Today we’d like to introduce you to Bill Talbot.
Hi Bill, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Austin Bike Tours & Rentals was started in 2016 and I took over the business toward the end of 2023. I’ve been an avid mountain biker for years and love doing bike tours whenever I travel internationally, so when this business opportunity came along, I thought it would be a great fit and a lot of fun. And so far, so good! We offer a variety of guided bike tours in and around downtown Austin on both e-bikes and regular pedal bikes. Some include food & beverages like our Taco ‘Bout Austin or our Pedals & Pints tours. All of them are fun and informative and include many not-to-miss Austin landmarks and eye-catching outdoor art installations. We also rent both e-bikes and regular bikes so people can explore Austin on their own if they want, and we can provide lots of recommendations for cool things to check out in and around downtown Austin.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The pandemic and recent tariffs have been challenging and have negatively impacted tourism to Austin, and our business is no exception but I feel like things are turning around and Austin is again attracting more and more visitors. Our bike tours are a great way for visitors to get a great introduction to all that Austin has to offer in just a couple of hours. But we also get a lot of locals who take our tours, especially when they have friends or family visiting them and they want to show them the best that Austin has to offer.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I actually have three bike businesses under one roof, all currently located at 503 Walsh St. – Austin Bike Tours and Rentals, Bike & Brew ATX and Your Biker Gang. But all three of the brands share a common thread, providing fun, informative and safe bike tours as well as high quality bike rentals, and great customer service! I’m proud of the many great experiences we’ve provided our guests over the years, as evidenced by our thousands of 5 star customer reviews. I really enjoy when out-of-towners tell us what a great time they had on our tours and how much they saw and learned about Austin. But I get an even bigger kick when locals and native Austinites come on tours and tell us how they saw or learned something new, even though they may have lived in Austin their whole lives.
So if you’re looking something fun and different to do with your family, friends or colleagues, come take a tour with us!
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I’ve started to use AI tools, mainly Claude and ChatGPT, for a variety of things to help me move my business forward such as helping me to draft blogs and social posts, or come up with new tour ideas and itineraries.
Admittedly, I’m a bit late to the podcast phenomenon but I’ve made up ground over the past couple years. I mainly listen to comedy-oriented podcasts in the background while I’m working, working out or doing other things, mainly because they make me laugh and laughter as they say is the best medicine. Some of my current favs are Good Hang with Amy Poehler, Conan Needs a Friend, Fly On The Wall, and Lonely Island with Seth Meyers podcasts.
Pricing:
- Our tours range in pricing and duration from $59 to $89 per person, and some include food & beverages such as tacos and beers at local breweries.
- Our bike rentals start at a minimum of 2 hours for $25 for our regular bikes and $49.99 for our e-bikes. We also offer overnight and multi-day rentals. And all rentals include helmets and locks, and lights for overnight rentals.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.austinbiketoursandrentals.com, www.bikeandbrewatx.com, and www.yourbikergang.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/austinbiketours, https://www.instagram.com/bikeandbrewatx, and https://www.instagram.com/yourbikergang
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atxbiketoursandrentals/, https://www.facebook.com/BikeandBrewATX/, and https://www.facebook.com/yourbikergang
