New bike rental and delivery service launches

When local engineer Jon Busch travels to Arizona, he rents bikes that are delivered straight to the area's trails for him to enjoy.

• That got him thinking — why not try this in Columbus?

Riding the news: Busch is launching Cycle Ohio Outdoors, a weekend bike rental and delivery service he plans to operate in his spare time.

• He's waited for the weather to cooperate to get started and hopes to rent out the first bikes this weekend.

How it works: Cyclists call his number during available hours — Friday at noon through Sunday at 8pm — to have a bike delivered to any Central Ohio trail.

• Customers pay for delivery and an hourly riding rate. Helmets are included.
• Busch forgoes the delivery fee for bikes picked up from Scioto Woods Park in western Columbus.

Details: Cycle Ohio Outdoors has six hybrid bikes to start, each a mix between a specialized mountain bike and a traditional road model.

• He plans to eventually feature pro mountain bikes and a range of children's bikes.

What they're saying: "I'm a pretty outdoorsy person all around," Busch tells Axios. "I did ultramarathons in college. I've been into bikes pretty much my whole life."

• His dream for Cycle Ohio Outdoors is to spread the love of trail riding to more people by making it accessible to those who don't own bikes.

Busch's favorite rides: The Olentangy River Trail connecting Worthington to downtown Columbus, the scenic Alum Creek Trail cutting through eastern Columbus and the Blacklick Creek Greenway Trail spanning several parks between Reynoldsburg and Groveport.