May Newsletter

Bike Switzerland Welcome Center is OPEN !
Man, I’ve been waiting for this moment for 8 years ! We’ve finally got our own place ! And it’s not just anyplace, it’s not a compromise. It’s perfect.
The new “Welcome Center” is at 22 Rue des Grottes. This is a great neighborhood. Well, now it’s my favorite neighborhood.
It’s convenient for us because we’re a 3-minute walk from the train station and from our the Hotel Cornavin which we use for our tours.
We’ve got a large storage room in the basement where we keep our gear, clothing and fleet of bikes, which means that we can keep the room upstairs open and clean…better for “welcoming”

So, what is a “Welcome Center” ? Here’s what we do:
• It’s a place to host our guided tour riders and our independent tour riders.
• A spot for where we welcome people renting bikes from us, or those simply coming in for free advice or to say “Hi”
• A shop where people can find the same products that are on sale at our on-line store: http://bikeshopswitzerland.com ; as well as other accessories and items that might be useful for bike travel (power bars, bags, guide books, free bicycle maps of the canton, etcetera)
• A center where english speakers can come for bike-related conferences and classes
• A bike club that hosts free weekly rides
Our hours are still a work-in-progress, but for the moment you can find us here Tuesday-Saturday 11am to 7pm. Of course, we’ll also open the shop on Sunday and Monday by appointment if you’re coming in to pick up a rental.

Anyway, if you’re in Switzerland, you’ve got to stop by. We’re making it a destination for any cycling tourist coming through town, (a little bit like Missoula Montana, but slightly more central

You can see more pictures by clicking here.

Brand New Website !
Yes, lots of BIG news. The new site went up the same weekend as our grand opening. Everything has been redesigned to give the site an updated look and feel.
Click here.
Perhaps best of all, the site is now “non-flash-based”, which means that you can see everything on your iPhone or iPad.  ENJOY

Events Calendar

As mentioned, we’ll be hosting weekly rides (Thursday and Saturday for the moment). As well as conferences and workshops.
You can find out more about these events by going to the “Events” page of our website.
Click here.

We’ve got a basic repair workshop scheduled for Tuesday. Other upcoming events in May include:
• How and where to buy a good used bike (and not get ripped off)
• Choosing a MTB (things to consider before buying)
• Basics of road cycling (posture, maintenance, handling, shifting, nutrition)
• How to watch professional cycling (understanding the sport, strategy, teams, history, etcetera)
As of now, all of these events/workshops are free and open to the public. All are in English unless otherwise stated.
Our shop is also open to YOU if you would like to use it to host a cycling related event and/or workshop.

NOT too late

We’ve still got spaces on most of our rides this summer. Keep these rides in mind:

Tour de Suisse: June 13 – June 18
Jura Tour: June 22 – July 3
Challenge Tour: July 10 – July 20
Lite Tour One: August 10 – August 21 (Full / Closed)
Lite Tour Two: September 7 – September 18

Write to john@bikeswitzerland.com for more information, or check details at http://www.bikeswitzerland.com

I hope to see you soon !!
JOHN