We have created an interview to help you find the sections you are interested in more easily and quickly based on the questions and answers.

First of all, we would like to point out that English is not our mother tongue, in most cases it is the 3rd or even the 4th language we learn. If you find spelling or grammatical mistakes, we would be grateful if you could report them to us. Write us your corrections in the contact form with the following information:
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Thank you very much for your understanding.

Peter Wermelinger
Founder

Peter, how long has Swiss Bike Tours existed?

First of all, hello everyone, Swiss Bike Tours was founded in 2002 with headquarters in Hittnau (Isikon) in the beautiful Zurich Highlands. This was followed 2003, by the official Entry in the commercial register Zürich, Switzerland. Since then, we have been active as a politically neutral, nationally and internationally active bike travel organiser in the mountain biking segment. In other words, our aim is to offer a wide range of courses, from mountain bike riding technique to bike weekends, from bike trips in Switzerland to bike holidays in selected international destinations to a wide audience of sports enthusiasts.

This sounds as if Swiss Bike Tours has grown over the last few years. How many employees do you have in the meantime?

Although we prefer a slow growth, we employ 12 freelancers who mainly work as guides; in addition, we have help in the office and a specialist for air travel. In any case, we are constantly expanding our range. As a result, we are always looking for personalities in all age categories who are not only bikers. Therefore, we are always looking for reinforcement for our team. Before you contact us right now, one of the most important characteristics of a guide is reliability! Assuming you have, please contact us directly. In any case, we are open to a first conversation.

Okay, let's start at the very beginning of any mountain biking career. What do you understand by MTB riding technique courses, and which mountain bike riding technique courses, do you offer? And, are there mountain bike beginner courses?

For example, can everyone ride a bicycle, but can everyone also brake, stop, click and dismount? Anyway, we start with our Basic Driving Technique Course, for beginners. Daily mountain bike riding technique courses for beginners are held on our own practice area in Hittnau. We also offer Intermediate Bike Riding Technique courses. With this mountain bike technique, training it goes already correctly to the preserves so for example we practice the rear wheel shifting. Secondly, we offer 3 and 4 day Single Trail Riding Technique Weekend in Ticino. You will learn everything you need for single trail riding directly on the trails. By the way, if you are serious about investing time in practice, these weekend courses are for you. Furthermore, at both driving technique locations, in the Züri Highlands and in Ticino, we have a technique skills park for our courses.

I have heard that since the beginning, you have offered very popular women's bike riding technique courses and MTB Lady riding technique weekend courses, is that correct.

Since 2004 we have built a name for ourselves with women courses. Our women's riding technique courses “Female Basic`` and “Female Intermediate`` are designed so that you learn to master obstacles with a good technique and without strength. In short, it's always about “know-how``. Accordingly, we have many participants the advanced course offers such as the Ladies Singletrail weekend in Ticino perceive.
If you haven't noticed it yet, I love Ticino, so I organize holidays for women travelling alone in Sessa. That means, in August and September, we offer Ladies MTB holidays. In other words, just right for holidays alone as a woman.
Secondly, we have found an area in Alsace where there are excellent trails in an incredibly beautiful landscape! The Bike Hotel is small but nice and awaits our participants with large, tastefully furnished rooms. Our local guides will show you the most beautiful trails in the Vosges.

As I can see from your answer, Swiss Bike Tours also offers MTB weekends and bike tour weeks in Switzerland. What can you say about the Bike Weekend offer?

Apart from mountain bike tours as week and weekend tours in Switzerland, we also offer tours to nearby Alsace, Italy and Spain. In other words, we offer selected bike delicacies in Switzerland and neighbouring countries. Accordingly, these are unique opportunities for bike short breaks of 2 - 4 days or an entire bike week, which can already be called a mountain bike trip. Besides, you don't have to worry about anything, we'll take care of everything. Simply participate and enjoy! During these mountain bike activity vacations over a weekend or a week, most will forget the stressful life at home.

Can we now go into your mountain bike journeys in the Swiss Alps?

We have the best of the best, an offer that begins in Valais, changes to the Engadine after 3 days and ends with the crowning finale of bike tours in southern Ticino. If you prefer a fixed location, we also have Mountain Bike Tours weeks that take place from a hotel. In short, in Valais and Ticino we bike for a week on the most beautiful trails there are. Finally, weekends are offered in Ticino, Valais and Engadine. Especially the Wallis Bike Weekend is something very special, one reaches heights of over 2600 m. a. s. l. In contrast to this, we have in the Engadine the combination of biking and wellness in a four star hotel. In other words, we consider many mountain bike, holiday destinations in the Alps via the Valais to the Engadine and Ticino.

You have already mentioned several foreign countries; can we go into these MTB trips?

In any case, let us take Alsace with the Vosges as an example. Even more so as our MTB weekends in Alsace are already legendary. After all, our customers can hardly believe that on a 40 km tour you get less than 2 km of tar. For this reason, we found in a small quiet place a wonderful small Bike Hotel, which shines by its personal kind and the wonderful rooms and is directly at the Trails. Due to this quiet location, the hotel is especially popular with our bikers who spend a week on MTB holiday. Accordingly, Alsace is only an example here, and we have found areas in Italy and Spain that offer sensational trails and hotels. By the way, you already knew that you could take your e-bike with you on all these trips.

OK, now this was Europe, what about the rest of the bike world? Do you also offer mountain bike holidays on other continents?

In the meantime, we have specialized in very special bike holidays in distant foreign countries. Accordingly, we have been offering bike tours in Oman since 2004. Another exotic destination is Lesotho, a kingdom in the mountains surrounded by South Africa. In Lesotho many of the trails were created by riders, which we follow. Thus, the expression “Following the Horseman`` can be taken literally. Thirdly, Canada follows - here, too, we have something very special in our programme. We bike from Dawson City via Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk, further north you can ride on a gravel road on this world. As a result, there are only two hotels on this route. That means we will accompany ourselves with motorhomes. According to our principles, it is important to us that our customers really receive an experience of a special kind. In any case, one or the other will be added in the future, let yourself be surprised.

As I've heard from customers, you don't pick up on your bike tours. There's always supposed to be excellent food, right?

In other words, we like to eat well ourselves and pay attention to quality and regional cuisine when selecting hotels and restaurants. If lunch is not included, we will visit good and inexpensive restaurants.

A quick question, what kind of bike do you have on these trips?

As often as possible, I bring my beloved Cross Country Bike from Stevens with me. While the participants come with everything, the market has to offer, Cannondale, Scott, Canyon, Niner and BMC. In contrast, you hardly see Trek and Rocky Mountain bikes.

Do you offer E Bike courses and E MTB weekends?

In any case, we offer E mountain bike riding technique courses. You can take part in all occasions with your E Bike. However, there is a restriction on E Bike travel; airlines do not transport E MTB batteries.

Where are your bike courses held?

Since the beginning our MTB technique courses are held in Isikon (ZH), we have a private area at our disposal. Moreover, our singletrail weekend courses take place in Ticino, more precisely in Malcantone.

My second last question: Do you take part in MTB races?

Yes of course, I was already in South Africa at the Cape Epic, but unfortunately, I was eliminated. I also started in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 at the Lesotho Sky Mountain bike Race. Something new will come, but I don't want to tell you about it yet. Anyway, these are incredible bike experiences.

My last question is a knowledge question, what does vtt mean?

It's simple, it's Velo tout terrain.