Tandem Bike Rental in Chicago: Where to Rent and What It Costs

A tandem turns a ride into a shared job. Two riders, one frame, one pace. Rentals are available at the Lakefront shops below.

How a tandem works

A tandem accommodates 2 riders at once⁶. The front rider controls steering, brakes and shifting. The rear rider helps with pedaling⁶. Bike and Roll’s tandem is built for riding with a friend or family member¹. For couples, Bobby’s offers its tandems as a way to enjoy the Lakefront together⁵.

Setups vary. The most common is a two-wheeled bike with a guide in the front⁸. A side-by-side tandem tricycle lets two people cycle simultaneously or at different rates⁸. Renters must be able to operate, control and balance the equipment at the time of rental⁴.

Where to rent and what it costs

Shop	Tandem rate	Where
Bike and Roll	$25 an hour, $75 a day1	34 S. Michigan Ave. at Millennium Park; 600 E. Grand Ave. at Navy Pier2
Bobby’s Bike Hike	$24.99 an hour (2-hour minimum), $59.99 half day, $69.99 full day5	540 N Lake Shore Dr5
3rd Coast Cycles	Tandem bikes offered6	By Millennium Park, Navy Pier and DuSable Harbor7

Bobby’s rents a KHS Sport Tandem with 9 speeds and disc brakes, and its online rates include a 10% discount⁵. Bobby’s hourly rentals carry a 2-hour minimum⁵.

What comes with the bike

Bike and Roll includes helmets and locks free with rental, and it recommends helmets for all riders⁴. Anyone under 18 must wear one⁴. Bobby’s gives a free lock, helmet and map with every rental⁵. 3rd Coast Cycles includes helmets with all rentals and offers locks⁶.

Pick-up, drop-off and paperwork

Bobby’s takes the bike back at the shop where you picked it up, 540 N Lake Shore Dr⁵. Bike and Roll lets you rent at one location and return to another during business hours at no extra fee⁴. It accepts walk-ups, though reservations are recommended⁴.

Bike and Roll renters must sign a release, and a credit card and/or valid driver license or passport is required for the deposit⁴. Renters are responsible for the equipment from pickup to return, including damage and theft⁴. The shop sells a damage and theft waiver at $5 per pedal bike per day⁴.

Reservations, weather and late returns

A cancellation up to 72 hours before the start time earns a refund less a 10% service fee, issued within 30 days⁴. Under 72 hours’ notice, there is no refund⁴. If the weather looks doubtful, call one to two hours before the start time to confirm⁴. Late returns carry overtime charges and late fees⁴. Renters must follow all traffic laws and ride with caution⁴.

Where a tandem rides well

The Lakefront Trail has had, since 2018, an 18-mile bike path, separate from the 18.5-mile pedestrian path¹². From Bobby’s shop, car-free trails reach Navy Pier, North Avenue Beach, Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain, the Chicago Riverwalk, Museum Campus and Lincoln Park Zoo⁵. Bike and Roll suggests a north ride of 4 miles in about 2 hours and a south ride of 10 miles in about 4 hours². Its Museum Campus ride is 2 miles in 1 to 2 hours, the Hyde Park and Japanese Garden ride 8.5 miles in 2 to 4 hours, and The 606 Bloomingdale Trail 7 miles in 3 hours².

When 2 riders is not enough

For a bigger group, Bike and Roll rents quadcycles. The small quad seats up to 3 adults and 2 kids in the basket, the large seats 6 and 2 kids, at $25 an hour³. A family with small children has other choices; see kids bike rental.

Tandems and adaptive riding

The CDOT and Divvy adaptive sessions put a tandem bike alongside a hand cycle and a recumbent bike⁹. More options are in adaptive cycling in Chicago.

What the old station charged

In its 2004–2014 years the McDonald’s Cycle Center in Millennium Park listed its tandem at $20 an hour, $59 for a half day and $69 for a full day¹⁰.

Divvy for comparison

A Divvy single ride costs $1 to unlock plus $0.20 a minute, and the day pass costs $19.90¹¹. The numbers are in Divvy pricing, and the long-ride math is in Divvy vs a bike rental shop. The Rentals & Divvy hub lists every guide.