Question 1

How fast do we bike?

Accepted Answer

On the way out, we'd like to keep a cruising speed of about 20 km/h. The tours are not at all a performance or training ride, but we do like to keep an active pace to be able to cover a nice distance without taking too long. We stop on average every 15 minutes at sights/ interesting places which your guide will tell you a bit about. And we have one or two somewhat longer stops where we can sit down, have lunch or a snack and use the bathroom. With those who are up for riding back together instead of returning by S-Bahn, we bike straight to our starting point without stops at a somewhat higher cruising speed.

Question 2

On what kind of roads / paths do we bike?

Accepted Answer

The routes are carefully planned to make the bike tour as comfortable as possible. The vast majority is either smooth asphalt surface, largely on bike paths or quiet roads, that we mix up with some nice and accessible (and beautiful) stretches of gravel or forest path. There are some smaller sections of bike lanes on the bricks pavement. The awfully bumpy German cobblestones (“Kopfsteinpflaster)” we try to avoid at all costs, but there may very short stretches where they are inevitable (so short however, you could also walk).

Question 3

Can I join the tours on my own bike?

Accepted Answer

Yes absolutely! If you have a properly functioning sporty bike you’re more than welcome to join with that, as long as you can ride at a cruising speed of 20 km/h over a longer distance with it. Suitable bikes are e.g. road, gravel, touring, trekking, mountain or E-bikes. However, regular city bikes with upright seating position and wider tires are not suitable, as keeping up with the group pace over such distance will most likely be too challenging to keep up. If you have a fixed gear bike and feel it’s not a problem to keep up with the cruising speed of 20 km/h, feel free to ride that – just note there may be short sections of uphill where you wished you had gears (yet we're not in the Alps).
In any case, if you bring your own bike, please make sure that it functions properly before we meet for the tour. Note that in case of material problems on the way, your guide can try to help fix this, but you remain responsible yourself if you bring your own bike.

Question 4

How do I rent a touring bike, road bike or E-bike?

Accepted Answer

Bike Beyond Berlin rents out high grade titanium bikes touring bikes (with straight handle bars) or road bikes (with drop handle bars) for only 25 € per day. They both come with gravel tires, and are perfect for the tours. These bikes will be ready for you at the meeting point, and can be returned there whenever you come back after the tour.
There is also the possibility to rent E-Bikes at our rental partner, please contact us by phone or email if you're interested in that.
Read all about these rental options here.

Question 5

What is included in the price?

Accepted Answer

At our meeting point you’ll be offered a coffee or tea during our start briefing. During the tour, your guide will carry granola bars and/ or bananas for some quick energy when needed. Depending on the tour, any entrance tickets at designated stops may also be included. Furthermore, your guide will carry a (standard 28”) spare road bike tube and tools for basic repairs in case of trouble on the way. Please note that other costs, such as snacks/ drinks/ lunch and possible tickets for a return by S-bahn (€6 for you and your bike) are not included.

Question 6

What do I need to bring?

Accepted Answer

A HELMET is the only thing that is mandatory! If you don’t have one, you can rent one at our meeting point for 3€ (included if you rent a bike).
A water bottle is also highly recommended, which you can fill up at the start and along the way. 
For appropriate clothing, we suggest you check the weather forecast for the whole day. It’s wise to take an extra warming layer for stops and after the ride, since you may cool down when you stop moving.
A rain (and wind) proof layer is highly recommended, even if the chance of rain is small, so you’re prepared in case the weather turns around.
If you don’t feel like spending money on food, you’re also free to bring this yourself (though you may not be allowed to eat this in the restaurant).
Lastly, we recommend having a good breakfast before we meet, as biking on an empty stomach for several hours may not be beneficial to your mood.

Question 7

Does the tour still take place when the weather is bad?

Accepted Answer

We are not put off by a little bad weather, so our tours practically always take place, unless monsoons or thundershowers are expected. However, if you don’t like what you see in the weather forecast, you can cancel or reschedule free of charge up till 48 hours before the tour.

Question 8

What is the cancellation policy?

Accepted Answer

You can cancel or reschedule free of charge up till 48 hours before the tour. If you cancel between 48 and 24 hours before the tour, you’ll receive a voucher of 50% of the paid value that you can use towards a tour on another day. There is no refund if you cancel or reschedule less than 24 hours before the tour.
Tours need a minimum of 3 participants to take place. If we cancel the tour due to insufficient bookings, exceptionally bad weather or other unforeseen circumstances, we'll inform you 24 hours in advance. Of course you can reschedule free of charge or receive a full refund in that case.

Frequently asked questions