We will in Switzerland for a month this September and I am looking for, without much success, information on mountain bike rentals in Switzerland. I know the rent regular bikes at many train stations but I want to do some single track on a real full suspension mountain bike.

I could alway wait until we get there but want to know how much of my gear I need to haul along and how much I can get there, like, for instance, a helmet.

Any ideas for getting info?

Thanks in advance, David

Hi David,

We had fantastic mountain biking in Champery (SW corner of Switzerland) in September. It's called VTT (velo tout terrain) in that neck of the woods and it's quite popular. It started with people taking their bikes uphill on the lifts and careening down the ski slopes, but has grown and now includes some excellent single track trails.
We rented the whole kit from a sports shop in town, sorry I don't recall the name. But you will find whatever you need.
Perhaps the best way to get info would be to shoot off an E-mail to the tourist board of whatever town you're planning to visit; they are usually quite forthcoming with information.
Champery, by the way, is one of the jumping on/off points for one of my favorite hikes in the world: The Tour des Dents du Midi.

Hi David,
You should not have any troubles renting quality equipment from a local sport shop anywhere in Switzerland, particularly in the towns near the trails. I guess it depends on your budget somewhat.

I agree with Kendal, that if you contact the local tourist board for the region you're interested in and specifically tell them what you're looking for, they will guide you in the right direction. English should not be a problem either.

There are also hostel/hotels in the mountains that will rent decent mountain bikes and have repair equipment on hand, depending on where you're going, but if you want truly high-end, you're probably better off at a sport shop.

Personally, I would recommend bringing a helmet that you're happy with, as it should travel reasonably conveniently.

If you already have a specific region in mind, maybe post to let us know and we can give less general advice.

You'll have a great time, I'm jealous!
Naomi

Just as an example, if you're in the lower Engadine region, Engadin Adventure shop in Scuol claims to have everything from pads to helmets etc. Their rental rates and basic bike specs are here: http://www.engadin-adventure.ch/bikemiete.html.

Two years ago we stayed up at an amazing (but very isolated!) inn called the Crusch Alba, in the mountains above Scuol. They provide guests with mountain bikes as part of the package, and offer levels of accommodation from hostel to deluxe. Their food is amazing and they'll pack a great lunch for a little extra, even offering special "energy drinks" to cyclists. They have a locked bike garage, repair and bike wash centre (with spare parts) as well, though I can't remember what extra gear they have on hand in terms of padding and helmets etc. The only thing is that their English is pretty limited.

We will be spending two weeks in the Oberland at an Untours apartment in Gunten, across the lake from Spiez. The next two weeks will be in the Heartland at an apartment in Sachseln. I am confident that between the good info I have received here and the Untours contacts, I have nothing to worry about.

I will, as suggested, take my helmet as well as my shorts, jersey, etc. I currently ride a new Cannondale Rush 1000 and it is a great cross country bike. The area I ride most has trails starting around 6,500 feet and go up from there so I don't expect to have any problem in the Swiss mountains.

Thank you Naomi and Kendal.

David

Oh, you'll love Gunten! Absolutely fabulous location. A great spot on Lake Thun (one of my favourite Swiss lakes), and far enough from the Interlaken hordes, hopefully. In September you could probably do some windsurfing too!

(Not that your home territory is anything to sniff about--you guys really have the best of all worlds ).

Namoi,

Just curious - did you read our public profie?

We really want to get to Quebec one of these days soon. What do you consider the best time of year for a visit?

Best, Davi

I did indeed read your profile after you mentioned your local trails.

I'd love to give you a simple, straightforward answer to your Quebec question, *however* I have to say that it really depends on what you had in mind to do.

My grandmother (98--she lives in Zurich) complains about the fact that I discuss the weather so often. The reason for this is that, here in Quebec, weather is everything. We have quite a harsh winter, though still beautiful in many ways, and tend to have a period of really unbearable hot, humid weather in the summer, rife with blackflies and mosquitoes. The transitional periods between summer and winter are pretty short compared to many places.

When to come would depend on what cultural interests you may have as well as what you might be interested to see in the great outdoors. Each season has its natural wonders and cultural highlights.

To make a long story short, if you can tell me what interests you about Quebec, I might be able to be more helpful!

cheers,
Naomi

Naomi,

My wife and I will have to talk a bit before I can give you a cosidered answer. Thanks for the offer. We have guest arriving today for several days so it will be a while before we get to a response.

The only downside to living where we do is everyone wants to visit.

As an experiment, and just for fun, I attached a picture of Susan in our backyard.

Best, David

Hey, that looks a lot like where I live .

Feel free to pick my brain anytime. I will edit my profile a bit so that you can find a way to get in touch with my privately if you so choose.

Enjoy your hosting duties.

if you like biking a marvelous spot is Verbier:
www.verbier.ch
you can find all info on the website
otherwise the various "office du tourisme" will tell you all you need to know

Thanks. I think I will use the tourism office since the web site is not in Enlish.

Besides a helmet and shorts I am taking a new pair of hiking boots I purchased at REI. The most comfortable I have ever worn in my life. Since I don't expect to use the clipless pedals in Switzerland the boots will do double duty. I want to try a bit of hiking between lodges as well as biking.

My wife announced we have 9 weeks and 5 days before departure. This e-ticket business makes me uncomfortable but we are going to have to deal with it. We are flying Swissair out of LAX so we will see. The TSA stories I have read and heard make me think this is going to be a real leaning experience.

Don't worry about e-tickets - I have used them for the last several years of trips to Europe and all has gone well.

We are in Leysin in the Vaud canton now, north of Lake Geneva. Lots of mountain biking here and a I saw a shop that rents them.

The tourist office in every town in Switzerland has good maps showing walking trails (and level of difficulty) and biking trails. The biking trails are also clearly signed. Our hike today was partly on a biking trail and there were many bikers out even though it was pouring rain for much of the day.

In general, the German part of Switzerland (where you are going) has better trails, more of them, better signs and better information from the tourist office. This has been our experience over many trips to Switzerland. We are in the French region now and the hiking is good, but not as good or as well signed as in the German regions. It just seems like the German Swiss are more serious about hiking/walking.

Anyway, have an excellent trip - we love Switzerland - and September is a very good time of year to be there. And when you get back, tell us all about it (and about your Untours vacation rental).

Pauline, thanks so much for the encouraging words. We will keep a diary and take lots of pictures.

David