# Mountain biking around Zurich



## DaveX (Feb 10, 2004)

Hey all, 
My wife and I will be visiting Zurich, Oberwil-Lieli specifically, from the USA for a few days in August and we're considering trying to to some mountain biking if trails and bike rentals are easily available. I consider both of us XC/All mountain riders so not looking for any intense lift serve downhilling. We will have a car though is most likely won't be much of a bike hauler. Also not looking to drive many hours outside Zurich, maybe 1 to 2 hours max. 

With that said, does anyone have any recommendations on where to ride? Ideally this would be somewhere we could also rent bikes. Would love to get input, thanks!


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## boelkow (Mar 2, 2018)

Hi Dave

I think there are plenty of options for you to consider. First of all, the region of Uetliberg and Albis has some nice trails to offer. This would be great as you could basically start your rides from your doorstep in Oberwil-Lieli. A route I would recommend for example would be this one: Albishorn | singletrailzh. A map source I would suggest you have a look into is: https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/mountainbiking-in-switzerland.html. I use it often to plan my rides in advance. For further inspiration, these websites present some nice routes around Zürich, that would be fairly easy to access from where you'll be staying: https://www.outdooractive.com/de/mtb-touren/zuerich/mtb-touren-in-zuerich/1467873/ and singletrailzh | Die schÃ¶nsten Singletrail-Mountainbike-Touren der Region ZÃ¼rich..

As for bike rental, your best bet would be to rent in Zürich. There are plenty of shops that rent MTBs of all sorts. Unfortunately I don't have experience with any of them, so I can't give you recommendations.

If you are willing to travel a little further, there are plenty more options to choose from. Zürcher Oberland, Innerschweiz and Toggenburg are regions, that are within an hours drive from Zurich and that have quite a lot to offer.

I hope I was able to help you out a little. Don't hesitate to ask if more questions arise, I'll try to answer them as best as I can


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## DaveX (Feb 10, 2004)

Thanks you so much! This is massively helpful and gives me a great starting point for my research. I was also informed by wife this morning that my in-laws who we are traveling with may want to visit Zermatt. So lots to look at now.


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## boelkow (Mar 2, 2018)

Glad I could be of help. Zermatt is a major tourist hotspot in the Swiss Alps, so you should have no trouble renting a bike there. And of Course there's plenty of awesome rides available around Zermatt as well. For further information I'll link the mtb section of Zermatt's tourism website: https://www.zermatt.ch/en/bike


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

Bumping this, as I do love Zermatt! 

When we go there, we almost always go to Vieux-Valais da Nico for dinner. I think they open at 4:00, always ask us if we have reservations, we always say no and they always give us a table anyway. After a few visits we realized they have a small bar, so that's where we go to sit. I think it has 5 or 6 seats. The food.....well, the tomato sauce starts the day as fresh tomatoes, that's for sure!

The trails are probably best ridden as downhills, if you are looking to ride single track. Rent when you get there. (I think we rented at Slalom Sport).

boelkow, if you have info as to guides, costs for them and appropriateness of tips, I'd like to hear.


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## DaveX (Feb 10, 2004)

Bumping this again. Looks like we've settled on riding at Hoch-Ybrig. We're very excited but need to figure out rental bikes and I'm not having much luck finding a place to rent from. The language barrier in doing Google searches is not helping! Anyone know of a place to do rent bikes around Hoch-Ybrig?


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## romulin (Apr 23, 2017)

In Zürich you could rent here.
https://www.bikehub.ch/

Odoslané z M1 pomocou Tapatalku


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## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

DaveX said:


> Hey all,
> My wife and I will be visiting Zurich, Oberwil-Lieli specifically, from the USA for a few days in August and we're considering trying to to some mountain biking if trails and bike rentals are easily available. I consider both of us XC/All mountain riders so not looking for any intense lift serve downhilling. We will have a car though is most likely won't be much of a bike hauler. Also not looking to drive many hours outside Zurich, maybe 1 to 2 hours max.
> 
> With that said, does anyone have any recommendations on where to ride? Ideally this would be somewhere we could also rent bikes. Would love to get input, thanks!


Interestingly enough, when you wrote this, I was living not too far away... as it happens, I actually live in Oberwil-Lieli now. I come from Kansas City where we had more than 100 miles of wonderful XC singletrack when I left in 2005. Sadly, I've never found anything more than a 100-200 meter long piece of reasonable singletrack since moving to Switzerland. I was also an IMBA trail designer/builder/trainer.... so, my version of what's sustainable trail can be quite different than the AM/Enduro/DH crowd.

If you want to ride gravel, there are thousands of miles/kilometers of gravel roads and paths but as I said, not much in the way of XC riding.... at least that I've ever found and I've asked about anywhere I could.

Hopefully, you had a great trip way back when.


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## celswick (Mar 5, 2020)

I just came upon this thread. Just today I learned we are going to Switzerland in May. 

I know there are lots of great things to see and do there, but I know I’d like to spend at least one day mountain biking there. I’d need a rental, of course. 

I’m going to look at the links provided above (I know this is an older thread) and take it from there. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## romulin (Apr 23, 2017)

celswick said:


> I just came upon this thread. Just today I learned we are going to Switzerland in May.
> 
> I know there are lots of great things to see and do there, but I know I’d like to spend at least one day mountain biking there. I’d need a rental, of course.
> 
> ...


Where are you heading? 

Odoslané z M1 pomocou Tapatalku


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## celswick (Mar 5, 2020)

romulin said:


> Where are you heading?
> 
> Odoslané z M1 pomocou Tapatalku


We will be staying in Pfaffikon SZ. We'll have a rental car, but not sure if I can haul a bike in/on it. A bike rental at/near the trails would be ideal. I've also read that many trails are closed until June because of snow. We will be there May 8-18.


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## romulin (Apr 23, 2017)

I'm not local there but I've been test riding a bike just nearby there, 2 weeks ago. A little wet at times but by the time you're there, it will be good. It's hills there, not alps.









Odoslané z M1 pomocou Tapatalku


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## jk (May 29, 2004)

1 Speed said:


> Interestingly enough, when you wrote this, I was living not too far away... as it happens, I actually live in Oberwil-Lieli now. I come from Kansas City where we had more than 100 miles of wonderful XC singletrack when I left in 2005. Sadly, I've never found anything more than a 100-200 meter long piece of reasonable singletrack since moving to Switzerland. I was also an IMBA trail designer/builder/trainer.... so, my version of what's sustainable trail can be quite different than the AM/Enduro/DH crowd.
> 
> If you want to ride gravel, there are thousands of miles/kilometers of gravel roads and paths but as I said, not much in the way of XC riding.... at least that I've ever found and I've asked about anywhere I could.
> 
> Hopefully, you had a great trip way back when.





1 Speed said:


> Interestingly enough, when you wrote this, I was living not too far away... as it happens, I actually live in Oberwil-Lieli now. I come from Kansas City where we had more than 100 miles of wonderful XC singletrack when I left in 2005. Sadly, I've never found anything more than a 100-200 meter long piece of reasonable singletrack since moving to Switzerland. I was also an IMBA trail designer/builder/trainer.... so, my version of what's sustainable trail can be quite different than the AM/Enduro/DH crowd.
> 
> If you want to ride gravel, there are thousands of miles/kilometers of gravel roads and paths but as I said, not much in the way of XC riding.... at least that I've ever found and I've asked about anywhere I could.
> 
> Hopefully, you had a great trip way back when.


yup completely agree! I’m from Vermont but have been living in CH since 2011 and the lack of single track is depressing. Europe in general just doesn’t have any clue - seems like either they couldn’t be bothered to put in any work or they just have no idea.


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## smartyiak (Apr 29, 2009)

Since you mentioned Zermatt, if you're good traveling a little...don't sleep on Grindelwald! 

Grindelwald is your gateway to discovering the trails that sit beneath the Eiger

Top 20 Most Beautiful MTB Trails around Grindelwald | Komoot

I did not use these guys, but just throwin it out there:
BikeBox Grindelwald | dein Bikeshop für Bike-Miete in Grindelwald


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