More on biking in Sintra - this time with 'normal' bikes

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Continuing on the theme of bike rentals in Sintra, here is another entry written by Fred who is somewhat used to biking and her girlfriend Jess, who is not used to biking: they rented the 'normal' bikes (as in non-electric) for three days to ride around this mountainous terrain.  The bold in the text has been added by me.  Here is what they said:
Fred and Jess in front of Quinta da Regaleira 


Inside Cycling Rentals
My girlfriend and I are students in London. Over our Easter break, we decided to get out of the city and spend part of our holiday in Sintra. Before leaving, we read that to really enjoy Sintra, it's a good idea to explore the area with bicycles. On our second day in Sintra, we found out about Cycling-Rentals (URL: http://www.cycling-rentals.com/), a place where we could rent bicycles for a couple days. To preface this, neither my girlfriend nor I have ever done any serious cycling before. However, despite that, Cycling-Rentals was perfect for our needs. The staff was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. When we told them what we had in mind, they outfitted us with all of the gear that we needed, including locks, helmets, repair kits, etc.
Before we arrived in Sintra, we read that bicycling to Cascais, a nearby sea-side town is a must. When we mentioned that we would be interested in doing that, the staff provided us with an extremely detailed route guide that included very explicit directions as well as some attractions to see along the way. As a result, what started out as a trip to see Cascais, ended up with us seeing Cabo da Roca (the westernmost point in Europe), Praia da Guincho, Praia da Ursa, and beautiful scenery that we never would have seen otherwise.
With the bikes, over the next couple of days we visited Quinta da Regaleira, Monserrate, and Convento dos Capuchos (the Cork Convent). However, while those sites were impressive, the journey to get to them was just as valuable. Sintra is a truly beautiful city, and the countryside around it is a must see. However, with a bus tour, a lot of the sights are missed. As such, bicycling is a perfect way to really appreciate the natural beauty of Sintra.
The area around Sintra is extremely hilly, so many might be cautious about cycling. Cycling-Rentals, however, offers alternatives, including hybrid bikes or even fully electric cycles, so fear of the terrain should not deter you from seeing some really impressive scenery and really experiencing all that Sintra has to offer.
Choosing to use Cycling-Rentals for our bicycles was a fantastic decision. As mentioned before, the staff is extremely helpful and accommodating. They have lots of recommendations of sites to see in the area and cycling routes for everybody from novices to experienced cyclists. Their rates are very reasonable, so those traveling on a budget should not have a problem. If we ever go back to Sintra, we will definitely look them up again.

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