In recent years, many cyclists who like to travel have discovered the advantage of having their own cycling guide to show them the way. The guide also takes you to sights and donut places that you might have otherwise missed and which enhance the experience even further. The prices are relatively affordable and an experienced cycling guide can lead a group where cycling skills vary in a good way. We asked CEO Katarina Bergstrand to tell us more about Sweden by Bike's guide pool.
Photo: Abloc AB
What do you see as the big advantage of hiring a bike guide?
Hiring a bike guide can really enhance the experience. You are right at home in an area where you have never been before and find out a lot of exciting things along the way. The guide can also help you develop technique and skills so that you become a better cyclist. This means that you get even more out of the bike ride.
Why has Sweden by Bike developed a pool of cycling guides?
We discovered for ourselves that it was difficult to find experienced cycling guides when we received requests from foreign groups and companies that wanted to offer the employees a cycling experience. Here, there was simply a need to produce aggregated information in order to pass on contacts. That way, an interested person can find a cycling guide in the right area. Furthermore, hotels and hostels can strengthen their offer by collaborating with a skilled guide. They get a new product in their portfolio. We have seen several examples of this.
How do you know that your guides are good?
Since there is no national training for bike guides, we developed our own digital training in collaboration with Katarina Rönnbacka Nybäck. We don't teach anyone to ride a bike, the course participants already know that, but they get basic training in what it means to handle an individual or a group as a bike guide. The most important thing is to prevent accidents through good preparation, and if the worst happens, you must be able to handle the situation and have a clear action plan. Then it's about quality in every detail. A customer who pays for a guided tour has high expectations. Our trained guides must be able to live up to that.
How do you behave if you want to get in touch with a cycling guide?
You go into our guide pool and see on the map which area you are interested in. Point to one of the flags and you will see which guide is active in the area. Read the description of the guide and then get in touch via the contact details on the presentation page. It is also good to email us if you want tips about the region and person.
How do you behave if you want to be included in your guide pool?
You start by taking our online course. Just get in touch via e-mail then we'll get in touch when the time is right. The next course session is the evening of February 6, 2023. In the next step, we will publish a presentation page in our guide pool on the website.