Best eBike Rentals on Block Island (New Shoreham), RI -- Mohegan Bluffs, Old Harbor & North Light

Things to do on an eBike on Block Island, Rhode Island

The town is New Shoreham -- the smallest town in Rhode Island by population -- and the island is Block Island, sitting about a dozen miles off the mainland coast. Roughly seven miles long and three across at its widest, with no traffic lights and a permanent population in the hundreds that multiplies many times over in July.

It is the one place in the state where riding is the normal way to get around, which is why four rental businesses sit within a few minutes of the ferry landing and one of them has over 1,250 reviews.

Old Harbor: the ferry lands here, and so does everyone's day.

Mohegan Bluffs and the Southeast Light

The island's south shore rises into the Mohegan Bluffs -- high clay cliffs dropping to a narrow Atlantic beach far below, with a long wooden stairway down to the sand. It is the single best-known thing on Block Island and it is a straightforward ride from Old Harbor.

Mohegan Bluffs: clay cliffs, a long stairway, and the Southeast Light behind.

The Southeast Lighthouse stands nearby, and its own story is worth knowing: erosion brought the cliff edge so close that the entire brick lighthouse was moved back from the bluff in the 1990s. The clay here is actively eroding, which is exactly why the overlooks and stairway have posted rules.

The island's roads and stone walls

Away from the two harbours the island is open, rolling, treeless country crossed by stone walls and narrow paved lanes. There is a great deal of conserved land here -- a strikingly high share of the island -- and the Greenway trail system runs through much of it.

The middle of the island: stone walls, open ground, and lanes with almost nothing on them.

Important distinction: the Greenway is a walking trail network, and Rodman's Hollow -- the glacial ravine at the south end, and one of the island's earliest conservation properties -- sits within it. Ride to the roadside access points and continue on foot rather than assuming trail access.

New Harbor, the Great Salt Pond and Corn Neck

Halfway up the island, New Harbor sits on the Great Salt Pond -- the island's protected anchorage, packed with boats in summer. North of it, Corn Neck Road runs the length of the island's northern arm past Crescent Beach to the sandy point at the top.

Sandy Point and North Light -- ride to the road end, then walk.

North Light stands out at Sandy Point. The road ends before it does; the final stretch across the point is on foot, and the area is managed for wildlife with its own restrictions. Plan the ride to the road end and treat the rest as a walk.

Why an electric bike here

Because Block Island is not flat, and most visitors are not cyclists. The island rolls constantly and a few pitches are properly steep -- enough that plenty of people on standard rentals end up walking. Assist means a full island loop, Mohegan Bluffs and Sandy Point in one day, with a swim in the middle. It is the single clearest use case for a rental eBike anywhere in Rhode Island.

Best eBike routes on Block Island (rider plans)

Old Harbor and the town (3-5 miles): The landing, the Victorian hotels along the waterfront, and Fred Benson Town Beach just north. A first hour ashore.

South to the Bluffs (7-10 miles): Out to the Southeast Lighthouse and the Mohegan Bluffs overlook and back. The essential Block Island ride.

North to Sandy Point (10-13 miles): Corn Neck Road the length of the northern arm, past Crescent Beach to the road end below North Light.

The full island loop (15-20 miles): South shore, west side, New Harbor and the Great Salt Pond, then north. A complete day with stops.

Beach day (8-14 miles): A short ride out, a long swim, a slow ride back. Assist makes the return leg irrelevant.

Riding several days on the island? A lifestyle eBike with wider tyres handles the sandy edges and rough lane surfaces better than a narrow-tyred machine.

How to plan a Block Island riding day

1. Book the rental ahead in season. Four businesses, one ferry, and a very compressed summer.
2. Check ferry rules if bringing your own. Operators set their own policies and fees for bicycles, electric bikes and batteries.
3. Do not assume trail access. The Greenway and Rodman's Hollow are walking trails -- ride to the access points.
4. Respect the bluff edges. The clay is actively eroding and the posted rules exist for a reason.
5. Ride the road ends, walk the points. Sandy Point and North Light are managed for wildlife.
6. Plan around the ferry, not the ride. The last boat is the actual deadline.

Who this Block Island eBike trip is for

Day-trippers off the ferry: this is the best car-free day in Rhode Island.

Non-cyclists: assist turns a hilly island into an easy one.

Lighthouse and coast people: two lights, clay cliffs and beaches on all sides.

Anyone who wants quiet: the middle of the island is genuinely empty.

Rhode Island eBike laws snapshot (Block Island riding)

Rhode Island uses the three-class electric bicycle framework and treats them broadly like bicycles for ordinary use. Class 3 machines are handled differently on some paths.

On Block Island the local layers matter more. The town regulates mopeds separately and strictly -- a long-running local issue, and a reason not to assume anything you see rented here is treated the same way. Conservation properties including Rodman's Hollow and the Greenway are walking trails with their own rules; Sandy Point is managed for wildlife; and ferry operators set their own policies on carrying bicycles, electric bikes and lithium batteries. For the county picture, see things to do on an eBike in Washington County and eBike shops in Rhode Island.

eBike rental and repair on Block Island

Island Moped & Bike at 4.8 across 1,259 reviews is the largest-reviewed listing in Rhode Island and the default choice off the ferry. Aldo's Mopeds is 4.6 across 370 and Old Harbour Bike and Moped Rentals is 4.1 across 193.

Beach Rose Bicycles at 4.7 across 45 is the smallest of the four and the one focused on bicycles rather than mopeds -- worth knowing if that is what you actually want. On the mainland side of the ferry, Narragansett and Westerly cover the coast.

Nearby eBike shops (Washington County mainland)

Frequently asked questions about eBiking on Block Island