By Rimshan, Founder of Rent Bikes Sri Lanka (Joel Travels)
I’ve been riding bikes since I was a teenager. Growing up near Negombo, two wheels were just part of life — the fastest way to get to the beach, the easiest way to cut through traffic, the best way to feel the sea breeze on the way home after a long day. I never thought that passion would one day turn into a business. But here we are.
I started Joel Travels because I kept seeing the same thing happen to tourists visiting Sri Lanka. They’d arrive at the airport, excited, ready to explore — and then spend half their trip stuck waiting for buses or overpaying for taxis. They wanted freedom. They wanted to stop at a temple on a whim, follow a coastal road they spotted on the map, or take a detour through a tea plantation just because it looked beautiful. But without their own transport, they couldn’t do any of that.
That’s when I thought — I can help with this.
What I Wanted to Build
I didn’t want to run just another rental shop. Anyone can hand over a key and collect a deposit. What I wanted to build was the service I would have wanted as a traveller — someone you can call at 9pm when you’ve had a minor breakdown on the road to Ella. Someone who knows which mechanic to trust in Kandy. Someone who’ll tell you honestly which route to take and which roads to avoid in the rainy season.
That’s what Rent Bikes Sri Lanka is built on. Every bike in our fleet is one I’ve personally checked and maintained. Every customer who messages me on WhatsApp before their trip gets a real reply — not an automated response, not a copy-paste FAQ. I talk to people, understand what they’re planning, and help them get the right bike for their journey.
When customers come to rent a bike in Negombo or ask about a bike rental in Colombo, I try to understand where they want to go before I recommend anything. A couple backpacking around the coast for two weeks needs something different from a solo rider planning to climb the mountain roads toward Nuwara Eliya. Getting that match right is something I genuinely care about.
The Bikes I’m Proud to Offer
Over the years, I’ve expanded the fleet carefully — always prioritising reliability over quantity. A breakdown in the middle of the Cultural Triangle is not the memory I want someone to take home from Sri Lanka.
For beginners or anyone who just wants easy, relaxed city riding, the Honda Dio 110cc is a brilliant starting point. It’s automatic, lightweight, and comfortable for full days in the saddle. The TVS Ntorq and the Suzuki Burgman step things up slightly for riders who want a bit more confidence on longer stretches.
If you’re serious about touring — and I mean really covering ground, from Negombo all the way down to Yala and back through Ella — the Yamaha NMAX 155cc or the Honda ADV 160cc are what I’d put you on. Both have the engine and the build quality to handle Sri Lanka’s roads in all their variety: smooth coastal highways, potholed country lanes, and winding mountain passes included.
For riders who grew up on a manual and prefer it that way, the Bajaj Pulsar 200cc and the Yamaha FZ V4 150cc are reliable, fun, and used hard by locals for a reason. And then there’s the Royal Enfield Classic 350cc — which, honestly, I enjoy watching people ride off on as much as anything else. There’s something right about exploring Sri Lanka slowly on a classic bike.
Every rental comes with a helmet, a phone holder, bungee cords for luggage, and my number on WhatsApp. If something goes wrong, I’m there. For anything serious, I’ll get a replacement bike to you anywhere on the island the same day — no charge.
The Driving Permit: Please Don’t Skip It
I want to be straightforward about something that trips people up. Sri Lanka requires you to get your foreign licence verified through the Automobile Association of Ceylon before you’re legally allowed to ride here. An International Driving Permit alone isn’t enough — you need the local temporary permit on top.
I know that sounds like extra paperwork, and I know that after a long flight the last thing you want is to queue at an office in Colombo. That’s exactly why I offer to handle this for you before you arrive. Send me your licence photos, your passport copy, and a headshot via WhatsApp — I’ll pre-process the permit so it’s ready for you to collect at the airport when you land.
It takes 15 minutes of your time before you travel and saves hours of hassle on arrival. Most of my customers do this now, and it makes the whole start of the trip so much smoother.
What Sri Lanka Looks Like From a Bike
I’ve ridden most of this island. The road from Negombo down to Colombo early in the morning, when the fishing boats are still coming in. The coast road past Hikkaduwa and Mirissa, where the road runs so close to the sea you can smell the salt air without slowing down. The climb from Kandy up through the clouds into Nuwara Eliya, where the temperature drops and the whole landscape changes in the space of an hour.
And then Ella. Every traveller who rides to Ella says the same thing: they didn’t expect it to be that beautiful. The roads through the hill country are something else — narrow, green, and quiet in the early morning, with tea workers starting their day on the hillsides and mist still sitting in the valleys below. It’s the kind of riding that makes you grateful you didn’t take the bus.
I tell every customer the same thing: come for the beaches, but ride for the hills.
What My Customers Mean to Me
I’ve had people come back to Sri Lanka and rent from me a second and third time. I’ve had customers message me months later to say the trip changed something for them. I’ve had solo travellers who were nervous about riding here — unsure about the traffic, unsure about the roads — who sent me photos at the end of two weeks looking like they’d never been happier.
That’s what this is about for me. Not just the bike rental service. Not just the logistics. It’s the trip those keys make possible.
Sri Lanka is an extraordinary country to explore. I get to help people explore it on their own terms, at their own pace, with no tour guide telling them when to leave and where to go next. That’s a privilege I don’t take lightly.
Come and Ride With Us
If you’re planning a trip to Sri Lanka and you want to do it properly — with your own bike, your own route, and the kind of support that actually picks up the phone — I’d love to hear from you.
You can reach me on WhatsApp at +94 773 601 081 or +94 762 921 083, or book directly at rentbikessrilanka.com. Whether you want to rent a bike in Colombo, rent a bike in Negombo, or arrange delivery anywhere else on the island, get in touch and let’s work out the best plan for your trip.
The road is out there. Let’s get you on it.
— Rimshan Founder, Joel Travels / Rent Bikes Sri Lanka