Ride Penang

I found out about Ride Penang by chance. I was searching on-line for PDRM Penang International 2nd Bridge Solidarity Fun Ride 2026.

I clicked on a link containing that search term and was taken to the Ride Penang website. This was the first thing I saw on that website:

I had already registered for the 2nd Penang Bridge ride, booked a hotel room in Penang and paid for a train ticket to Butterworth. I was concerned about how much hassle it would be to get my Ritchey Break-Away, in its hard case, onto a train, a ferry and a taxi.

So I was delighted to read this note below the graphic on the Ride Penang website:

Renting a bicycle had not occurred to me. The last time I looked for a bike rental service in Penang, admittedly a few years ago, the options were very slim. A few places offered city bikes and/or mountain bikes, but not road bikes.

Now here was a provider offering not just a range of road bikes in a number of frame sizes, but delivery and pick-up as well. I booked a Polygon Strattos S7D with a Shimano 105 groupset and a Garmin mount, and paid for delivery and pick-up.

I also paid for one-day insurance:

All this was done in November. I received a prompt email confirmation which included important information about safety and what to expect on delivery. So far so good.

A few weeks before the event I WhatsApped Ride Penang to ask if the person delivering and picking up the bike would have an 8mm hex key for installing and removing my Wahoo Speedplay pedals. Matt sent me back a quick “Yes.” One less item I had to bring with me.

I also asked what saddle comes with the Polygon Strattos, and how wide that saddle is. Matt sent me another quick reply and included a photograph of the saddle with a ruler showing the saddle width. Perfect!

Come the day of the event. Matt was at my hotel at the appointed hour. He had three other bikes to deliver at that hotel, and a few more to send to other locations.

The bikes come with rechargeable front and rear lights, and a saddle bag holding a spare inner tube, a CO² cartridge and inflator, and a multi-tool. Matt will even provide a cleaned and sanitized helmet if you need one.

The Polygon Strattos S7D performed flawlessly. The saddle was really good, as Matt had said it was. I really enjoyed riding that bike.

I highly recommend renting a bicycle from Ride Penang, and I may well use their Bike Packing service one day.

This is what Matt has to say about what his team offers:

Ride Penang (ridepenang.com) is a rider focused bicycle rental and cycling services provider based on Penang Island, Malaysia, specializing in road bike rental, event bike hire, and hotel delivery & collection for visiting cyclists.

Ride Penang operates a fleet of high-quality bikes—including performance road bikes, e-bikes, mountain bikes, folding bikes, cargo bikes, and even pet-friendly options—each professionally maintained and event-ready.

Our unique concierge-style service allows bikes to be delivered directly to hotels or accommodations across Penang Island and collected after the ride, removing all transport and logistics barriers for travellers.

We actively support local cycling and multi-sport events in Penang and also throughout Malaysia with our sister brand goracebikes.com were we aim to serve overseas and local riders seeking reliable, safe and high-quality equipment to aid them in achieving their sporting goals!

Ride Penang is a welcome and much-needed addition to the cycling scene in Penang. Click the Ride Penang logo below to visit their website. You will not be disappointed.