Group trips are attracting more and more amateurs
Participants meet in front of the head of the race, in Nyon.
FLORIAN CELLA
Sportsmen in jersey and clip shoes meet every Thursday at the Café de Race, in Nyon, for a group outing. Reporting.
On the coffee terrace Head of racing, In Nyon, the cyclists are gradually arriving at the end of Thursday afternoon, like every week, ready to join the famous social rides organized by the boss.
Helmet already on the head, a game proudly sports his TDC jersey, bearing the image of the appointment establishment. Discussions are righteous. Some eat a snack before departure. Their smiles announce the friendly atmosphere of the weekly event.
Participants meet in front of the head of the race, in Nyon.
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Wendy, a 27 -year -old young woman, is one of the athletes present. “I come almost every week from Geneva. I discovered these outings a little by chance two years ago, stopping at the cafe after my bicycle towers with a friend. I sympathized with the boss, Philipp, and since then, I have joined them. The landscapes are magnificent in the region, but it is above all the right atmosphere present that makes this place so special. ”
Wendy comes almost every week to the outings organized per head of the race.
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Wendy praises the organization of these outings, which make them accessible to everyone. “It’s super well supervised, there are three level groups with two experienced captains that lead the outing and secure it. We leave for a two -hour loop and the kilometers vary depending on the group. At the end, everyone stays a moment to eat a burger and have a drink. They are all very nice. “
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“People have a real desire to live the bicycle in a social way,” exclaims Philipp, the head of the race. The organization of this kind of outings is quite recent. “We started five years ago and were almost the only ones in the region. Today, many other groups have emerged and are all successful. They meet a real need, the bicycle has a unifying role between people. ”
The cyclists remain at the café eat a burger after the exit.
Racing head
Each week, between 50 and 60 people gather to participate, free of charge. “There has been a boom over the years, which has probably been accentuated during the COVID. There is a real trend towards the road bike and particularly in a group, for sure. It’s a sport that feels good and people really do something cool. It’s magic. “
“In complete safety”
“Communities like ours allow you to live the bicycle safely, without having learned all the basics of the bicycle, and to venture a little further. People do not necessarily know how to change a tire, how to eat or simply where to go in good conditions. Our expertise accelerates learning, training and reassuring, ”adds the head of the race.
A group of cyclists rolls during an outing.
Racing head
Ces social rides Gather a variety of cyclists of different ages, very good to the most beginner, cantons of Vaud, Geneva and even from neighboring France. The layout is always announced in advance on the Strava application, where cyclists can, without obligation, announce their arrival.
Jordi has been cycling since he was a child.
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Jordi, 27, lives in Bogis-Bossey and participates in the head of the race almost every week for two years. “I started the child’s bike because I was doing triathlon. Today, I practice these sports separately. Group trips are nice, it forces me to stop work at a reasonable hour and to go out. ”
Kévin is captain of group 1.
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Kévin, 36, has been a captain and leads the fastest group every week for three years. “I have been cycling for fifteen years, it makes me happy to participate in these outings and contribute to their progress. It’s always nice. I am often the last to stay to drink beers at the coffee afterwards, it is the “Jeudredi”. We even get outside by employees sometimes, ”he laughs.
Hamad likes the welcome that people gave him during outings.
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Hamad lives at the Arab Emirates and comes to spend his summer vacation in Switzerland for the fourth year in a row. “Join these social rides is a good way to meet people. I have always been very well received. ”
Course amateur
THE social rides are not the only events organized per head of racing which testify to the growing success of cycling among amateurs. For the third year, the Liberté and homeland race was held in July.
“The concept is a bit special,” says Philipp. People have the choice between 200 km or 360 km. Then the participants define their departure time themselves and the goal is to reach the arrival all together at 7 p.m. Saturday evening. ” The journey is done without assistance, with a raclette supplies in the middle of the route.
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“We organize this race almost as an amateur. It’s really an adventure that people want to make. We only made communication on social networks and had 100 registered, double that for the first edition, ”he adds.
Downward sales in stores
If the craze is certain among amateurs, business is not optimal for road bike stores. The manager of New Bike Store in Geneva admits that sales have been declining for a few years. “People prefer to order on the internet because prices are necessarily lower. Merchant sites are shooting the Swiss bicycle market. ”
The observation is the same on the side of Bike Passion, also in Geneva. Téo, an employee, explains that “bike sales are very calm. On the other hand, we have more and more requests for repair at the workshop. ”
Bikeroom is an online bicycle sales platform launched in 2020 and based in Italy, whose business seems to be in full swing. “Our community has 150,000 cycling enthusiasts around the world and we sell thousands of bikes each year in more than 50 countries, Switzerland appearing among our most efficient markets. Our volume continues to grow quickly from year to year. Certified used bikes are a growing segment of our activity. Cyclists appreciate being able to access high -end models, including old bikes World Tourat more affordable prices. “
The TCS also claims that road bike sales on its platform velocorner are increasing. “The trend has been uphill since 2018. About 402,157 bikes have been put online to date. Classic bikes represent around 60% of sales, electric bikes around 40%. The number of troubleshooting interventions has also increased significantly: in 2021, there were 478 repairs for conventional or city bikes, against 912 in 2024. ”
Back to Nyon. At 6 p.m. right, Philipp brings together everyone and attracts the attention of the group. The hubbub of the discussions ceases and all listen carefully to the safety instructions: respecting the road traffic code absolutely, stop at stops and red lights, roll in columns by two, maximum, announce the dangers, in particular.
Then, each chosen with which of the three groups he wishes to roll and joins his captains. The clicking of the shoes, which clip on the pedals, are heard. The cyclists gradually move away, a big smile on his lips.
Philipp recalls the safety instructions before the start of the cyclists.
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The cyclists leave for a turn of about two hours.
FLORIAN CELLA
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