Our Philosophy

A successful bike vacations is a vacation without injuries.

To avoid accidents please aware:

• 95% of all (not only mountain biking) sport accidents  happen due to overestimation of your own capabilities.
  
• No peer pressure: if e.g. someone dismounts from the bike and walks a few meters, this is mostly respected and a decision not disputed. It takes often more courage to say no.
  
• Always allow reason to prevail. Riding a bike does not mean switching off brain. 

If you are new to mountain biking, please aware: You must not be frightened of single tracks. In average, most tracks are about 90% easy to ride (S0 to S1), 9 % medium (S2) and 1% difficult (S3). So, there is also for beginners no need to drive down on boring tarred streets.

Confucius was a wise man: You are on vacation at not at a competition. Fun, pleasure, scenic attractions, recovery and fitness are your priority. And of course on the one or other trail an adrenaline kick. There is no need to win the "Giro d'Italia" during your vacation. All of our trips are planned with plenty of spare time to be safely back to the hotel during daylight.

We have the experience, that a biker group should not exceed the amount of 8 people (including the guide 9). Perfect is a group of 6 bikers (including guide 7). This group size does also not exceed number of free seats in restaurants, if we make a break for a cappuccino and a gelato.

I could accidentally film this group of bikers, when we have been mounting our knee, shin etc. guards. The first 15 bikers are not on film, because it took a few seconds until the cam was ready to take the footage.

This riders have been driven up by two shuttles. The all look like pro downhillers, but believe me, most of them are normally not.

For large groups like this, it takes on a trail like this specific one - having about 900 height meters downhill - may be 20 minutes for the fastest riders and 50 to 60 minutes for the slowest ones.

Assume the fastest riders with the best style have the least amount of damages like flat tires due to best and smoothest riding style. With a group of 30 bikers you may also assume that there will occur at least 3 flats during downhill - of course not all at the same time. Fixing a flat takes about 7 to 10 minutes if you are quick. Add 30 minutes to the 60 for the slowest drivers time and you get 90 minutes. Ergo: the fastest ones will wait more 60 minutes for the next uphill.

Not so with the Pipobike smaller groups. ;-)

The slogan is speaking for itself. Pipobike guides you to the best places and single tracks pedaling uphill yourself. We cruise uphill and we never do racing. Our goal is to support your fitness and recovering from your hard work during your Vacation. Depending on your skills, we flow down or hammer down.

• Shuttle Week on Lake Garda: On Lake Garda, the shuttle services provide only transport but no guides. So, for a shuttle week at Lake Garda Pipobike is also you perfect partner.
• Shuttle Week in Finale Ligure: The shuttle services in Finale Ligure always provide at least one guide. So for pure shuttle weeks in Finale, you do not need the support of Pipobike.

If a shuttle day is planned, wished or makes sense, Pipobike is best networked to the local shuttle services. To avoid riding with large groups like shown in the video above, we will organize a shuttle for our own.

For your convenience: You may not take a shuttle day as recovering or regeneration day. You better do the opposite. ;-)