Free Bike Rentals
Free Bike Rentals for Trail Rides: April 8 - May 27
In partnership with the City’s Safe Routes to School Program and Albemarle County Parks & Recreation, Charlottesville Parks & Recreation is offering free 2-hour bike rentals at Darden Towe Park on Thursdays, April 8 - May 27. You can ride the Old Mills Trail along the Rivanna River, with the option of crossing the Free Bridge to ride the Riverview Park trail. Adult and child bike sizes (ages 6 and up) and helmets are available. Bike helmets are provided by Charlottesville Parks & Recreation. Thanks to Community Bikes for donating the adult bikes.
Time slots
- Thursdays from 3:30 - 5:30 pm
- Thursdays from 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Pick-up
Pick-up your free bike to rent from Charlottesville Parks & Recreation staff. We are located in Darden Towe Park. Take the first right after the boat launch parking lot. Bikes are available on a first come, first served basis. Participants must turn in their car keys or ID to Charlottesville Parks & Recreation staff when picking up their rental. Keys and IDs will be returned to participants when their bike and helmet is returned.
Participants are required to provide their contact information and sign a liability waiver before their rental starts.
Please maintain 10 feet distance between your bike and other riders/walkers. Give warning when passing others and keep distance while passing.
Wear a bike helmet at all times.
Charlottesville Parks & Recreation staff will conduct temperature checks and wellness screenings for all participants before checking out a rental. Participants may not participate in the program if they experience any symptoms of the coronavirus (mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough and difficulty breathing), or other symptoms identified by the Center for Disease Control.
Specifically, participants may not participate if they:
- Have a temperature >100.3 degrees
- Recently have had the following symptoms: Chills, Cough, Shortness of Breath, Sore Throat, and/or Loss of Taste/Smell
- Have been in direct contact with someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days, or if they have a serious underlying health condition.
All participants must maintain at least 10 feet between anyone that is not in the same household.
All participants must wear face coverings when interacting with Charlottesville Parks & Recreation staff and other participants when social distancing measures can’t be met.
Hand sanitizer will be available at the reservation table and participants are asked to use hand sanitizer before handling the bike.
Bikes and helmets will be sanitized after each ride
This program will not operate if there is a 50% chance or greater of rain or if afternoon thunderstorms are expected.