bike rental office. She would have known that alcoholic beverages on the river are prohibited not only by Monkton Bike Rental but also by Maryland Department of Natural Resources since this area is designated as state park. Moral of the story: Leave you coolers at home. If you have to be drunk to have a good time, this location isn't for you. So, the walk (even on a hot day) is pretty simple since the path stays relatively cool because it's completely shaded by the forest canopy. It's 15 minutes up the trail to the 1st entry point if you want a 1-1/2 hour float. And 30 minutes to the 2nd entry point if you want a 2-1/2 hour float. Also NOTE - The easiest way to carry your tube is to put it on your head and let it hang over your back. You may ask, "How does a 30 minute walk turn into a 2-1/2 hour tubing ride and how do I get back to my car?", (because so did we the first time). From the entry points the river winds around a lot and carries you along at a lazy pace with the exception of a few small ripple rapids that offer a little acceleration. Your final exit point at the first bridge you see is only about 100 yards from Monkton Bike Rental where you started. This is not one of those locations where you really have to worry about water levels or how long it's been since the last rain. The water in Gunpowder river stays at a pretty constant level since it's fed from the dam upstream, which guarantees a steady flow of water to keep the trout alive in the river. The other affect of water being fed from a deep water reservoir is that the water is crystal clear most days and stays at a cool 60 degrees. But on a hot day the cool water is a blessing and actually feels good since you'll be in the sunshine for quite a bit of your journey down stream. There are some shallow spots in the stream, but there are always places you can push off to with your feet that are deep enough to keep even adults from dragging. (We never had to stand up and walk with our tubes once). Average depth is 1.5 feet, but there are several spots that are 4-5 feet deep too if you want to toss the tubes on shore and take a refreshing dip. Which also reminds me, WEAR WATER SHOES, or something you don't mind getting wet. There are a few sandy spots and grassy spots, but most of the river bed is gravel. So if you do decide to get out and wade around, the bottom isn't going to be comfortable on bare feet. My final tip is that if you want to tie your tubes together you'll need to bring your own string, rope, or whatever. But the river doesn't move that fast and you really shouldn't haven't any problems keeping your group within sight of each other. When adults are tethered together they usually end up just hanging each other up on trees and rocks in the river, so it's not worth the hassle. The only exception to this might be if you have a small child that you would feel safer with if they're tethered to your tube. Bottom line, it's a great way to spend a lazy few hours drifting down a tree lined scenic river without driving all the way to Harper's Ferry WVA, Gunpowder River and Monkton Bike Rentals is a GREAT local tubing spot that is family friendly and great even for small kids.

Drove up from Bethesda with a group of friends and family to rent tubes here like we've done every…read moreyear for 5 years. I called ahead to see if they were open and the guy who picked up the phone said yes, until 2p. We jump in the car for the 1.5 hr drive, pull up at 1:55p, and walk up to see a sign on the door that says CLOSED. Called the # I had and same guy picks up saying he is already halfway home and that credit card machine was turned off, now it's only cash, and then asks me what it be worth to him if he came back. I told him I could pay via Cash App or check, or hit an ATM. He said no ATM nearby and that they don't do cash apps or check...and then told me he was "old school". I told him that if he was "old school" he would have stayed until 2p like he had told me on the phone, and I hung up to tell my group we needed to find something else to do. No more than 5 minutes later this guy appears out of nowhere running up to me aggressively while screaming obscenities in front of families with young children coming out of the bike shop, "are you the m-fer I just talked to on the phone!?!! Are you the one who said I broke my word!?!" Yeah, I told him, that was me. He then stuck out his chest and walked around me like he wanted to fight me right there in the parking lot. I tried to cool the situation down by asking if we could do business, and he screams in my face "I'm charging you 4x the cost, it's now $120 per tube!!!" I reached into my ice chest to grab a beer to think about it, and the guy pulls out his phone and starts recording my car, license plate, then calls the cops saying I was drinking in a public park (even though I didn't open the beer). He finally walked off, my guess is that he realized I wasn't going to fight him. If it wasn't for my cool temperament this easily could have got physical. Anyway, we drove 10 minutes away to Dicks Sporting and bought great river tubes and saved $80. I've never experienced anything like this, and will never give this business another dime. I suggest everyone avoid them. The river on the other hand is fantastic, so we will be back to tube again....and with our own tubes!

This company was excellent! We contacted them ahead of time to reserve electric bikes. When we…read morearrived, they had the bikes ready for us, as well as explained everything we needed to know in order to use the bikes as well as letting us know great places to stop along the bike trail that we were taking. I believe the employee that helped us was named Brian. He was the best!

I am a grandfather who has not ridden a bike over a mile since my youth. Renting an e-bike so I…read morecould join my children and grandchildren on a ride to New Freedom on the NCR Trail was both an unknown and a challenge I wasn't sure I would have the stamina for. The e-bike I rented made the whole experience a breeze. I was able to keep up, enjoy the ride, and not be worn out when we got back to the Monkton trail crossing where I rented the bike. I now have confidence and a desire to do it again in the near future. I would highly recommend renting an e-bike from Pedego Electric Bikes of Baltimore County if you are a senior and have doubts about your ability to take hills with ease and get some exercise while enjoying the great outdoors.

I purchased ae- bike from Brian at turtle Rock e-bikes and when I went to pick it up went the bike…read more He was supposed to go over the on how the bike works because I've never purchased a e-bike. He talked to me for about 5 minutes and then customers started coming in so he immediately left me and helped the customers. I had to go back inside to get him and he never went over all the details on the necessities of riding a e-bike. Well! Long story short, I did not know that there was a break in period For e-bike tires so my tire must have been a little low from riding it two times. I email him and explained the situation. I went up a driveway and bent my back rim. I contacted him about the it but decided I would take full responsibility and if I bought a new rim would he install it on my bike and I would pay for it? He began to tell me that I would have to leave my bike for over a week and a half and I told him I couldn't do that. If we could maybe schedule it out a month, a month and a half and in advance and that way I wouldn't have to leave that long. I emailed him over and over with no response with a price that I asked him to give me and about how long he would have it in the shop if we planned ahead. He has yet to contact me or Email me or anything. I would not recommend this bike shop if it was the last bike shop on Earth. Because he never explained my e-bike to me. It ended up costing me almost $400 with rim and installation. Do not buy, you will regret it

Always friendly, never judgmental due to the value of the bike, where other shops tend to look down…read moreon the dollar amount of the bike like a hobo just walked in. Paul is always respectful, friendly, and approachable with any questions, no matter the quality of the bike you bring in for repair. Ive seen the other shops are like an APPLE store, they measure you due to the dollar amount the bike maybe worth. The we dont like to work on bikes like that here...That is not the case with the whistle stop. No bike is beneath, nor above, all are welcome.

Service was quick and considerate--the shop is an asset for the rail trail! Fixed my flat and gave…read moregreat advice to ride safely.

Finally tried this place after driving by for years! Cool spot, makes me wish I was a cyclist…read more Ordered an iced latte and a piece of banana bread, both were enjoyed! A little expensive, but recommend stopping in, especially if you ride bikes.

Great coffee and staff, beautiful location, great break spot for travel and bicyclist.read more

Great shop. Frank, Brian, Steve and company do everything they can to get your bike running great!…read moreI wouldn't go anywhere else for service.

Stopped in at random and they changed my tube, had the lights I'd been looking for and even…read moreinstalled them for me. They also let me take shelter from the rain for bit. :) Exceptionally kind and helpful and had everything I needed on hand. This is a great shop run by great people.

Riding by I missed it. Once I looked it has it name posted across the top of the building…read more The parking lot is adjacent to the bank beside it and is small. The cost of the items are within the same price point as REI or Trek. This is small bike store with an incredible selection of items. They also carry Hill Killer garments as well as Trek items. However, I went in for flat bike shoes but they did not have many shoes. What I saw was clip ins. I looked around and of course adventured to the clearance table and found some socks and and a saddle bag. There were 3 staff members inside and the female was very inviting and friendly. Depending on your time and if you want to patronize small businesses like this I would say this is your go to. But if you want a bigger selection of items to choose from this is not the place for you.

Everyone at Bicycle Connection is knowledgeable, professional & kind. I wanted very specific…read morethings for my next bike. They built me a bike fitting all my must haves and eliminating what I didn't want. It was a fun process. I've utilized & recommend Bicycle Connection for all your cycling needs from purchase, upgrading, maintenance & buying accessories.

I had a great conversation and repair of my front tire at Baynesville Bicycle Shop. I believe he…read morewas the owner and I am embarrassed that I did not ask his name. He was working on a bike, stopped what he was working on, and assisted me. I never expected to leave with my front tire repaired, but I sure did. Such a welcoming business and trust me, I will return if I need more repairs. Many thanks Sir, for the repairs and kindness you displayed. Fondly, Laura Phelps

Place is horrible called and asked if they would fix the brakes on my scooter and was told multiple…read moretimes as I called more than once to bring it and drop it off and that they would fix no problem by the wife and the husband , when I came to drop it off the owner told me he would not fix it and basically wasted my time , do not go here it is a waste of time and money

Excellent service friendly staff and very knowledgeable about all types of bikes and bike trails; 2…read morebikes fully serviced and ready in 5 days

We needed to get my daughter's bike ready for college and they made the experience great…read more Reasonable expert advice is a blessing!

The best tour that I've been on EVER! Wow! I can't say enough great thing about our tour with Bike…read moreand Brunch! From start to finish I was happy with our decision. We decided go on the Black Arts district tour and I am so happy that we did. Although I live in the city and very close to some of the areas covered, there were so many new things that I learned about Baltimore. It made me even happier about deciding to call this city HOME. We started out by the harbor and toured all the way to the Arts district learning so much during the ride. It was fun getting a chance to stop in to local merchants and businesses. My favorite stop was definitely the Arch Social Club. There is so much history in Baltimore. The architecture of this beautiful city phenomenal. Our guide Keisha is so informative and made the tour extremely FUN! I would recommend this tour to anyone looking to get a great workout in and learn more about this beautiful city. Thank you Bike and Brunch for a wonderful event !

Enjoyable couple hours seeing the sights of the Inner Harbor by bike. The mountain bikes were…read moresimple to ride and sturdy for the city streets. Tour itself could use a few more stops/interesting sights. This one focused on Frederick Douglass however it was just at the last 2 stops that he was spoken about and there wasn't quite as much background & history as we'd expected. Appreciated being given a generous discount for a lack of communication that had occurred a prior time we were in town and hoping to ride. We were given another discount code for future use by way of apology for this tour starting 45 minutes or more late. So a bit more content, few more stops and an on time departure would make this a perfect afternoon. Also details regarding parking in the area would be helpful.