The staffperson working yesterday (Sunday) was very nice, but the rental bikes were not in good…read morecondition. My wife and I each rented hybrids, and it took me several tries to find a bike that seemed functional. Multiple had loose front wheels that wouldn't tighten, but after a few attempts the attendant was able to get one tightened. Sizing and fitting aren't really part of the process -- this was more of a "just pick whatever bike you want" situation. Soon after we left, I realized that my tires were underinflated, so we had to go back for air. And midway through our ride, huffing and puffing to maintain speed, we realized that most of the brakes were rubbing -- both wheels on my bike, and the front wheel on my wife's. At $40 for a half day per bike, this was a disappointing experience. If you're looking for a rental bike to bum around for a few hours, this might be fine, but if you want to go for a real ride I'd recommend renting elsewhere, or making sure that River Outfitters improves their maintenance practices.

WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND! Short version of the story: We rented out bikes and stopped at Hotel Indigo…read morefor a drink and parked our bikes out front. Hotel Indigo rented out our bikes to some of their guests so they were gone when we came downstairs. It was the last night of our trip and so we couldn't get the bikes back from the hotel to return them. The hotel said they would drop them off and didn't. The River Outfitters actually went to the hotel and retrieved the bikes for us and didn't charge us anything for going over time or the inconvenience after hearing our story. They were super understanding! I wish more companies would treat their customers like this.

It was a slow day and they were going to close early, but the friendly and helpful guy renting us…read moreour bikes figured out a way we could stay out past closing and return the bikes safely and easily. A real hero that guy, too bad I didn't catch his name. Anyway, rental was simple, the gear was very good quality, no attitude or space cadet vibes, just a great and easy process from start to finish.

The perfect place to rent a kayak in TC! I had never kayaked before and my husband had only kayaked…read moreonce before when he was a kid. The younger guy who was working was very patient with us and took the time to explain things (and helped calm my nerves). He did a great job telling us where to kayak to and helped us get into the water. An hour rental was plenty for us newbies and we had an absolute blast out on the water. This is a great place for newer kayakers to rent from and I cannot wait to stop by again the next time we are in town!

We have rented paddle boards from Ben's Boards in Traverse City for a couple of years. Very good…read moreexperience. Took the reservation and gave us a good price. He delivered and picked up exactly when he said he would. Equipment was top notch and the whole crew is very personable. Has made lake vacations lots of fun.

From the owner: We are the premier paddleboard rental service in the Traverse City area. We deliver and pick up…read morethe boards at your desired location hassle free!

My family and I (2 adults, 2 kids and a dog) were on vacation near Traverse City and wanted a boat…read moreexperience for the kids. We were very surprised that we were able to rent a pontoon same day for 3 hrs. We made reservations over the phone and were able to split the costs when we arrived. We've driven pontoons before but the instructions on how to operate their equipment was helpful and direct. The boat was very clean, all equipment (life jackets, anchor, radio, canvas umbrella) meticulously maintained. The weather was perfect. We will definitely use them again.

Great service, competitive pricing, and fun experience!…read more We rented a pontoon boat for 2 hours for 11 people on a busy weekend. I booked weeks in advance and had some questions, which were answered to my satisfaction over the phone. We booked it for the TC condominium location. The only negative is that I wish they warned me over the phone or somewhere on their website that there were no change rooms... most people had to change in the car. The location/parking was easy to find, but there were no signs anywhere to direct us to the check in location on the beach (small hut). I called the phone number for the business and someone picked up right away though and directed us to check in. The rest of the trip was smooth sailing (literally)! The check in process was efficient with the usual signing of waivers, safety talk etc. The staff were very helpful and friendly. They helped us get on to the boat safely and also helped us bring up the cooler, which was beyond our expectations. The boat was in good condition and we had no issues with it. Once our 2 hours was up, we made our way back to the dock where the staff were ready to help us dock and get out of the boat. They all seemed like very hardworking and eager employees! Overall, it was a wonderful experience! Everyone was super helpful and we had a blast!

We had a fantastic SUP yoga experience! Sara was a wonderful guide for a paddle around Boardman…read moreLake then we spent the second half of our time doing yoga then a quick paddle back to shore. It was tranquil and an experience I'll crave and look forward to again thanks to Sara's intuitive guidance! If you're looking for a connection to nature that's accessible for many levels, do yourself a favor and take a class with Sara!

Amazing instructor and guide! While planning a girls getaway to Traverse City we came across Sara's…read morewebsite and knew we wanted to hang out with her! She was super responsive and worked with us to give us lots of options for a SUP adventure and yoga class. There were 5 of us ladies at all different paces and she made it so fun for all of us. We all felt like we hit the jackpot by finding Sara and would highly highly highly recommend her!!! Super knowledgeable about the area, SUP'ing and yoga. She gave us lots of great restaurant recommendations as well. A perfect tour guide!!

My bike had a flat tire so I called to see if I could walk in for a repair. The very polite…read moreassociate on the phone told me, "bring it in and we will take care of you!" This is exactly what they did. They took my ancient bike in and got it up and running in no time. I made sure to wander the store finding things to buy. They are well stocked and organized and had good prices on everything. If you need to rent a bike or if you're in a pinch because your bike needs attention, Suttons bay bikes has ya covered!

Fantastic place to rent bikes in Sutton's bay! They delivered right to our rental in traverse city…read moreand had bikes for my whole family to enjoy. Keith was particularly helpful and even loaned me cash to get on the bus back to TC. Great spot and amazing people!

Super fun! The SUP yoga class is really fun and a challenge!! The boards are really nice and…read morestable. When we rented boards it was really cool that they had kid sized boards! Our family had a blast!

Can't wait to come back for another SUP yoga class this summer! My friend and I came for a sunset…read moreclass and it was really enjoyable. even though I had never paddle boarded and didn't think I'd be able to stand, let alone do yoga one! The instructor was very encouraging and accommodating to all levels though and to my surprise I did a lot of the yoga and was able to actually stand on the way back to shore.

I enjoyed browsing (and buying!) here so much…read more The staff was polite and engaging. Helpful and knowledgeable. We found the nicest pullovers and slide wallets! I enjoyed the cleanliness and organized layout. It was not overstuffed lending to a disorganized flow. I don't enjoy shopping in chaos.

Passing thru from Virginia to Harbor Spring with bikes on back of Porsche. Inadequate Thule bike…read morerack would not keep bikes secure at highway speeds. Henry & Alan went above and beyond to help get the right rack that could tolerate multiple bikes for long distances. These two gents are the best of Backcountry and Northern Michigan!!

John and his team were very helpful and accommodating with our kayak rental and provided on time…read moredelivery and pick up. The kayaks and equipment were in great shape. I would highly recommend this company for renting kayaks and other equipment in the Traverse City area, especially if you are renting a cottage or house and want delivery and pick up service. Thanks Underground Enterprises!

From the owner: kayak and paddle board rental. delivery and pick upread more