RoadLake
Lake Zurich Loop
The classic: quiet lanes along the Zurichsee through Zollikon, Küsnacht, Rüschlikon, Thalwil and Horgen, with a lake-view coffee stop. Available as a shorter loop or the full lap around the lake for a bigger day.
Zurich · Switzerland · Road & Gravel
Private Road & Gravel Cycling Guide in Zurich, Switzerland
In Zurich for a few days? Get an early ride in before the family wakes up, or take a longer day out with friends — road or gravel, with someone who actually lives and rides here. Not a GPX file downloaded the night before.
Why ride with a local
Guided road & gravel rides local riders would actually choose
Zurich has excellent riding within a short pedal of the city — if you know where to point the bike. Whether it's an early loop before the family's day starts, or a longer ride out with friends, a guide makes the most of the time you've got.
The alternative: a GPX file, alone
You could load a route onto your bike computer and ride it solo. No connection, no coffee-stop recommendations, no local insight if the road's closed or the weather turns.
Routes built around what you want
Tell me what you're after — climbs, gravel, coffee stops, distance — and I'll come up with route suggestions to match, not a fixed itinerary.
Roads locals actually ride
The quiet lakeside lanes, the right side of the Albis, the gravel cut-throughs — skip the routes every rental-bike tourist takes.
Early rides, family-friendly timing
Out the door early and back before the day starts, so the ride doesn't cost time with the people you're travelling with.
Safety on Swiss roads
Local traffic patterns, road etiquette, and the safest way through town and back out again.
Small group, real attention
Max 3 riders per guide. Not a tour bus — a ride built around you and whoever you're travelling with.
Sample routes
Ride as a local: Quiet road - and epic gravel rides around Zurich
RoadClimb
Üetliberg & Albis Pass
Zurich's home climb straight from the city, with the option to extend over the Albis toward the Zugersee for a bigger day.
Road/GravelViews
Pfannenstiel & Forch Ridge
The ridge above the lake with the best panorama of Zurich and the Alps on a clear day — paved climb, gravel descent options.
Gravel
Greifensee & Sihltal Gravel
Gravel paths around the Greifensee and forest tracks through the Sihltal — terrain most visiting riders never find on their own.
Gravel/RoadEasy
Pfäffikersee Loop
A flatter lake loop east of Zurich, good for an easier day, a rest day between climbs, or riders getting over jet lag.
Custom
Multi-day & further afield
For 10+ hour bookings: bigger loops into the Alps foothills, or point-to-point routes with logistics handled — ask what's possible.
About your guide
Your cycling guide for rides around Zurich — and further afield in Switzerland
Born in Amsterdam, I've been riding pretty much my whole life — and wherever I travel, the bike (or two) comes with me. I ride three times a week, staying fit while discovering new places. Some of the most memorable: the western fjords of Iceland, the Klausenpass loop, the classic passes of the Berner Oberland, the Dolomites including the Stelvio, and the coastal roads around Cape Town — among plenty of others I've lost count of.
I live in the old town of Zurich and ride these roads and trails year-round, on both road and gravel. Before guiding here, I led groups for Rapha and a small cycling tour operator — so this isn't my first season showing people around on two wheels.
Off the bike, I work as a strategy consultant supporting start-ups and growth-phase companies. I also have a weakness for great coffee and early mornings — which, conveniently, is usually when the best riding happens anyway.
Conditions
How it works
- Minimum booking
- 3 hours
- Group size
- Up to 3 riders per guide (larger groups on request)
- Start location
- Zurich by default; rides starting elsewhere available on request
- Bike
- Bring your own or rent locally — see rental section below
- Fitness
- The rides are sporty and the climbs can be tough — to enjoy it, a good fitness level is a must
- Your gear
- Helmet (mandatory); a bike computer, 2 drinking bottles and a repair kit are recommended
Pricing
Simple hourly rates
CHF 79/hour
First 10 hours — 3-hour minimum, up to 3 riders.
CHF 59/hour
Each additional hour beyond 10 — applies only to hours after the first 10, not the whole booking.
A 12-hour multi-day booking is 10 hours at CHF 79 plus 2 hours at CHF 59 — CHF 908 total.
Additional services on request: bike transport, groups of 3+, rides not starting in Zurich, and airport transfer (ZRH). Get in touch with what you have in mind and I'll quote it.
Payment: once we've agreed the ride terms, a 10% deposit confirms the booking (refundable up to 30 days before your first ride). The remaining 90% is due one week before your first ride. PayPal or bank transfer preferred.
Bike rental
Sorted before we meet
I don't rent bikes directly, but I can point you to a good local road or gravel rental so your bike is sorted before I meet you — for example ListNRide Zurich for a wide range of road and gravel bikes, or Cycle Store Zurich for premium road rentals. Let me know your height and the type of riding you want and I'll help you pick the right size and partner.
FAQ
Common questions
No. Most guests rent a road or gravel bike locally in Zurich and I'll help you sort the right rental before you arrive.
The rides are sporty and the climbs can be tough — to enjoy it, a good fitness level is a must. Within that, routes are built around your fitness and goals, from lakeside rides to full climbs like the Albis or Forch.
A helmet is mandatory. A bike computer, 2 drinking bottles and a repair kit are recommended. If you're renting a bike locally, ask about adding these.
CHF 79 per hour, 3-hour minimum, for up to 3 riders. For bookings over 10 hours, each additional hour beyond the first 10 is CHF 59 — not the whole booking.
Yes, larger groups can be arranged on request, typically with an additional guide.
Rides go ahead in most Swiss weather — the route is adjusted on the day based on conditions, swapping exposed climbs for sheltered lakeside lanes or forest gravel. That's part of what a local guide is for. If conditions are genuinely unsafe, we reschedule.
Once we've agreed the ride terms, a 10% deposit confirms the booking (refundable up to 30 days before your first ride). The remaining 90% is due one week before your first ride. PayPal or bank transfer preferred.
Rider reviews
What past riders say
“GJ planned a route that was exactly the right mix of hard and beautiful — and I was back before the family woke up.”
“The gravel cut-throughs around the Greifensee were great, and the local coffee stop was exactly what we needed.”
“Best morning I had in Zurich. Quiet roads, a tough climb, and zero route-finding stress.”
How booking works
Three steps, then we ride
01
Tell me what you're after
Send dates, group size, road or gravel preference, and any must-see spots or goals. I'll come back with questions and one or two route ideas.
02
Get a plan and quote
I'll suggest a route and meeting point, confirm the timing, and quote the hours at CHF 79/hour (or CHF 59/hour for anything over 10 hours).
03
Confirm with a small deposit
A 10% deposit holds the date. The remaining 90% is due one week before we ride. Then we just show up and ride.
Get in touch
Plan your days in Zurich
Planning a trip to Zurich and want a road or gravel day (or a few) built around your dates? Send the details — dates, group size, road or gravel — and I'll get back to you with a plan and a quote.