Shimanami Kaido Rental Bikes: Compare Bike Types, Prices & Drop-off Options

2025/6/232025/6/28

Discover rental bike options for your Shimanami Kaido cycling trip. Compare services, bike types, one-way rentals, and prices for a smooth ride.

Rental Bike Options

The Shimanami Kaido features a cycling route that meets world-class standards. It’s popular with a wide range of travelers—from experienced cyclists who regularly ride sports bikes to beginners trying their first long-distance cycling trip. Japan’s rental bike services here are some of the best, offering several choices.

Rental Service	Features	One-way	Price (JPY)
Shimanami Japan (Public)	10 terminals along the route. Flexible options for full-route rides or short trips. Affordable pricing and a wide range of bikes. However, customer service and bike quality have mixed reviews.	◎	3000〜
Giant Store	Shops in Imabari and Onomichi. One-way ride option available. Offers high-quality bikes from beginner-friendly cross bikes to professional road bikes and e-bikes.	○	5000〜
Local Bike Shops	Community-based stores offering road bikes for beginners. Known for personalized service unique to local businesses.	△	3500〜
Tour Companies	Companies offering guided cycling tours also provide rentals for individuals. Guided tours led by local experts are popular.	△	3500〜

In addition to the most common public bike rental service, “Shimanami Japan’s Bike Rental,” there are also private rental services provided by the bicycle manufacturer Giant, local bike specialty shops, and tour companies. Each offers different types of bikes and varying policies regarding one-way bike returns.

The public rental bike system has terminals on every island along the Shimanami Kaido. This allows for flexible route planning and spontaneous detours. Meanwhile, private rental providers, such as bike shops and tour companies, are mostly concentrated near major starting and ending points like Onomichi Station and Imabari Station.

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Public Rental Bikes

Shimanami Japan’s Bike Rental is a public rental bike service jointly operated on both the Ehime and Hiroshima sides. With a large fleet of bikes and relatively low rental fees, it’s the most widely used public option. The service is currently managed by a company called “Shimanami Japan," and you can make reservations online through their website.

Available Bicycle Types

The public rental bike service offers a wide variety of bicycles, from city bikes (mamachari) to cross bikes, tandem bikes, and electric-assist bicycles. The Shimanami Kaido includes bridges and hilly terrain that may be more challenging than expected. I recommend choosing a cross bike with multiple gears or an e-assist bike for easier climbing.

Cross bikes do not come with baskets or rear racks like city bikes. If you have large luggage, I recommend using a baggage delivery service to send it to your destination and cycling with just a small backpack.

Rental Fees

Rental fees are set per day depending on the type of bicycle. There is no hourly rate system, and one-way return fees are included in the price.

Type	Fee (JPY)	Pick-up	Return	Rental Period
Cross Bike	3000	All Terminals	Return Anywhere	2+ Days OK
City Bike	3000	All Terminals	Return Anywhere	2+ Days OK
Electric-Assist Bike	4000	Imabari Station, Itoyama, Omishima, Ikuchijima, Onomichi Port	Return Anywhere	2+ Days OK
E-Bike	8000	Imabari Station, Itoyama, Onomichi Port	Return Anywhere	1 Day Only

These bikes can be returned at any rental terminal, making them ideal for one-way cycling. E-bikes, a sportier type of electric-assist bike, are only available at Imabari Station, Sunrise Itoyama, and Onomichi Port. They must be returned the same day and cannot be rented for multiple days.

Pick-up & Return Locations

There are 10 public rental bike terminals located along the Shimanami Kaido, often adjacent to road parks, train stations, or ports.

Among these 10 terminals, the following three are the most convenient starting points for cycling. Onomichi Port is nearest to JR Onomichi Station, and there’s also a terminal right in front of JR Imabari Station. These starting points tend to have more bikes and higher-quality equipment.

Terminal	Facility	Opening Hours	Address	Access
Onomichi Port Rental Cycle Terminal	Ekimae Port Parking Lot	7:00–19:00	Higashigosho-cho, Onomichi	JR Onomichi Station
Imabari City Cycling Terminal	Sunrise Itoyama	8:00–20:00	2-8-1 Sunaba-cho, Imabari	Observatory Entrance Bus Stop
Imabari Station Cycling Terminal	Imabari Station	8:00–20:00	2-773-8 Kitahorai-cho, Imabari	JR Imabari Station

Some terminals may shorten their business hours by about an hour during winter, so be sure to check the latest info if cycling in the off-season. At the Imabari Station terminal, there’s a designated spot where you can return bikes even after hours.

Recommended Drop-off Points for Retiring Midway

Some terminals are located near bus stops, ports, or stations, making it easier to retire partway if needed. It’s a good idea to check in advance.

Terminal	Facility	Opening Hours	Address	Access
Habu Port Rental Cycle Terminal	Habu Port (Central Pier)	8:30–19:00	1899-31 Habu-cho, Innoshima, Onomichi	Habu Port Bus Stop, Habu Port
Setoda Tourist Information Center		9:00–17:00	200-5 Sawa, Setoda-cho, Onomichi	Setoda Port
Kamiura Rental Cycle Terminal	Michi-no-Eki Tatara Shimanami Park	9:00–17:00	9180-2 Iguchi, Kamiura-cho, Imabari	Ōmishima Bus Stop
Hakata Rental Cycle Terminal	Michi-no-Eki Hakata SC Park	9:00–17:00	1668-1 Kanoura-ko, Hakata-cho, Imabari	Hakatajima Bus Stop

If you’re returning to Onomichi, Habu Port and Setoda Tourist Information Center are convenient. From Habu Port Bus Stop, you can take a local bus to JR Onomichi Station. From Setoda Port, passenger boats are available to Onomichi Port. If you’re heading back to Imabari, Kamiura and Hakata terminals are ideal, with buses running toward Imabari Station.

Reservations & Inquiries

Reservations and inquiries for the public rental bike service are handled by “Shimanami Japan." Online reservations are accepted up to three days in advance. If bikes are still available, same-day rentals may be possible on a first-come, first-served basis. During busy periods such as Golden Week, it’s best to book early, as bikes may be unavailable without a reservation.

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Private Rental Bikes

GIANT Store

The world-renowned Taiwanese bicycle manufacturer GIANT has official stores in both Imabari and Onomichi, offering bicycle rental services. GIANT bikes are loved by cyclists worldwide and are often praised for their cost-performance compared to other major international brands.

The daily rental fee ranges from ¥4,950 to ¥6,600 for aluminum road bikes and ¥6,930 to ¥9,240 for carbon road bikes. While this is a bit more expensive than public rental services, you get to ride high-quality bicycles from a professional bike shop. When booking online, you can also select a one-way plan for an additional ¥3,300 (subject to availability by bike type and quantity).

GIANT Store	GIANT Store Onomichi	GIANT Store Imabari
Location	500m from Onomichi Station (inside U2)	Inside Imabari Station
Address	5-11 Nishigosho-cho, Onomichi	1-729-8 Kitahorai-cho, Imabari
Phone	0848-21-0068	0898-25-1175
Hours	9:00–19:00	9:00–19:00
Closed	Open daily	Closed on Tuesdays

Local Bicycle Shops

Located in Onomichi’s shopping arcade, Red Bicycles Onomichi offers aluminum road bikes and e-bikes that are relatively easy to ride, even for beginners. A 2-day rental plan for an aluminum road bike costs ¥6,600. Rentals come with a helmet, puncture repair kit, lights, lock, and padded saddle cover. The friendly staff make it a safe and comfortable choice for those new to road bikes.

In Imabari, Cycle Fix, located within walking distance from JR Imabari Station, also rents aluminum road bikes similar to those at Red Bicycles. Rental fees vary depending on whether it’s a weekday or weekend/holiday, but overall prices are in a similar range. If you notify them of your arrival time when booking, you can check in as early as 8:30, even before official business hours.

Bike Shop	Red Bicycles Onomichi	Cycle Fix
Location	350m from Onomichi Station (in shopping arcade)	600m from Imabari Station
Address	1-10-1 Tsuchido, Onomichi	1-8-21 Kitahiyoshi-cho, Imabari
Phone	0848-21-0655	0898-52-8208
Hours	8:00–17:30	From 8:30 with advance booking
Closed	Wednesdays and Thursdays	Wednesdays

Since both Red Bicycles Onomichi and Cycle Fix are local bike shops, bikes must be returned to the same store. These shops are best suited for round-trip rides on the Shimanami Kaido or travel plans that involve ferries or buses.

In addition to these, Onomichi has several other bike rental shops. For example, Onomichi Base primarily rents compact e-bikes, but also offers cross bikes, road bikes, and kids’ bikes. They also have partnered charging spots on the islands. LORO Cycleworks Onomichi, a specialty shop focusing on folding bikes, also offers rentals.

Private Rental Bikes on the Hiroshima Side

Rental Shop	Bike Types	Rental Price	Address
GIANT Store Onomichi	Road bikes, cross bikes, e-bikes, kids’ bikes	From ¥4,000	5-11 Nishigosho-cho, Onomichi
Red Bicycles Onomichi	Road bikes, e-bikes	From ¥3,850	1-10-1 Tsuchido, Onomichi
Onomichi Base	Mini-velo, electric mini-velo, cross bikes, road bikes, kids’ bikes	From ¥3,500	3-24 Higashigosho-cho, Onomichi
LORO Cycleworks Onomichi	Folding bikes, mini-velo, electric mini-velo	From ¥880 (1 hour)	1-2-12 Tsuchido, Onomichi
Better Bicycles	City bikes	From ¥2,200	2-10-24 Tsuchido, Onomichi
Ono Chari 100	Electric assist bikes	From ¥5,000	1-10-5 Tsuchido, Onomichi
Setouchi Guide Tabitasu (Ikuchijima)	Cross bikes, mini-velo, kids’ trailers, etc.	From ¥3,500	231-4 Setoda, Setoda-cho, Onomichi

Private Rental Bikes on the Ehime Side

Rental Shop	Bike Types	Rental Price	Address
GIANT Store Imabari	Road bikes, cross bikes, e-bikes, kids’ bikes	From ¥4,000	1-729-8 Kitahorai-cho, Imabari
CYCLEFIX	Road bikes	From ¥3,500	1-8-21 Kitahiyoshi-cho, Imabari
WAKKA (Omishima)	E-bikes	From ¥2,000 (2 hours)	6691-1 Iguchi, Kamiura-cho, Imabari

Tour Operators

One of the most popular options for those wanting a flexible cycling plan with attentive support is the delivery rental bike service by Setouchi Guide Tabitasu. Although there is an additional fee for pickup and drop-off outside of their main service area, they offer a bike delivery and return service to the location of your choice along the Shimanami Kaido. Free luggage transport and flat tire rescue are also included, making this a reassuring option for beginners.

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WAKKA’s Bike Return Service

WAKKA, located on Omishima, offers a convenient return service for rental bikes from affiliated shops. With this service booked in advance, you can return your rental bike at a location of your choice. Please note that in addition to the base transportation fee, a handling fee is charged per bike.

Bike Return Service	WAKKA
Address	6691-1 Iguchi, Kamiura-cho, Imabari
Phone	0897-72-8705
Business Hours	9:00–18:00
Closed	Tuesdays
Features	A multi-functional cycling support facility on Omishima

This page has introduced convenient rental bike options for cycling the Shimanami Kaido. One of the best features of the Shimanami Kaido is how beginner-friendly it is. For more detailed information about cycling the route, please refer to the page below.