Must I reserve ? How do I reserve ?

Yes, you must reserve. Our bikes are kept in a nearby storage facility and we don’t always have what you need in the shop. So, we probably cannot help you if you simply walk in wanting a bike on the same day.

Also, because each bike gets a full service before we leaving, we require a minimum two day rental.

In order to reserve, you must go to our our "Reserve" page and choose the number of bikes you will be needing. You will then need to fill out information concerning each bike: name of rider, bike size, etc.. The website will then show you the total price of the rental based on this information. You'll then need to pay a 100 chf deposit for each bicycle reserved.

Your reservation cannot be confirmed until we check your request with our inventory, so you will need to wait 24-72 hours in order for your reservation to be confirmed. You'll then receive an invoice and be required to pay the balance when you pick up the bike. You can pay with US dollars, Euros or Swiss francs in person. If you'd like to pay by credit card, you'll need to pay your invoice on-line before you pick up the bikes.

What are your hours ?

 You will need to pick up/ drop off your bicycle during our hours: 8 am to 6pm during the week, or until noon on Saturday. We are closed on Sunday. We can, however, arrange for a drop off and pick up in the center of Geneva (at your hotel or place of residence) for 30 Chf per bicycle.

What comes with the bicycle rental ?

You'll get a clean, polished and serviced bicycle with a helmet, rear seat post bag, handlebar bag, map holder, a set of bike wrenches, a tube and a pump and a cable lock.

We can also put on a computer or GPS unit (extra charge). You'll be fitted with your bicycle and a mechanic will make adjustments as necessary before you leave. We ' ll fit your bike with your choice of pedals and seat at no extra charge. The bicycle also comes with obligatory accident insurance to cover any damage that a rider could cause to a third person and their property. Insurance for theft/damage of bicycle is extra and costs 3 Chf per day.

What doesn't come with the bicycle rental ?

The following options incur extra charges:
GPS, telephone, computer, panniers, pick up or drop off outside Geneva. (But all are possible at an extra charge).

How long is a week ?

You can pick up your bicycle at our Geneva location anytime after 8am. If you're renting a bicycle for one week beginning July 1 st , you could pick it up at anytime on July 1 st and would need to return it before 6pm on July 7 th . If you're unable to turn your bike in on time, you'll need to give us a call on the cellphone that you're issued and you'll be charged for an extra day.

Can the bicycle be delivered ?

Yes. We can send the bicycle ahead to any train station in Switzerland for 60 Chf. However, you'll need to give us at least 72 hours notice and you'll also need to pay all of the rental fees beforehand. We can also deliver in nearby France, but charges may be higher based on the number of bikes.

Do we have to pick up the bikes in Geneva?

No. We can ship the bikes anywhere in Switzerland for 60 Chf per bike. However, this requires that you pay your entire balance up front.

Can we put the bikes on the train ?

Yes, almost all trains in Switzerland have places for bikes. The price of a "Day Card" for your bicycle is 15 Francs (10 francs if you have a "half-fare card").

Is my deposit refundable if I cancel ?

We are able to refund ½ of your 100 Chf per bicycle deposit if you cancel 10 days ahead. Shipping bikes to or from Geneva requires us to plan a month ahead. So, any charges related to shipping a bicycle will not be refunded if a cancellation is made.

What is insurance ? Is it obligatory ?

Your bicycle comes with obligatory 3rd party insurance, (to protect you from legal issues in case of an accident).

We also offer damage/theft insurance. This insurance covers the bicycle if it is stolen or damaged. Insurance costs 3 Chf per day, and is not obligatory. However, if you don't purchase insurance, you will need to make a credit card reservation of 1,000 chf for each bicycle rented.

Your card is not charged. We simply keep the reservation on file until after your rental in the unlikely event of a problem. You will be asked to make this reservation on-line after your booking if you haven't purchased insurance.

What if the bike is stolen ?

This is highly unlikely. In the six years that we have been running tours, we have never had a bicycle stolen. If you keep your bicycle locked when travelling and stored inside the hotels in the evening, then you'll never have to worry.

We have two different lock systems. A heavy bar lock if you plan to be spending a lot of time walking around in larger cities with your bicycle, and a much lighter cable lock. Most riders will only need the light cable lock. If, however, you were to leave your bicycle unattended to visit museums in a larger city, you would want the bar lock.

In the unlikely event that your bicycle is stolen and you have purchased theft insurance with us, then there is no problem. You'll simply have to declare the theft to the local police and we'll do our best to get another bicycle to you at no charge. This insurance also covers all accessories that we lend you. 

If you have not purchased theft insurance, then we will charge your credit card 1,000 Chf and you'll also need to file a police report with local authorities and present us with the report. We will then try to get you another bicycle asap.

What if the bike is damaged ?

We understand that our bicycles and equipment will go through a lot. We're not worried about normal wear and tear and cosmetic damages. However, if a cyclist does significant damage to a bicycle during the ride (bent derailleur, broken wheel, etc), we will direct the cyclist to the nearest bike shop en route and the cyclist will be expected to pay for those repairs.  If serious damage is seen upon the bicycles arrival, then we will charge for whatever repairs are needed. If the rider has purchased our insurance, no charges are incurred.

What about your telephone rentals ?

This is a good and affordable idea if you are travelling in Switzerland with a need the telephone to communicate with other people in your group. In this case, it’s best to rent two telephones. Telephones come with 20 Chf of talk time and cost 5 Chf per day. If you use the telephone to communicate with your group in Switzerland, then this 20 Chf will last hours.

Telephones can be used to call and receive calls outside of Switzerland, but the high fees make it rather impractical.

How does the GPS work ?

We'll mount a GPS on your handlebars and put a series of rides on it. You can choose which rides you would like us to put on your GPS on the "Our Rides" page of the website. We use the Garmin Etrex Legend HCX series with color topographic road and hiking maps.

The GPS does not talk to you. It's not like in your car. You'll see yourself and the route on the screen, and you will have to pay attention so as to not miss your turns. For a better understanding of how our GPS functions, see the PDF link here.

Can you recommend some itineraries and hotels ?

We recommend that you go to www.veloland.ch to take a closer look at the possibilities.
Once you decide on a route, we can program it on your gps. Or, we can plan your whole tour with hotels and luggage transfers. Please look at our other website: www.bikeswitzerland.com
for more information about "independent tours".

What if I get a flat ?

You'll have all the necessary equipment you need to change a flat: spare tube, tire irons and pump (or C02 cartridge if you’re riding a racing bike). Of course, anytime that you go out riding alone, you should be prepared for a flat and know how to change one. Although you can always rely on the spontaneous generosity and know-how of the locals, it helps to be young, attractive and outgoing. That said, we use good tires, and although not 100% puncture proof, we only get a couple flats a year on our guided tours.

Are your bags waterproof ?

Yes, all the bags come with an interior rain-fly. You'll need to take out this rain-fly and put it over the bag if it begins raining.

Can we raise the handebars ?

Some of the bikes have adjustable stems, but most do not. However, we have a large assortment of stems and we can swap them when we fit you for your bicycle. This is only possible for the Alpen Challenge 02.

Do you sell any map books ?

Yes, Switzerland has 9 national biking routes and each route has been issued a map book. We have these for sale for 26 Swiss francs. Just let us know which ones you need and we'll add them to your invoice. The books are available in German and French. Routes 8 and 9 are available in English. You can also buy them directly from us at www.bikeshopswitzerland.com

Do you have any bikes for sale ?

Yes, normally after each season we sell part of our fleet. If we do have bikes for sale, we list them on www.bikeshopswitzerland.com

Tell me more about your electric bikes ?

We take our standard BMC Alpen Challenge bicycle, add a rear rack, change out the back wheel, and install the Bionx system on the bike. This process takes just fifteen minutes. The price is 25 Chf extra per day for this system.

We don’t want to “oversell” this option, but it does improve the performance of riders. (Of course, riders always need to have good bicycle skills…the bike improves performance, but not handling !) We recommend it, for example, to couples who are at different levels, but want to ride together.

The Bionx “assist” will give you more torque (good for climbing), faster acceleration (better to keep up), and will keep going for up to 90 km depending on your level of assist. When you feel the need to get assistance, you can simply activate the controller. The system will then boost your thrusting power from 25% up to 300% of your effort.

Since the BionX system is equipped with a battery charge indicator, you can manage the energy required to travel the desired distance without worrying about running out of before you reach your destination.

You can also partially recharge the battery when riding and improve your range by using the regenerative mode or the right hand brake equipped with a sensor switching the motor into generative mode. So, when you’re not using energy, you’re giving it back.

Once at your destination, it’s easy to remove the battery and then plug it into any poweroutlet. If you’re taking it outside Switzerland, you’ll need a plug adapter. The recharge is complete in 5 to 6 hours.

Bionx is a Canadian company that has had great success here in Switzerland. This is not a gimmick or toy…electric bikes are here for good and we believe in Bionx since it a simple, elegant and very effective way of turning a standard bicycle into an electric bicycle.

Can you put our bikes together ? Repair our bikes ?

Yes, we share our premises with Roger, our bicycle mechanic. He's always available for repairs or for boxing a bike.

Can you store our luggage ?

So long as you're in possession of your bikes, we can store your luggage at no charge.