We don't bring in foreign guides to lead our tours.
Our guides live here and bike these very routes all year long.
They speak the local languages, are expert mechanics and patient leaders.
They’ll not only get you to where you’re going,
they’ll help you to understand the local culture and to improve as a cyclist.
The Professor: Originally from England, Chris White has studied and taught all over the world. He moved to Switzerland in 2005 to do research in psychology at the University of Lausanne. Since then he's biked 92.6% of the mountain passes in Switzerland and rode 95.4% of the Swiss train system.
John says: I discovered Chris on an internet forum. He was posting very, (very) detailed responses to all sorts of cycling questions: from itineraries to gear ratios. I thought: "I need to get this guy on board ! "
John : Originally from Iowa, John Klemme moved to Europe over 20 years ago and hasn't looked back. John taught English for a long, long time and had lots of interesting hobbies before founding "Bike Switzerland" and its affiliated websites. Since then he's been swamped !
John is married, lives in Geneva and Zurich and will be a father any day now.
David the Saint: David Fisch grew up in South and Central America, but finished high school and studied physics
at university
. Dave and his family thought they had found 'home' in Colorado, until they discovered Switzerland 5 years ago. He now claims to be at home here and likes to spend his free time touring the countryside on his "Bike Friday" and cross country skiing in the Jura mountains.
John says: He actually has a halo and could go without a helmet if he wanted, but insists on setting a good example for the others.
Boatie Boy: After graduating from Oxford with a degree in Modern Languages, Jack came to Switzerland to perfect his French/German. However, we also suspect that Zurich was one of the few places he could actually find a job related to rowing. But when he's not at the boathouse, he's on the bike. He's built his own bike from scratch, cycled all over Europe and we've seen him repair a chain with a pinecone.
On our trips, you'll find him waiting patiently for stragglers at the top of the cols with a thick book and a smile. " No worries, mate. Need to catch your breath ? "
John says: I recently learned that Jack sings and plays guitar, and so you can bet he'll be bringing it for next year's campfires.
Dixie: A proud yet progressive southern boy, Chafin Rhyne had been cycling all over the world. He's biked Peru, Vietnam, South Africa, as well as self-contained rides across the U.S.A. Then he came on Bike Switzerland six years ago and has been coming back every year since. He's the only member of our team who lives abroad, but he does have his eye on a little Chalet in the Swiss Jura.
Chafin is an active bicycle advocate in North Carolina where he has run his own shop: Ride-A-Bike for 30 years
John says: Chafin is a legend and inspiration. If he likes something, he opens a shop: bikes, micro-beer, gourmet coffee. On our tours, you'll find him sipping a dark stout late in the evening and then an even darker coffee first thing in the morning.
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The Pro: Michael Sillitch has been a professional tour leader for over 20 years and has numerous professional qualifications from many different countries. He has raced bicycles up to UCSF Category 2 and participated in Olympic Training Center training camps. Michael now enjoys passing on cycling techniques and training principles to curious riders. He is also a meticulous bike mechanic having worked and managed shops in Boulder, CO and Santa Fe, NM. Michael currently lives in Chamonix with his wife and two boys where he works as a mountain guide and ski instructor throughout the year..
John says: They don't make them like this anymore. Michael is a classic old-school guide, but always wearing the latest high-tech kit. |
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He rides: Whatever isn't being rented at the shop.
Favorite Bike Switzerland overnight: Solothurn (Lite Tour)
“Après-bike” drink of choice: Pilsner Urquell
Recommends eating: Raclette |
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He rides: A stable full of bikes: Trek Madone, Specialized Cyclo-cross, Co-motion tandem
Favorite Bike Switzerland overnight: Village of Sax (Challenge Tour)
“Après-bike” drink of choice: Chocolate milk
Recommends eating: The spaghetti carbonara is especially good in Switzerland.
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He rides: A battered Surly Long Haul Trucker.
Favorite Bike Switzerland overnight: Gstaad (Challenge Tour)
“Après-bike” drink of choice: Anything brewed by Belgian Trappist monks.
Recommends eating: Bircher Muesli.
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He rides: A Raleigh International.
Favorite Bike Switzerland overnight: Murten…love BBQ !
“Après-bike” drink of choice: (good) beer.
Recommends eating: Try horse ! |
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He rides: Bike Friday Pocket Rocket
Favorite Bike Switzerland overnight: Fischingen (Lite Tour)
“Après-bike” drink of choice: Guinness draft
Recommends eating: Anything at the hotel in SAX.
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He rides: Trek 5900 and a BMC Team Elite TE 01
Favorite Bike Switzerland overnight: Zofingen.
“Après-bike” drink of choice: Sports recovery drink with 50/50 ratio of protein to carbs
Recommends eating: The barbecue in Zofingen.
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