Austin Water Bikes

new to austin about a few months living here my brother came into town and this place he loved! ramon was super nice and friendly!

The bikes are pretty fun the the service is exceptionally poor. He was unfriendly and obviously only cared about making money and getting rid of us as fast as possible than to provide a good experience.
He gave confusing instructions, telling us to come in one at a time then yell at us for not moving in faster.
Overall, the ride is fun but the customer experience is very poor.

We had SO much fun on these water bikes! We went out to watch the bats and it was great. You could make it as hard or as easy as you would like, I didn’t break a sweat.

I first saw this when I was on the boat tour for the bats. I was like is that real life and how do I do that. It is an actual bike on water! So you can get 10% off on Unilocal but I checked their facebook page and it was $ 15 a person rather than $ 17 an hour. I thought cool. You dont have to wear a bathing suit because you dont get wet. You are bounded by two bridges but with that one hour, you cant really get that far. It is actually quite exhausting and since it was so warm, I just wanted to stay under the bridge and take photos. I think it was cool to experience but I would have rather jet skied or something haha

My husband and I wanted to go see the bats and he surprised me with a unique way to see them. It was fun to be on the water as the sunsets taking a leisurely bike ride around the lake. The bats were plentiful and want to do it again when its cooler with the kids. Great outing to get a little exercise while having some fun.

Fun! Super easy and safe (my friend who can’t swim enjoyed it too!) Great weekend activities with friends. The staff is nice and helpful.

This was such a fun family outing. You can reserve the Aqua Bikes ahead of time to watch the bats. Best view in town!

Great little morning for a bike ride… On the water…
It’s safe fun and you get a good work out after your morning breakfast.
Next time we might do an evening ride to see the bats come out from under Congress Bridge.

This is a great date night, or family activity! If you go at night you will be able to see the bats. You don’t get wet so you can wear what you want. The cycling is very easy on the knees and back. Todd gave us wonderful customer service from the start!

These bikes were a fun way to see Austin and waste an hour. We were originally wanting to go for just a half hour but they only rented the bikes for an hour. The bikes were very easy to maneuver, not much effort needed to get up and down the water. It was fun hanging out under the Congress bridge and listening to all of the bats. Take off your shoes while you bike and cool off by sticking your feet in the water!

So, I run by this place all the time and finally bought tickets for my boyfriend and I to try the water bikes and see the bats. I have tried seeing the bats from the bridge before, without success. THIS WAS THE COOLEST + highly recommend as the best way to have optimal bat viewing. Not to mention was super fun and a decent workout. Todd was very helpful and fun too. highly recommended!

From all the way from San Antonio to eat in n out and when we were done my husband and I wanted to do explore Austin and we found this little rental shop for waterbikes, totally affordable the staff was more then accommodating. Was my first time ever riding a water bike and the staff made me feel safe.

This was so awesome! It is kind of pricey for $ 17.00 a person per hour, but it is so fun and definitely a work out! I would do it again for sure… But they should offer a bike riding happy hour or a special price during the week.

excellent time as always. my second time coming with my family. customer service is wonderful.

This is a great activity to bring your out of town guests who want to experience Lady Bird Lake, get great views of the city, and see the bats up close and under the bridge. I rented four bikes to go with my wife and in-​laws. We also brought our dog, who was having fun too!
These bikes are solid, and never once did I feel like I was going to tip over. Each bike also has a a small cooler on the handles for you to bring some drinks or to hold your things.
They are pretty strict with the time around when they close at dusk. So we felt a bit rushed towards the end to try to get the bikes back in time.

So much fun! Simple to get on and off, easy to pedal and maneuver, no getting wet, and there’s a cubby that be used to store a handbag, camera, wallet in — or, even better, used as an ice chest (yes, BYOB if you like), There’s also a convenient cup holder on front under the «steering handles.»
While they offer time slots throughout the day and into the evening most months of the year, I have found the very best time is to rent for an hour close to sunset/​dusk in July or August — two of the best months for bat sightings in Austin. The bike pickup location is located a mere 3 minute ride on Lady Bird Lake away from being directly under the SoCo bridge. It is a truly magical experience to pass under Austin’s annual resident bats… hear the masses buzzing, and when they take their nightly flight. it’s nothing like any other way I’ve ever experienced the sightings. Truly the best way — right in the midst of of nature’s beauty — not just looking down from the bridge or siting near the Statesman lot hoping to catch a glance. You get to see EVERYTHING from the water!
Check-​in and ticket purchase table is right around the corner from where the bikes are located on the Lady Bird shore directly behind the Hyatt Hotel. Be certain to make reservations and show up on time or they will give your bikes away to standbys. Don’t forget to bring a little extra cash for gratuity — the staff is SO nice and helpful. Lastly, whenever you go, and for whatever reason — just have fun!
Almost forgot… if your dog is down, and can fit, they’ll allow you to take him/​her afloat too!!! :)
TIPS:
*Convenient parking in the Hyatt garage for only $ 6 for 0 to 5 hours.
**I heard they also have guided tours — that might be of interest.
***Don’t forget sunblock if you planning on a daytime ride — yeah, live and learn.
**** DON’T jump off into Lady Bird Lake. It is illegal and heads a hefty fine.

Nice ride down the Colorado River! Doing it in style on a water bike. An inexpensive way to burn calories and soak up some rays.

Holy Moly! I’ve lived in Austin & the Austin area for pretty much my whole life and am kicking myself for just now doing a Bat Tour UNDER the Congress bridge! We had gone when I was a little kid, but figured it was time to go see what all the fuss was about as adults this last weekend.
Friends, the ONLY way to see the bats is on water bikes/​kayaks/​paddle boards, but mainly water bikes! Escape the crowds and the tourist mob and get UNDER the bridge, y’all.
Instructions on how to see the Congress bridge bats like a baller Austinite.
1) Call at least a week in advance (especially if you want to go on a Saturday night) to make your reservation.
2) Wear whatever the hell you want because you won’t be getting wet at all. AND it’s pretty hard to fall in– I promise.
3) Have a kickass time cycling/​paddling all over Town Lake & taking in the beauty that is Austin, TX. Using the bikes is really simple and not physically demanding in the least.
4) Go to the east side of the Congress bridge right around sunset. (Your tour guide will tell you this obviously).
5) Watch millions of bat swarm under the bridge and fly out along the tree line.
6) Surprisingly don’t get pooped on! (I was somewhat fearful of this being a possibility, but alas I was wrong!)
7) Think to yourself, «Damn, I can’t wait to bring all my friends and family to do the Austin Water Bikes Bat Tour!»
Seriously the easiest & most fun way to see the Congress bridge bats! The owner was our tour guide for the evening and was a super cool business-​minded dude & has his son working alongside him at the docking area (adorable).
We will definitely be coming back :)))))

If there’s one review I had to write about our Austin trip, it’s this one. Austin Water Bikes provided one of the memorable experiences during our trip!
It’s run by an ex-​Californian (which there seems to be a lot of here!) and his partner. They provide discounts on Facebook — we were there on Friday and got half off our ride by liking their FB page. $ 11 for a whole hour of fun!
We had our two young kids so we ended up getting 2 bikes. The little ones sat in the front while the adults did the hard work. It was a good exercise pedaling around the lake, but the views of the Austin skyline and a sneak peek at the bats on Congress Bridge were well worth it. Definitely try this whether you’re a first-​time visitor or a local — it’s a unique way to spend a warm afternoon in Austin.

I was doing a road trip with some girlfriends in Austin and we were trying to figure out what we wanted to do. One of them found a Living Social to something called water biking and I was like, «Water Whating??»
It’s basically a bike that is held up by flotation boards, and you paddle your own little propeller down the river. Not only do you get exercise, but you can get a tan while water biking down downtown Austin, becoming one with nature.
What can I say? Service was great, the water biking was an interesting but fun experience. Like Luci S. said (she was one of the girlfriends), you don’t have to worry about getting wet, because the boards keeping the bike upright are sturdy and wide, so you shouldn’t ever tip over. And the price (of the Living Social) was so reasonable.
The other girlfriend really needed some water, but she left her wallet in the car. The owners ended up giving her a bottle of water for free, but my friend went back and gave them the money out of the goodness of her heart. That just comes to show how friendly the owners are.
Take a chance and do something new! If you’re bored and don’t know what to do, give it a shot :) (It makes for fun and unique photos)