January 2012 Newsletter

Our NEW permanent location! Bike Switzerland has finally found a permanent home. After years of wandering from shop to shop, we have finally signed a lease at a perfect location. Starting in March or April of 2012, you can find us at 22 Rue des Grottes. It’s perfect because: • We’re only a three-minute walk from the train station. • We’ll have a large storage area in our basement for our fleet of bicycles • Lots of space and light to show off our tours, clothing and services. • Great restaurants and bars RIGHT NEXT DOOR! We’re not moved in yet, so no signs up, but here are a few pictures so that you can get a feeling for the place. Anyway, I’m very excited, and I’m sure the new space will help to make 2012 our best year yet. We’ll be having an open-house/party sometime in March or April, so stay tuned to our Facebook page for that announcement. Bike Switzerland 2012 Internship Are you a good mechanic ? Would you like to spend the summer putting those skills to use in Switzerland ? We’re looking for a young person, (21 years old to 31 years old) to help us out at the shop this summer. Responsibilities include: • Cleaning and servicing our fleet of BMC bicycles • Greeting customers, explaining/presenting our products • Helping out with as an assistant guide on various tour dates Ideally our intern will be available from May through September and speak some French, (not a requirement, but it does help). In exchange for the experience, Bike Switzerland will provide a cost-of-living stipend, housing and lots of perks. To find out more and/or apply for the position, please write to: john@bikeswitzerland.com Please send your resume which mentions work experience related to the responsibilities listed above, as well as a recent photo and your availability. Meanwhile, you can see a video of Jeremy Kalmus (our last intern) talking about his experience below.

Canary Islands: February 11- 18th OK, there is still time to get on board for this trip. Again, six days of hard-core cycling on new Cannondales in sunny spain. The price is 1,499 Euros which includes everything except the flight. If you can find a cheap flight to London, Barcelona or Madrid, then you’ll just have to spend a few hundred Euros more to find a flight to the island of Grand Canary, (airport code LPA). Once there, we’ll take care of everything else. I’ll gladly help you sort out the details. Just drop me a line: john@bikeswitzerland.com They’re here… Our winter jerseys are here are ready to be shipped. We’ve weren’t sure how popular they were going to be, so we’ve only made 50 of the Classic design and 50 of the tradition design. They are one-of-a-kind, toasty warm and Italian made, so get them while there is still a nip in the air. Include the code “CAP” and I’ll throw in a free Bike Switzerland rain cap, (while supplies last). Click here to buy!

Newsletters/ December 2011

Reserve now to keep 2011 prices

Just a reminder that prices will be going up slightly on January 1st.  So, in order to lock in 2011 prices, you just need to get in a 600 chf deposit (per rider) to us. You can do this through the website, or simply write to us at info@bikeswitzerland.com and we’ll send you a payment link.

Watch Bike Switzerland “television”

Well, not exactly…but close.  We’re developing a series of podcasts all about our tours, our gear and cycling in Switzerland.  You can watch these podcasts as they come out on our blog, or you can check them out on our Youtube channel.
It now even possible to subscribe to the podcast automatically through Itunes, so that the you have the episodes on your phone as they come out.

So, if you do use Itunes, just follow this link

I’m working on the assumption that people want to feel “connected”  to Bike Switzerland in some way before taking a trip, renting a bike or even just buying a jersey. I think the podcasts will do this.  You’ll see me and all the other Bike Switzerland folks behind the scenes and then feel like you know us by the time you get here.

Finally, we really need you to REVIEW the podcast on Itunes. This will help us because Itunes will give us a better placement as we receive more comments. So, please take a moment to do that. If you do, then list your name in the comments section below in this newsletter and we’ll send you 10 chf to spend at our shop.

Bike Switzerland

Mr. Bicycle Touring Pro on our Challenge Tour !

Darren Alff has created a life for himself that revolves around bicycle touring: he’s got a website where he gives practical advice on planning tours, choosing gear and making it happen. If you’re thinking about doing a self-guided tour, then you need to check out: www.bicycletouringpro.com

Darren’s next project is to create a documentary on cycling which he’s going to try to get distributed by a studio. He’ll be looking at BMX parks in Iceland, Police on Bikes in Montreal, Bike Rental programs in London and he’ll also be looking at the experience of a professional bicycle tour with: Bike Switzerland.

Darren will be travelling with us from July 10th to July 20th on the Challenge tour to experience it all with ourriders. So, come if you come on the Challenge tour this year, make sure you get your hair cut and bring a nice shirt because you might make it on HBO or the Discovery Channel.

Where in the world

This is a project that we’ve been working on for awhile. We though it would be fun to see a graphic distribution of all Bike Switzerland riders who have done a tour with us. So, we’ve got a new page on the website where you can see the names, pictures and geographical location of our pastriders. Just click here.

You’ll also see the tours the rider did and the years in which the tours were done

If you’ve guided tour with us and do not see yourself on the map, then let us know ! We’ve certainly overlooked some people. Conversely, if you see yourself, but don’t want your information on the site, let us know and we’ll take it down.
(Or maybe you just want us to change your picture ?)

Tour de Suisse: It’s On !

We’ve already got our minimum number of riders, and so this trip is a “GO”. The bulk of this year’s Tour de Suisse race is going to take place within 100 km or so of Zurich and so we’re developing a 5-night tour in which all of our rides will branch out from Rapperswil.

We’re working on updating the information on the site and should have it up very, very, soon. In the meantime, you can check out thisrecent blog post for more information.

Remember: this is Inaugural TDS tour ! You’ll be riding the same roads as the pros on our brand new BMC road bikes. You’ll be drinking hot cocoa as they whiz by and then we’ll follow (hopelessly) follow them as they make their way to the finish. If you’ve got the legs for it, then best get on board.

Newsletter / October 2011

Special Price on guided tours until December 1st

Anyone signing up for a guided tour before December 1st will receive 300 chf off any guided tour in 2012.

This means that you’ll have to put down your 600 chf deposit through our website (or bank transfer) before this date and we’ll deduct 300 chf from your final price.

Keep in mind that we’re only doing one of each of our tours in 2012, so spaces are tight.

New Clothing for 2011….in the works

We’ve hired a crew of designers to put together even more new offerings for 2011.

We’re still not sure which ones will make the final cut, but here are a few of my favorite at the moment

These are not your ordinary “custom” jerseys. Most clubs, teams and companies simply have their designs printed on a standard jersey offered by the manufacturer.

Our jerseys, however, are designed stitch for stitch this year. This means that we’re able to add lots of cool details:

♦ Ventilated side panels,

♦ Side pockets

♦ Colored piping at the seams

♦ Lasered cut cuffs and waist for perfect fit

I’m going to Italy next month to film some of the manufacturing process so that you see just what we’re doing.

We’re also working with several other manufacturers to introduce a line of Bike Switzerland helmets and gloves.

Oh, and ladies…we’re also going to get you some regular (non-bib) cycling shorts this year

New “Podcasts” and iPad/iphone compatible websites

Podcasts: We’re going to do our best to put out bi-weekly “podcasts”. You’ll be able to view them in a variety of ways: on our blog, on our youtube channel , and you’ll be able to download them through itunes and play them on your iphone and/or iPad devices. The podcasts will cover everything related to our tours, our crew and cycling in Switzerland. Our first podcast was released just yesterday. Here it is:

Ipad/Iphone compatible sites: Because our websites were designed using “Flash” technology, our cool animated pages don’t show up on your iphones or ipads. So, we’re in the process of re-doing our websites in HTML5.

This means you’ll be able to surf our sites on your devices and enjoy a bunch of new features. The Bike Switzerland Rentals site should be done by November 1st and our new www.bikeswitzerland.com site by the end of the year !

Bike For Sale

Wow…we sold our bikes fast ! About 60 bikes in just three weeks. We hope everyone is happy, (no complaints so far).

Anyway, at one moment, I thought we were going to run out of bikes and so I took everything off our webshop. As it turns out, however, we do have a few models left.

We currently have one of each listed below:

2010 Alpen Challenge (used):

590 chf + TVA (Retail price: 1,500 chf) / Sizes: 15 inch, 19 inch

2009 Alpen Challenge (used):

490 chf + TVA (Retail price: 1990 chf) / Sizes: 15 inch, 17 inch

2011 Street Racer (used):

1090 chf + TVA (Retail price: 1990 chf)/ Sizes: XL

2011 Street Racer (New):

1,490 chf + TVA (Retail price: 1990 chf)/  Sizes: Small and Large

2011 Street Racer ULTEGRA (new):

1,890 + TVA (Retail price: 2,490) / Sizes: XL

Stay tuned to upcoming blog posts for news about:

♦ Latest news on our tour of Gran Canaria
♦ Latest news on our Tour de Suisse tours
♦ New Internship positions with us for the Spring and Summer
♦ Our final choice for our 2012 bikes

In the meantime, don’t hesitate if you have any questions…about anything.

Bike Switzerland News /August 2011

Bike Switzerland 2012 Dates Don’t sit on the bench in 2012! Jura Tour: June 22 – July 3 Challenge Tour: July 10 – July 20 Lite Tour: August 10 – August 21 Why only three dates? We had five tour dates this year and a couple of those tours had low numbers. We have therefore decided to decrease the number of tours that we do in hopes of filling these tours and maximizing our resources. As the Swiss franc has reached kind-of-crazy heights, we’ll be keeping our 2011 prices. In fact, sign up before November 1st and we’ll give you a 300 chf reduction on a guided tour. Sign up for an independent tour by November 1st and we’ll give you 200 chf off the price. Canary Islands 2012 Dates We’ve also come up with a new date for our tour of Grand Canaria: Date: February 11 – 18 Price: 1,499 Euros (double room) This will be our third tour of Grand Canaria. Many of you know Majorca or other Spanish islands in the Mediterranean. But keep in mind that Grand Canaria is much further south: more than 1,300 kilometers from the Spanish mainland! It’s the only place “in Europe” where you can systematically swim in January/February. So bring your swimsuit and leave your bike at home. We’ll make sure that you get a triple-chain ring and a nice tan. Find more about our tour here.

New Clothing prices We’re always looking for new models One bright spot. That rocketing Franc means that the Bike Switzerland clothing brand is more affordable. Although our designers, distribution and headquarters are here in Switzerland. The actual manufacturing takes place in Italy and so our costs have gone down quite a bit this year. We have therefore reduced the prices of all Bike Switzerland brand clothing by around 12%. Follow this link to our store. Youtube This year we have outfitted our guides with a Sony Camera, a sony video camera, a GoPro unit and a Macbook. On every tour the guides have been uploading their pictures and film and then our secretary Emily knits it all together to create a film that we post on Youtube and Facebook. This means that family and friends don’t have to wait for a postcard or even the random email to have pictures and news. They can just tune in to our regular Youtube uploads. You can check that out here.

New Shop in Geneva: Doors open

Although having a physical location is great for Bike Switzerland is great, there is one big disadvantage: the monthly rent !

The operation, however, has grown a lot over the last couple of years and so we’ve made the leap…no choice really.

We’re getting calls every day for rentals and we now have too much stock to keep things as they were. So, as of March 15^th, we’ve been at 27 Rue Grand-pré in Geneva, just a 7-minute walk from the train station.

We’re sharing the storefront with “Sold” sports. Our collaboration means that we’ll be able to help walk-in customers with rentals and trip planning.

We’re also planning to increase our “Bike Switzerland” clothing line and the space will allow us to display and distribute to other shops more efficiently.

We’re planning to celebrate our collaboration sometime in June with a keg party ! Stay tuned for details on that.

New 2012 Trips Planned

This is the first year that I’ve had the time and resources to take Bike Switzerland in different directions. We’ve entered into partnerships with a few well-known events here in Switzerland:

The Cyclotour du Léman: a one-day event the end of May in which 2,500 amateur riders push themselves on a timed 180 km ride around Lake Geneva. www.cyclotour.ch

The Gruyère Cycling Tour: another one-day event usually in August. It’s a UCI-sponsored “Gran Fondo” like course in which participants of all ages can simply enjoy the ride or , if they finish in the top 10% of their age category, earn the right to compete in the UCI’s “United World Cycling Tour” final, (to be held in Belgium this year).

http://www.gruyere-cycling-tour.ch/en/home

Bike Switzerland will be at both events this year to promote our clothing line products. However, in 2012 we will be working closely with the event coordinators so that foreign riders coming to these events will be able to enjoy 2 or 3 days of more relaxed cycling leading up to each of these large events.

We think that these two new tours will be especially interesting to road cyclists who may not have time for our longer tours. If you’re a serious cyclist looking to have 3 to 4 days of hard cycling in Switzerland next summer, keep these new tours in mind.

Our 2011 Tours…get on board, there is room.

We’ve still got spaces on the following tours:

Challenge Tour: June 22 to July 2^nd (6 spaces left)

Lite Tour: July 8 to July 19^th (7 spaces left)

Lite Tour: August 12 to August 23 ( 8 spaces left)

Jura Loop: Sept 2 to September 13 (7 spaces left)

Sign up before the end of the month, and we’ll give you a complete Bike Switzerland kit for free if you mention this offer.

Staff Updates

• Congratulations to Jeremy Kalmus, our new Bike Switzerland intern. Originally from New Orleans, Jeremy will be coming to Geneva by way of University of the Redlands (California) and will begin work on June 15^th.

• Chris White “The Professor” has found full-time employment with a local bike shop and so won’t be leading tours for us this summer. However, he’ll almost certainly join us for a day of riding as his schedule allows.

• Thanks to all for your congratulations on the new baby. He’s doing great and we’ve already got his first bike on order. See below.

  
  

  Hoping to see you this summer.

  JOHN

  
  

Tags: Sold Sports Geneva, Cyclotour Leman, Gruyère cycling tour

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February 2011

Bike Switzerland’s “Tour de Suisse” tour !

For years, people have been asking us to organize a trip around professional cycling’s annual Tour de Suisse . Afterall, there are many tour companies that offer similar tours following the Tour de France. Still, it’s a big project and I wanted to make sure that we had the right bikes, guides and approach. I’m now confident that we’ve got all those stars alligned:

• We’ve just purchased a new fleet of BMC road bikes.
• Bike Switzerland’s own Chris White is taking care of our logistics and riding every kilometer of the tour before it starts, finding the sweet lookout stops and cozy overnights.
• We’re planning to work closely with BMC so that we see the tour up close: having a chance to talk with their support team and riders before taking a tour of their new Impec bike factory in Grenchen at the tour’s end.

Our tour dates are from June 10 to the 15th and the routes and details can be found on the landing page of the website under “Tour de Suisse”.

Bike Switzerland’s new Geneva Headquarters:

Starting on March 15th, Bike Switzerland will be sharing space with “Sold Sports”  at 27 Rue du Grand Pré in Geneva.

“Sold” is only a 10 minute walk from the train station, and their very friendly and unpretentious staff will always be there to give us a hand in case things get too busy.

You’ll also be able to find all of our Bike Switzerland clothing on sale at Sold.

Sold Sports in Geneva

Special Swiss Franc Exchange Rate for February:

The Swiss economy is doing better than most at the moment and this means a strong Swiss Franc. One US Dollar is currently worth 95 Swiss cents.

So, in an effort to speed up registrations and to make things more interesting for you, all sign ups from now until February 28th can benefit from our special exchange.

We’ll give you our tours for the price listed in Swiss francs, but allow you to pay in dollars at an equal one to one exchange !

So, if a tour costs 3,000 Chf, it will also cost 3,000 USD if you register in February !

Just come on the site, pay your deposit in Swiss francs with your credit card, and we’ll allow you to pay the rest in dollars. Our only condition is that you pay by bank transfer rather than credit card so that we can avoid fees. If the Swiss franc falls, you’re always welcome to pay in Swiss francs.

New Bike Switzerland Clothing, coming your way

New Bike Switzerland Clothing Line

Our “Swiss Classic” collection did so well last year, that we’ve decided to take our clothing line to a new level and create a brand 100% “Bike Switzerland”.

Most everyone will agree, that the world’s top cycling gear in terms of quality and design comes from Italy. So, last month I boarded a train from Zurich to the Venuto region of Italy and visited with several clothing manufacturers who specialize in cycling clothing. These are the same companies that manufacture for the top brands that you know by name.

I’m sure you’re going to love the result, and our new clothing line will go into “pre-sale” mode sometime at the end of February. Stay tuned because we’ve got some great new cycling kits coming your way. As always, you can find our clothing at www.bikeshopswitzerland.com

Website improvements:

We’re continuing to make improvements and updates to our websites. A few new things to look for:

Google Translation: We realize that it’s not perfect, but now everyone can get the “gist” of our website in almost any language imaginable with our “Translate Buttons” at the top of each page.

Staff Page: You’ll have problems finding a more experienced or diverse staff. Or a better looking bunch of boys. Should you doubt, take a look at our ALL NEW staff page at this link.

Honeymoon Tours: Do you know anyone cyclists getting married this Spring or Summer ? We’ve been doing tours for honeymooners for a few years, but have now decided to “package” them. We’ll create a unique “Wedding Registry” page, so that guests will be able to contribute to something a bit more interesting than a toaster or linen. Check out the concept here.

…and finally.

Irina and I had a baby ! Yep, we just brought home little Alexander Dennison Klemme today and he and the mom are having a well-deserved respite from those needle wielding nurses. Thanks for your well wishes !

JOHN

Merry Christmas 2010

Road bikes on the Jura Tour

Our Bike Switzerland technical crew went to BMC earlier this month to look over the new bicycles for our 2011 season.

Up until now, all of our tours have used the BMC Alpen Challenge hybrid bike. This is because the bike paths that make up the Challenge Tour and Lite Tour contain some longer stretches of dirt and gravel. However, the Jura tour is entirely paved and full of challenging climbs, so we’ve decided to make this a road bike tour.

However, there is no need to lug your road bike to Switzerland. We’ll be using BMC’s Streetfire ! We’re waiting for our offer before deciding whether to go with the 105 or Ultegra.

I can’t wait to get some pictures of us in matching jerseys racing up those hills with matching red bikes.  We’ll look quite the part !

New Website Features

Improved and updated photo gallery: Our 2010 tour photos are finally on line. We’ve also updated the gallery software to make the pictures sharper and faster to view. You can click here to go to the gallery page directly.

Also, all 5,000+ photos of all of our Bike Switzerland photos since 2004 are now available for viewing at Flickr. Most of the photos that we have uploaded to Flickr are high quality resolution and so you’re welcome to download and print any of the pictures that you like. Or, choose any set of photos and watch them in slideshow mode. You can find all of our Bike Switzerland photos here.

New Video Reviews: Nothing works better than word-of-mouth, so we’ve created a page on the website which features videos of riders from various tours. Some videos recount stories, while others give tour highlights and/or advice. Here is an example of one such video:

You can find more of these “testimonials” on our site. Click here to go directly.

Help us deliver the new brochure.

We’re printing up new brochures in a few weeks and could sure use your help getting them out.

Maybe you have cycling friends, are in a club, have a bike shop nearby ?

If you think you could help us out in this way, please drop me an email with your address and I’ll make sure you are send a packet of the new brochures, (john@bikeswitzerland.com)

Bike Switzerland Parties ?

Have you done a Bike Switzerland tour ? Consider throwing a party to tell everyone about it !

We’ll help you to promote by supplying you with maps, pictures, videos and can even do a Skype question and answer with ME ! Bike Switzerland will even send you a check to cover the costs of drinks !

New Prices on January 1st

Remember, our prices for the 2011 tours will be going up a bit on January 1st. However, you can make sure to get the 2010 prices if you put in a 600 Chf deposit this week. So, if you’re planning on doing a tour with us next year, you’d best get in the deposit and save some money.

November/December 2010

November 2010

Jura Loop: September 2 – 12, 2011

 

Our new itinerary will explore the Jura mountain range. We’ll leave from Geneva and bike to Basel on the Swiss side and then return to Geneva on the French side. You will be averaging 80km a day, and although there is a lot of climbing, the terrain is rolling and so climbs are never more than a few hundred meters.

 

 

The Jura Loop leads cyclists through a captivating countryside seldom visited: you’ll see cows, fir trees and smoking chimneys, but few people and almost no traffic…certainly our most serene itinerary. Because the region is sparsely populated, hotels tend to be small and so we’re limited to 15 riders. Registration is currently limited to  alumni who have completed our Challenge Tour. If spaces remain, we will open it  to everyone  on Feb 1st.

 

The Jura Loop is all inclusive (meals, hotels, bicycles, guides, etc) and is priced at 3,700 Chf until January 1st. The tour includes 11 nights in superior hotels, (9 days of riding with a rest day in Basel).

We are currently updating our website to include this new itinerary and work is expected to be complete by the end of the month.

Attention Winter Cyclists: 10% off Canary Islands

Bike Switzerland Canary Islands Tour

 

That’s right: sign up for our Canary Islands Discovery tour (January 29th to Feb 5th) will get the trip for 1,350 Euros ! The offer ends November 30th and you will need to mention this newsletter announcement to have the offer applied. For more information on the tour: www.bikeswitzerlandworld.com

David Shoots for the Stars

Bike Switzerland’s own DAVID COTTING has entered his group to represent Switzerland in this year’s Eurovision song contest.

Vote for David

 

 

 

Click on the link below to see their video, and then please, (please !) follow the directions by openning the PDF on the right of the video to vote for David’s group…”Tiger the Lion”, (You can give them up to four votes). Much appreciated ! And please send this message to your friends so that David can be world famous!!

                                   http://www.eurovisionplattform.sf.tv/videos/the_secret_ballad_of

 

Scenes from this Summer

Thanks to Chris Freeborn for putting his fantastic pictures into this movie for us.

 

 

New Prices on January 1^st

Remember, our 2010 prices are good until December 31^st. We will introduce new higher prices on January 1^st. However, if you get your 600 Chf deposit into us before then, you will lock in your 2010 prices. In order to do this, just go to “sign in/sign up”at www.bikeswitzerland.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 2010

Canary Islands Winter Training: Jan 29 to Feb 5

Come to the Canary Islands with us this winter for some warm and sunny cycling. Last year’s tour was such a success that most of previous riders are coming back ! So, we’ve changed the routes and added a new hotel to keep things interesting. Click on this link to take a closer look, but don’t be deceived by the 60/70 kilometer days…these rides are hard and require good conditioning.

The island of Gran Canaria is known for its beaches, but we’ll be riding the rough and seldom visited interior regions of the island. You’ve got to love climbs and be prepared for them, but our guides are there to teach and encourage and Ray will always be right behind with the sag wagon.

We’re offering the tour at 1,499 Euros until November 1st or for the first 10 people signing up. Consider spending a few more days to enjoy the beach and we’ll set you up.

Bike Switzerland 2011 Tour Dates

The bike rental side of the business really took off this summer, and so we’ve decided to concentrate more on that area and will therefore be running only four of our standard guided tours this summer:

Lite Tour:

July 8 – July 19th

August 12 – 23rd

Challenge Tour:

June 22 – July 2

July 27 – August 6

We’ll be keeping 2010 Prices for all of our tours until January 1st, 2011, so there is a real incentive to get your deposit in before then. Furthermore, we’re offering an early-bird offer: Sign up by October 31st and get another 100 Chf off the price.

The Jura Loop

The exact dates of our long-anticipated “Jura Loop” tour will be announced in late October. This will be an “invitation-only” tour open to past riders who have completed the Challenge Tour. We’ll be heading through the rugged Jura mountains on the Swiss side to Basel and coming back to Geneva  on the French side.

These riders should expect 70-80 km days with over 1,000 meters of climbing on most days…so a bit more of a “Challenge” than the Challenge Tour. Riders should also expect traffic-free roads, isolated inns and lots of local color…you’ll be passing through beautifully isolated regions that the local train networks haven’t even managed to penetrate.

Bike Sale

We’ve already “pre-sold” half of our fleet of  BMC Alpen Challenge 02 and Streetfire SSX bicycles. However, we still have quite a few smaller size Alpen Challenge 02 in stock. You’re welcome to reserve one of the remaining bicycles at www.bikeshopswitzerland.com or come on down to our shop at 4 Rue Louis Favre (Geneva) beginning on September 27th to see what is available. We plan to have a brand new fleet of bikes for 2011.