- Spark Cycling (Sapporo City) – These guys should be your first-stop when looking for a bike for touring in Hokkaido, if leaving from Sapporo. They offer service in English, their bikes are super good value, and have racks, panniers…everything you need for cycle tour | Link | Location
- Cycle Garage PAZ – Located in Kushiro in eastern Hokkaido, PAZ has a selection of hybrid, road, mountain bikes, and e-bikes, along with full framebag rental also. Expect to pay around 2,500yen per day for an extended rental. Very highly recommended – they have English support, and Kushiro is accessible by air from Tokyo. An excellent way to insert yourself right into one of Hokkaido’s wildest and most pristine areas. LINK | LOCATION
- North Bicycle Hokkaido (Sapporo City) – Also good value bicycle hire in Hokkaido. Nakamura-san from North Bicycle Hokkaido can communicate in English. Bikes must be booked at least three days in advance. In addition to bicycle rental, they also offer a support car service (33,000yen per day plus driver accommodation) – the driver is a bike mechanic, so mechanic support is included in the price. | Link (Japanese only) | Location
- Rhythm Cycles (Niseko) – Link | Location
- Groove Cycles (Niseko) – Link | Location | Recommended cycle routes | Note: Groove Cycles works in conjunction with Rhythm Cycles, apparently.
- The Bicycle Corner (Niseko) – Link
- Cycle Japan (Furano) – If you’re after a road bike, then these guys should be able to help | Link
For bicycle hire in Hokkaido, you’ll generally pay around 5,000yen a day for a bike suited to cycle touring (prices per day are cheaper the longer you rent for). It is best to bring your own panniers, as cost for renting those will be over and above the rental cost for the bike. Carriers for your gear will also likely be extra too, so consider bringing a bikepacking setup that you can strap to a standard bike, in order to keep costs down. Here, we list a few options we've heard about over the years for hiring cycle-touring specific bikes in Hokkaido. Regardless of who you hire from, it is always best to try to book in advance. The Niseko-based providers are located in Niseko Town, accessible by bus from New Chitose Airport (approx. 2.5hrs) or Sapporo by train or bus (about 2.5hrs).
Last updated Aug 19, 2020
6 thoughts on “Bicycle Hire for Cycle Touring in Hokkaido”
Hi Rob
Do you know of any place to rent tandem bicycles in Hokkaido?
Hi Amy, I’ve not heard of any places renting out tandem bicycles in Hokkaido, I’m afraid.
Hi Rob,
Do you know of any good touring bike rental companies? Spark cycling has closed for the season, and I’m in need of a good company that has drop handle bicycles that take pannier racks. Any good alternative recommendations?
Hi there! You could try E-Motion in Sapporo. They’re a fairly new bike shop here in Sapporo, and I’m not sure how good their bikes are for serious touring…but maybe worth a try: https://www.e-motion.group/
Do you know where I can rent fat bikes in Sapporo in winter?
Is it easy to cycle beside the Toyohira River by yourself in winter? I can mountain bike in normal terrain.
Thanks
Hey Chew, you can try E-Motion in Sapporo – https://www.e-motion.group/rental. If you do rent one from them, please let us know how you get on. Fatbiking beside the Toyohira River in winter really depends on how long since the last snowfall. Usually, there’s a foot-trail, but after a good dumping of snow, this can be covered. And even when there is a foot-trail, it can be quite narrow – you’ll need good balance! A fun challenge though.