Switzerland: suggestions for serious road biking husband
 

We are going to be taking our first trip to Switzerland this August. My husband loves road biking. For example, those who are familiar with the Hana Highway in Maui - he biked 40 miles of it one morning on our last vacation there. I am trying to surprise him by finding a place where he could rent a bike (he will bring his own gear - helmet, shoes,etc.) so that he could take a long scenic ride. Our current itinerary includes staying in Montreux, and Wengen with a flight out from Zurich - we could make changes to our itinerary if needed, to be closer to a place where he could rent a good bike.

Any advice and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Tara

There should be bikes for rent in many towns in Switzerland. I know I have seen bike rentals in Lauterbrunnen, which is very close to Wengen.
Martha

Hi TaraT,

You can rent bikes at many train stations in Switzerland, though those bikes probably won't be up to your husband's standard. Most sports shops that sell bikes will also rent them, and those might be better quality. I know there's a shop in Villeneuve (not far from Montreux) that rents bikes -- if you want info, I could try to find it.

I don't know much about biking around the Berner Oberland, but I have done a little biking around Montreux. There is a 32-km hiking trail through the vineyards of the Lavaux that's really nice (I've done a small part of that). Or -- another nice ride would be from Montreux to Aigle and onward to Martigny.

Anyway, you can find more information at these sites:

www.rent-a-bike.ch
for rental information, only in German, French, & Italian

www.veloland.ch
information on lots of routes, in English

Have fun!

s

Thank you for your information. As far as bikes go, my husband does have rather high standards so renting from a sports shop is a great idea. Swandav2000, it would be wonderful if you could find more info on the bike shop in Villeneuve.

Sincerely,
Tara

Hi Tara,

My husband is a serious mountain biker here in Switzerland. You'll see a lot of mountain bikers and road bikers.

The problem with the roads here is that many roads are quite narrow and it can be a little hazardous and frustrating for drivers and riders. There are a few rowdy car drivers that have made it a sport to tease bike riders on the road.

If you're husband would like a change of pace, he should switch to mountain biking where he'll be going on trails and away from traffic. There are many trails in Switzerland and offer fantastic scenic views.

Very good bikes can be rented here and tourist office now offer more and more info on mountain biking. I swear, half of the men here no longer do hiking...it's all biking nowadays.

Tell your husband that bikers say "hello" to each other as they pass by and hikers should be appropriately warned before pedalling past them.

Hi TaraT,

Here's the website for the bike shop in Villeneuve:

http://www.veloloc.ch/

Note, though, that it's only in French. I'm sure they speak English, so you should go ahead and e-mail them and ask about the bikes they have for rent.

One thing about "road" cycling -- there are designated trails throughout Switzerland, with most of the route on that separate trail that is next to the road. If you look at that veloland site I posted above, you'll see that there are nine national routes, each of which crosses the whole country. And much of the route is separate from the road that the cars are on. I've ridden in the Engadin and in the Saanenland and very rarely had to share the road with cars. So, hopefully, you can avoid the parts of the route that go on the roads, and avoid especially the narrow roads that schuler writes about!

Good luck!

s

Hi again,

Here's another shop, this one in Vevey:

Altman Sports, Vevey
+41 (0) 21 921 96 77

No website that I can find though.

Good luck!

s

Here's a very good bike shop in Switzerland.

http://www.radsport-gerber.ch/

I'm not sure if they rent bikes but their quality is perfect. This shop builds bikes, so your husband might bring a new velo home with him.

Gerber used to have a good catalog too but this site must show must of the products. Oftringen is near Bearn. It can be accessed from Zurich (1/2 hrs) or Lucern (1/2 hrs).

Good riding!

Blackduff

ttt